NOTES for Psa 145

Praising the Lord, singing of His greatness and mercy, and standing before Him give us an opportunity to enter into communion with Him. By repeating the psalms that poured from David's heart, we can touch the same feelings that inspired the psalmist. But here we have testimony that David not only expressed the prayerful feelings that filled him, but was also ready to join the assembly of other people at prayer. He joined not only the prayers of his contemporaries, but also those of people who would praise the Lord from generation to generation. And we see that David's voice is not lost in the general chorus, nor is his song drowned out by others. It sounds as distinctive as ever, while the whole diversity of voices remains harmonious.

Many people who cherish their individuality hesitate to cross the threshold of the Church because they fear being leveled and, as it seems to them, dissolved into a uniform mass. But we know that this is not so. Each person has a voice of his own; the Lord calls each of us by name and loves each in a special way, and therefore the path through self-denial leads to finding oneself. The readiness to renounce egocentrism and self-admiration is precisely the beginning of the path toward revealing the riches that He has placed in every unique person.