cover image The Psalms: Meditations for Every Day of the Year

The Psalms: Meditations for Every Day of the Year

Joan Chittister. Crossroad Publishing Company, $15.95 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-8245-1581-2

Chittister (The Seasons of Life), known as ""Sister Joan"" to her readers and admirers, is the executive director of Benetvision: A Resource Center for Contemporary Spirituality. Here, she chooses to introduce each month's meditations with a verse from one of the Psalms, the ""oldest prayers in the Judeo-Christian tradition,"" which ""show us that our hopes and fears, desires and emotions are just like the rest of humanity's"" while giving us the assurance of God's ""caring presence and loving help in every situation."" She suggests that the reader say the month's chosen verse before each day's reading. Each month, for the reader's further guidance, Chittister provides a brief, thoughtful comment following the Psalm verse and preceding the concise and provocative daily readings based on or around the verse. Consoling as all of this sounds, the questions raised by the daily readings will cause reader/users to reflect deeply upon several aspects of their lives and to examine their belief systems, their values and their priorities. (June)