Just got back from visiting my dad in Florida for Thanksgiving and I am SO GLAD that my copy of Songs of Praise was waiting for me in my mailbox when we returned!!!  Songs of Praise is a devotional, perhaps one of the first  devotionals written with Orthodox Christians in mind.  Its author is Sylvia Leonaritis, who also writes the popular blog Orthodox Mom.  For many years now she has organized an online Psalter Prayer group made up of Orthodox women the world round.

Over the years, praying the psalms has been a great source of joy and comfort to me, so I was really really glad to hear about this book.  For Orthodox Christians the psalter is our ancient song of Praise and hymn of prayer.  The Psalter is the ancient hymnal of Israel and of the Church.   It is a deeply integral part of our faith and worship.   So as soon as we opened the mail, the dog and my youngest daughter and I took a walk into town to the local coffee shop and I sat outside to pour over the pages of Songs of Praise.

I really love that – between each Kathisma – Sylvia offers words of encouragement rooted in faith and stemming from her own personal journey and walk with Christ.   Her own struggles, her own joys, her love of God and her Faith walk.   Such reflections are a reminder that the psalms are not just lofty words but rather speak to the heart of every Christian and also that the psalms encompass every human emotion from thanksgiving, brokenness, repentance, tears, Praise, sorrow, joy, grief, fear, anger, seeking refuge, love, blessing, seeking God and ultimately offering ourselves to Him and cultivating that needful relationship in prayer.

In other words – real life, real struggle, real joy.

Sylvia’s reflections remind the reader that Christ Himself is present in the psalms and that He meets us wherever we are in our walk of Faith and that our journeys of Faith are not about being perfect people but about being a people who through Christ – in our Orthodox Faith – are being perfected.

There is ample space in the book for journaling and devotion.   This is a lovely practice that we see so often from our Protestant friends  – but in fact – I would put forth that journalling is really an Orthodox practice.   Monastics keep spiritual journals and I am a firm believer that Orthodox monastic practices are a benchmark and guidepost for us all.   Not only that, the Psalter itself is an outpouring of the heart of Saint David – the man who is called “a man after God’s own heart”    The Psalms are actually his devotions.

The journalling pages are a great place to write your intentions, to cast your cares, give thanks, draw a picture, list those whom you hold up in prayer, copy a psalm verse you want to commit to memory, or to journal a word or phrase that has special meaning during this season of your individual journey in Faith.

Sylvia has been journalling for many years, and mentions that it is a great source of joy for her to go through the previous years pages of her journals and see how God has woven goodness in her life, how prayers have been answered or even unanswered and how that has all been needful and worked together for good in her life.

One of my favorite reflections in the book is Letters to the Theotokos because it is so sweet – a lovely reflection on our devotion to Panagia and her role in our salvation and example as a mother, the veil of her protection and intercession for us all.

If you’ve never prayed the psalms know this – the reading of the psalms is a beautiful encouragement to everyone – to pray the psalms and have them pray in you.  It will uplift your life.  This devotional is a great resource – encouraging women (and men) to bring the psalter into the rhythm of everyday life and the Liturgical cycle.

I can not encourage you enough to get this book.  It is available at the Ancient Faith Store