A Gentle Guide to the Pilgrimage of the Psalms

The Book of Psalms, which means "book of praise" in Hebrew, has inspired and energized personal and communal devotion since the early days of the Church, and has become somewhat familiar to us thanks to the responsorial psalm recited after the first reading at every Mass.
The Psalms, which contain all the emotions of a human being standing before God as he is, have been considered the most human and the most theological book in the Bible, as they sometimes cry on our behalf, question God on our behalf, and invite us to praise the Lord together.
Because the Psalms contain the words God wants us to hear, they can also be called a "heart-warming prayer book."

The author, who confessed that he was surprised by the honesty of the Psalms when he first read them and was taken aback by their beauty, uses his passion and solid knowledge of the Psalms to provide an easy-to-understand explanation of key passages of the Psalms, while also sharing his honest experiences connected to the Psalms.
"Thrilled by the Psalms" will help our prayers become more honest and richer. It will be a welcome companion for those who seek the Lord with a sincere heart or who wish to recharge their courage and strength to live by relying on the Psalms.
As you read this book, which beautifully combines head and heart, I hope you will have a time filled with excitement for the Psalms.

The Psalms are the book that most truthfully captures the emotions and lives of believers.
Sorrow and pain, joy and desperation mix together to become sighs, praise, and gratitude.
If we look closely at the Psalms, we can see that they contain the full range of emotions we experience.
Moreover, the Psalms are the most human and the most theological book in the Bible, not only because they offer profound insights into life that resonate deeply, but also because they show us the image of "human beings standing before God as they are."

--- p.4

We must look to God so that our hearts do not become tangled and we do not become monsters filled with resentment.

--- p.110

Sheep have no defenses to protect themselves from life-threatening threats.
They have no horns, sharp teeth, or protective coloration.
Moreover, since they do not have quick feet, they cannot easily escape from their natural enemies.
Not only that, but he is a terrible coward who cannot drink water from a river with a fast current.
Only when the shepherd uses stones to block the rough current and make the flow of water calm and gentle can the water be drunk.
Sheep are creatures that must depend entirely on their shepherds to survive.

--- p.118

David is embracing his inner pain before God.
How do we respond when the world deceives us and we're struck down by the axe we trusted? If such experiences have left us with wounds, how about praying Psalm 55 with David, soothing and comforting our hidden pain and the shadows of our hearts? It will undoubtedly be a powerful healing for those deep-seated wounds.

--- p.175

The invitation to "praise God" is based on communal and personal experiences of salvation and on precious, unforgettable memories.
I think singing the Psalms is a way to develop the power of memory.

--- p.229

The Psalms express the full spectrum of human responses to God's presence among us and teach us how to pray as we face the various moments of life.
It is quite unique in that it is not a book in which God speaks to man, as in the Law or the Prophets, but a book in which man speaks to God or a book in which man speaks about God.
The Psalms are a book that speaks 'for us' and 'on our behalf.'

--- p.288