A Joyful Noise: Praying the Psalms with the Early Church

We hear often that “the word of God is living and effective” (Heb 4:12). But what does that really mean for our day-to-day lives? A Joyful Noise reveals how the Psalms, sung by everyone from King David to Jesus to the Early Church Fathers to your church choir, are deeply rich and meaningful for our lives today. Author Mike Aquilina shows how to “change the racket” of modern life—to turn from noise that distracts us toward the Psalms, those ancient songs that ring with eternal truths to this very day. Each of the thirty-five Psalms found within are paired with easy-to-read modern translations of meditations from the Fathers of the Church. The text includes questions to help reflect on the Psalms and apply these meditations to everyday life. Mike Aquilina invites you to participate more fully in a tradition as old as the People of God: to turn from the clamor of life to make a joyful noise to the Lord!

“What a joy to read the Psalms as they were read in the early Church. For us, as for the first Christians, the Psalms are a treasury of counsel for ordinary living, insight into the power of the sacraments, praise for God’s glory and mercy, and love for his kingdom, which is the Catholic Church. The Fathers call King David to witness as they preach fidelity in marriage, kindness in speech, and even the mercies of purgatory. As we pray this book, we recognize that ancient Church as our own, and we raise our prayer in unison—no, in communion—with the saints of long ago, who are living still.”

-Scott Hahn
Professor of Scripture and Theology
Franciscan University of Steubenville