Returning Masculinity to Christianity

Why we need the censored Psalms

The Psalms have been called the Bible in miniature. Lacordaire, the priest renowned for helping young men, recommended reading the Psalter once a week or at least once every fortnight. As he explains, ‘this was a very celebrated practice in the middle ages, a very improving one, and it is a great pity that the faithful have given it up for prayers which are very frequently neither forcible nor of any standing.’ Indeed, many of the Psalms were cut entirely from the Liturgy of Hours for being too forcible — too upsetting for sensitive modern ears. But that’s why we need them.

Having followed Lacordaire’s advice now for a while now — I usually pray the Psalms in between sets in the gym — I want to get others into the habit. So this is an overview of some of the spiritual wisdom of these prayers and how they can help return masculinity to Christianity. It’s not  definitive, but none of my commentary conflicts with Church teaching. Nor is it exhaustive, but I hope my highlights will be helpful for two reasons.

First, my life has exposed the weaknesses in my spiritual formation and where the Psalms can help. I have been sacked (losing my home along with my job) and threatened with a lifetime ban from my profession. I also support a large family on one income, with no guarantees about how much money each month will bring. These experiences touch on the anxieties of many men today.

Second, I wasn’t raised Christian, and my road to faith was mostly philosophy. It’s a common misconception today that the existence of God can’t be proven with certainty. Faith is blind, people say, and religion is a just a matter of reverential feelings. But religion is fundamentally about duties, not feelings, because God is Reason. The Psalms speak to me most powerfully in this way, and it’s a message men need to hear.

Happiness and Hope

Suicide is the biggest killer of men between the ages of 18 to 45, and depression is the leading cause of disability. Despite decades of promises of happiness and “free love,” and the highest level of material luxury and prosperity in human history, men are losing hope. Psalm cii. 5, however, reminds us that the Last End of man is the Infinite Good, or God “who satisfieth thy desire.” Sex, money and power can never truly satisfy us. When idolised, each condemns us to the futile pursuit of a false infinity. God Himself, the infinite good, is our primary object of hope — our Last End and Beatitude: ‘For what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth?” (Ps. lxxii. 25)

God is also, the Psalmist reminds us, the true motive of hope: “Thou hast been my hope, a tower of strength against the face of the enemy” (Ps. lx. 4). Whereas suicide is cowardice, and depression is emasculating, hope gives courage. “I have trusted in Thy mercy” (Ps. xii. 6), the Psalmist says, because just as faith rests on the total reliability of God, hope rests on His infinite power and goodness. No sin you have committed is bigger than God’s infinite mercy: “The mercy of God is above all His works” (Ps. cxliv. 9).

And no suffering is beyond His power to bring you through. Hence “In God is my salvation and my glory. He is the God of my help, and my hope is in God” (Ps. lxi. 8); “What is my hope? Is it not the Lord?” (Ps. xxxviii. 8); “In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped” (Ps. xxx. 1). We can’t save ourselves, and politicians can’t save us either. The road to salvation is too hard, and perfection isn’t ours to give ourselves.

Because the road to salvation is hard, it presupposes courage. Christ never said Christianity would be easy. It requires strength of soul: “Do ye manfully and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord” (Ps.xxx. 25). This is especially true today because the world is increasingly hostile to Christianity. But hope gives the weary soul wings because of its inducements to courage and good works: “I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart” (Ps. cxviii. 32).

We have to work courageously for salvation and to keep a clear conscience: “Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord’ (Ps. xxvi. 14). But we can have a firm, unshaken hope that God will help us: “In thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed” (Ps. xxiv. 2). “In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice” (Ps. xxx. 2).

Where we are found wanting in the virtue of fortitude, moreover, the Gift of Fortitude will help us, inspired by the presence and command of the Holy Spirit Himself: “For they got not the possession of the land by their own sword: neither did their own arm save them. But thy right hand and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance: because thou wast pleased with them.” (Ps. xliii. 4). Thus “there is much peace to those that love Thy law” (Ps. cxviii. 165) because “the testimony of the Lord is faithful” (Ps. xviii. 8). When we understand this, we can have the confident submission that even prefers adversity to prosperity: “It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications.” (Ps. cxviii. 71).

Justice and Fidelity

When we understand, too, that man owes God honour, we see that religion is a matter of justice. Man must “offer up the sacrifice of justice” (Psalm, IV. 6). And man cannot thank God enough: “I have inclined my heart to do Thy justifications for ever, for the reward” (Ps. cxviii. 112); “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise is always in my mouth” (Psalm xxxiii. 1). But even with all his possible efforts, man can never repay the debt of worship owed: “What return can I make to the Lord for all that He has done for me?” (Psalm cxv. 12).

The point isn’t that God needs man’s worship. “Shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? or shall I drink the blood of goats?” (Psalm xlix. 13). No man — no angel, even — can add to the glory God has from Himself. But man needs to worship God because communication with the Supreme Being elevates and perfects him. This is because “the Lord giveth grace and glory” (Ps. lxxxiii. 12), and “the law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls” (Ps. xviii. 8). It “gives wisdom to little ones” (Ps. xviii. 8). So our prayer should arise from an inclination towards God Himself and a desire for union with Him: “As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God.” (Ps. xli. 2).

Faith is about fidelity. “One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple” (Ps. xxvi. 4). And fidelity, as Horace said, is the sister of justice. It means an honest man’s word is as good as his bond. As Christ said, it is one of the most appreciated of virtues: “His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt., xxv. 21). Hence the Psalmist praises “he that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice; he that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue” (Psalm xiv).

From this we can see that external profession of faith is not an act proceeding from faith but rather an act of faith. Whereas “the wicked man said in his heart: There is no God” (Ps. xviii. 1), the righteous man must say, “I have believed, therefore have I spoken” (Ps. cxv. 10). And the just man speaks with integrity: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” (Ps. xxxiii. 14). He has “not sworn deceitfully to his neighbour” (Ps. xxiii. 4).

Nor does he shirk saying the hard truths necessary for his neighbour’s spiritual welfare: “With my lips I have pronounced all the judgments of thy mouth” (Ps. cxviii.113). The smooth-tongued flatterer, by contrast, is the truly damaging: “The just shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me: but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head. For my prayer also shall still be against the things with which they are well pleased” (Psalm cxl. 5)

In fact, fidelity is so important to Christianity — that is to say, so important to patriarchy — that in Scripture God Himself is represented as swearing oaths: “The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech” (Psalm cix. 4). We also see this in Genesis xxii.16: “By my own self have I sworn, saith the Lord.” The practice of taking oaths has been downplayed, and men would benefit from returning to it.

Hatred and Honour

A return to hatred, too, would be beneficial. God hates sin, and so did the Psalmist. To hate our sin is to love ourselves because sin is against our own interests. And the same goes for the sin of our neighbour. Accordingly, the Psalmist hated sinners: “I have hated them with a perfect hatred (Ps. cxxxviii. 22). In particular, we must warn those who blaspheme maliciously of the gravity  of their sin, and of the absurdity of denying the Almighty: “He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them” (Ps. ii. 4).

The Psalmist also prays to God to punish the wicked. “Let their way become dark and slippery; and let the angel of the Lord pursue them” (Ps. xxxiv. 6). “Pour out thy indignation upon them: and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them” (Ps. lxviii: 25). “May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.” (Ps. cviii. 9) “Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that have not known thee: and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.” (Ps lxxviii:6) “O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us. Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.” (Ps. cxxxvi:8-9)

As Lacordaire said, the Psalms are forcible. Actuated not by malevolence but by love of justice, we must wish that punishment overtake sinners. “For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness” (Ps. x. 8). So “the just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner (Ps. lvii. 11).

Indeed, the just man not only establishes the equality of justice by giving others what they are owed but also preserves that equality by refraining from injuring them. Psalm xxxiii. 15 sums it up: —“Turn away from evil, and do good.” Surrounded by sin, we must “be not emulous of evil-doers, nor envy them that work iniquity, for they shall shortly wither away as grass” (Ps. xxxvi. 1).

But it’s important to remember punishment is a good thing and owed to the sinner. The sinner has not only laid a scandal (calamity) against his brother: “Sitting thou didst speak against thy brother, and didst lay a scandal against thy mother's son” (Ps. xlix. 20). He also dishonours himself. The wicked man hates his own soul: “The Lord trieth the just and the wicked: but he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.” (Ps. x. 6).

Whereas the good man is solicitous for the state of his soul, the wicked man cares only about his body. He wants carnal pleasures, not spiritual treasures. So whereas the good man works hard for the needs of his soul, the bad man works only for his body. The good man converses with his soul, remembering eternity, but the bad man distracts himself with present pleasure. Unlike the good man, who is at peace with his soul, the wicked man is troubled by conscience.

The bad man even becomes so enslaved to his disordered desires that he can focus on nothing else. Sin blinds his mind. As the Psalmist says, “I have not sat with the council of vanity: neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things.” (Ps. xxv. 4) The sinner doesn’t want to know about divine things because otherwise he’d realise the obligation to do good. As Pascal said, ‘Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true.’ Not theism but atheism is the real wish fulfilment. “Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways,” says the bad conscience (Job, xxi. 14).

But Psalmist says God “hatest all the workers of iniquity: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie. The bloody and the deceitful man the Lord will abhor.” (Ps. v. 7). The liar destroys his own soul (Wis., i. 11), and the Lord hates lying (Prov., vi. 17, xii. 22). Indeed, a lie has the devil for its father (John, viii. 44) and will receive what it is owed in justice in hell (Apoc., xxi. 8).

Fear and Humility

Since we don’t tend to hear much about hell in homilies today, the role of fear in faith is downplayed. But it’s crucial. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom” (Ps. cx. 110). Whereas hope reminds us that God is on our side as we strive to scale the heights of heaven, fear reminds us of the dangers of over-confidence. We need both: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, and in them that hope in His mercy” (Ps. cxlvi. 11). Indeed, there is holy fear even in heaven because God is forever at an infinite distance from His creatures, including the angels: “The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring forever and ever” (Ps. xviii. 10).

Why isn’t hope the beginning of Wisdom? As the Council of Trent declared, no one can promise himself with absolute certainty that he will persevere (Sess. VI, Cap. 13) in the path of righteousness. We cannot remain free from even venial sins. Hence the Psalmist prays, “Pierce Thou my flesh with Thy fear.” (Ps. cxviii. 120) Remembering our frailty reminds us of our need of God, encouraging humility. And whereas pride leads to hell, humility leads to heaven. When the flesh is pierced with fear, we are on guard against temptation and sin. We have a humble distrust of ourselves: “I will raise my eyes to the mountains from which help cometh to me” (Psalm cxx, 1).

This help is necessary even to sustain ourselves in existence moment to moment. And by thinking of God’s goodness, all His blessings and the life of Christ, we will realise, with the Psalmist, that “it is good for me to cling fast to God and to place my hope in the Lord” (Psalm lxxii. 28). And we can cling to God by seeking light through prayer and learning from the lives of the saints: “Teach me Thy justifications. Thy testimonies are my delight, and Thy justifications my counsel” (Ps. cxviii. 12, 24).

Humility and fear, then, induce the disposition of soul to which is promised the First Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt, v. 3). Since all but God is as nothing, where must a man seek true greatness? “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. xix. 8).  As we read in 2 Timothy 1:12, “I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him, against that day.”

Pride, riches, status and sex can’t truly satisfy a man, but “from God,” says St. Thomas (II-II, q. 17, a. 2), “we should expect nothing less than God Himself.”