The poet who compiled the Book of Psalms concludes it with a paean of praise befitting the moods and aspirations of the sweet singers who preceded him. For he clearly discerns one striking fact underlying the variety of their songs, namely, that the quality of the devotional life determines the character of our years.

Moreover, the psalmist further perceives that the God who accepts our veneration welcomes the homage of all. Earth, he declares, is as much the Lord’s sanctuary as heaven. Thus, he sees those gathered in the Temple and the angels surrounding the celestial throne as "a great antiphonal chorus" lifting their…