The Psalms, along with the Gospels, were a staple item of the spiritual fare on which Christians in the early Church were nourished. Like many of his peers, John Chrysostom has left us his commentary on many of these sacred hymns set to music by "blessed David." During his ministry in Antioch and Constantinople, therefore, he endeavored to engage with the sentiments of hope and despair, love and loathing, praise and thanksgiving, while wrestling with the Psalms' many obscure expressions.

In this volume are assembled the more memorable and uplifting passages of his homilies on the Psalms. While not betraying the accent of his school on the role of human effort in moral development and spiritual growth, he echoes the psalmist's gratitude for divine providence and mercy, the wonders of Creation, and the mysteries of the Incarnation and Pascha.