Songs of Praise: A Psalter Devotional for Orthodox Women

"A psalm is a city of refuge from the demons, a means of inducing help from the angels, a weapon in fears by night, a rest from toils by day, a safeguard for infants, an adornment for those at the height of their vigor, a consolation for the elders, a most fitting ornament for women." -St. Basil the Great

If you want to make the Psalter a more integral part of your life - either on your own or as part of a Psalter group - Songs of Praise is the perfect aid. It includes the full text of the Ancient Faith Psalter (with wide margins for note-taking). Each kathisma is followed by a reflection from popular Orthodox Mom blogger Sylvia Leontaritis plus several blank pages for journaling. Read, reflect, and journal your way through the Psalter and let its holy words sink into your soul.

About the Author: Sylvia Leontaritis is an Orthodox wife, mother, and author. She's loved words since she was old enough to string them together, and when her second-grade teacher taped her story to the blackboard, she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. When she's not writing, Sylvia can usually be found knitting, baking with her boys, or hiding in their treehouse. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, three sons, and their pet hedgehog. She is currently working on her next project, a middle-grade adventure series for Orthodox kids. You can find her blogging at Adventures of an Orthodox Mom (www.orthodoxmom.com).

Praise for Songs of Praise:

Songs of Praise: A Psalter Devotional for Orthodox Women and the Psalter Groups it promotes forge spiritual bonds of kinship – something so necessary as we navigate the most “connected” but spiritually disconnected time in history. [The book] not only contains the entire Psalter, space for recording one’s own reflections, but also Sylvia Leontaritis' own musings about her struggles, hopes, and spiritual insights. Her words not only mirror the intimate, prayer-filled psalms of King David, but meaningfully connect the contemporary reader to the essence of the Psalter. Songs of Praise includes all my favourite things: prayers, sayings of the Holy Fathers, space for me to write down my thoughts, and friendship. It is a great resource and boon for every Orthodox Christian woman.

-Matushka Constantina Palmer, author of The Scent of Holiness

With all the charm and exuberance of a best friend who has stumbled onto something that she must share, Sylvia Leontaritis shares her love of the Psalms in this beautiful psalter journal. In between each of the twenty kathismas (a grouping of several short chapters of the Psalms) are some of the author's personal thoughts, followed by blank pages for one's own journaling. The whole book is simple, beautiful, and best of all, ready for you and me to dive into the good work of reading or chanting, meditating on, and absorbing the Psalms. It is the perfect spiritual effort to do alone or in a group any time of year, but especially during one of the longer fasts. Songs of Praise has everything you need, best friend included, except a pen! (And I have plenty to share if you happen to need one...)

-Jane G. Meyer, author of several books for children, including The Man and the Vine, A Book of Questions, and When God Made You. 

Author: Sylvia Leontaritis

Format: Paperback

Dimensions: 6 X 9 inches

Page Length: 384 pages