Singing the Psalms

"St. Athanasius also suggests that hearing the psalms strengthens the soul in a trinity of ways: The singer learns the facts of Biblical history and prophecy; the Psalter nurtures the emotions; and the psalms deepen the listener's understanding of the Bible's words and of God, because he or she participates intimately in the act of listening. 'And the one who hears is deeply moved, as though he himself were speaking, and is affected by the words of the songs, as if they were his own songs.'" - Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict by Carmen Acevedo Butcher, p. 10