And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart...

  - Ephesians 5.18, 19

Brendan then seated himself in the cave, and recited his psalms and hymns of praise to the Lord there. And Bishop Erc remained near the cave listening to Brendan, unknown to him. And the sound of Brendan’s voice, as he recited his psalms, was heard for a mile in every direction.

   - Anonymous, Vita Brendani, Irish, 17th century, from an earlier ms.

Brendan was ten years old and accompanying his mentor on a preaching tour, when he let his tongue get the best of him, and spoke harshly to a little girl – who turned out to be the daughter of the local king (ever had one of those days?).

For his penance Brendan was required to sing and recite psalms for a night, alone in a cave (his mentor, unseen, nearby). Thus he would remind his tongue of its proper use and train it not to yield to unbridled passions, but to honor God at all times.

The story goes on to relate how Brendan’s all-night vigil, reverberating out of that cave, blessed everyone who heard him. He was filled with the Spirit, and his singing brought the grace of God to the surrounding community.

How can we know when we’re filled with the Spirit? Paul says one sure way is when we find ourselves irresistibly drawn to singing the psalms and letting them inform our conversations with one another. The Spirit gave the psalms, after all, and when we are filled with Him, it makes sense that He will speak His words in us.

It also makes sense, at least to me, that if we begin to making singing and praying the psalms more a part of our own discipline, and talk about them with one another, the Spirit of God will be much more inclined to find our hearts a hospitable place of repose. We “put a light on” in our souls, inviting the Spirit’s filling, when we sing and pray the Lord’s words, to Him and to one another.

God can use us to bring His grace to ears of others, if only we will surrender our tongues to His pure and holy words.

We provide the daily psalm. All you have to do is sing it.

Psalm 47.7, 8 (Truro: “Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns!”)
God is the King of all the earth, sing praise to Him with glorious psalms!
He rules the nations by His worth, and on His throne receives their alms.

Lord, as the birds and stars do not rest from singing Your praise, let me join my voice with them as often as I can. Adapted from In Tenga Bithnua