Priests and other ministers are, therefore, to make an earnest effort through an effective catechesis to lead their communities to a clearer and deeper grasp of at least some of the psalms provided for the funeral rites. The Church, like Christ, turns again and again to the psalms as a genuine expression of grief and of praise and as a sure source of trust and hope in times of trial.
In the psalms the members of the assembly pray in the voice of Christ, who intercedes on their behalf before the Father. Jesus, who knew anguish and the fear of death, 'offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death… Although he was Son, he learned to obey through suffering but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation…' (Hebrews 5:7-9). They enable the assembly to pray in the words that Jesus himself used during his life on earth. Above all the psalms sing of faith in God, of revelation and redemption. They powerfully express the suffering and pain, the hope and trust of people of every age and culture.
The psalms are rich in imagery, feeling, and symbolism.
