The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Day 79: Psalms of Ascent (2026)
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Mar 20, 2026 A look at Canaan's concrete boundaries and why the Promised Land is a real, tangible place. A run-through of the tribal leaders and Moses' final blessings for each tribe. Introduction to Psalm 120 as the first of the Psalms of Ascent and how these pilgrim prayers shaped worship on the way to the Temple.
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Promised Land Is Historically Tangible
- The Promised Land is a concrete historical place, not an abstract idea of spirituality.
- Fr. Mike highlights Numbers 34's precise geographic boundaries to show faith is rooted in time, space, and matter.
Faith Unites Matter And Spirit
- Human beings are both material and spiritual, and faith embraces both dimensions together.
- Fr. Mike emphasizes Christianity and Judaism unite heaven and earth, so belief isn't divorced from daily embodied life.
Psalm 120 Begins The Psalms Of Ascent
- Psalm 120 starts the Psalms of Ascent, a set (120–134) tied to pilgrimages for the three major Jewish feasts.
- Fr. Mike explains these psalms were prayed as pilgrims journeyed up to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple.