Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church

Volume I: Lauds & Vespers

Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study from Turning to God’s Word, uses as a biblical text The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is a 2020 revision of the monks’ 2010 translation, The Revised Grail Psalms. This newest translation—The Abbey Psalms and Canticles—is in the process of being added to all English-language Liturgy of the Hours books published for use in the United States.

The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers was written by Jennifer McGaw Phelps and features illustrations by Tami Palladino. On July 1, 2015, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers was granted an imprimatur from the Most Reverend Richard E. Pates, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Des Moines. A digital version of Volume I may be purchased from our website shop

This Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study includes a foreword by Abbot Gregory Polan, O.S.B., who directed Conception Abbey’s translation of the Psalms. Since 2016, he’s served as Abbot Primate of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation, the international governing body of the Order of St. Benedict. He also is Abbot of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. The study requires access to a separate copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, which may be purchased online from a number of publishers.

Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline is scheduled for release in late summer of 2025.

Following is a list of the lessons in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. Each is linked to a corresponding online study page. Lesson videos aren’t included with this study. At this time, links are to Psalms in the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE); these will be replaced by links in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles once the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) makes those available online.

Lesson 1 Set a Guard on My Mouth—Sunday 1st Vespers (Week I)*
Lesson 2 O God, at Dawn I Seek You—Sunday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 3 You Are a Priest Forever—Sunday 2nd Vespers (Week I)
Lesson 4 To My Words Give Ear, O LORD—Monday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 5 Who May Abide in the LORD’s Tent?—Monday Vespers (Week I)
Lesson 6 A Soul Athirst for the Living God—Tuesday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 7 One Thing I Ask of the LORD—Tuesday Vespers (Week I)
Lesson 8 Seeing in God’s Light—Wednesday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 9 An Overflowing Heart—Wednesday Vespers (Week I)
Lesson 10 Awake, My Soul!—Thursday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 11 God Will Ransom My Soul—Thursday Vespers (Week I)
Lesson 12 Have Mercy on Me, O God—Friday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 13 Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD—Friday Vespers (Week I)
Lesson 14 Majesty Set Above the Heavens—Saturday Lauds (Week I)
Lesson 15 Let My Prayer Be As Incense—Sunday 1st Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 16 His Mercy Endures Forever—Sunday Lauds (Week II)
Lesson 17 The LORD Has Sworn an Oath—Sunday 2nd Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 18 What God Is As Great As Our God?—Monday Lauds (Week II)
Lesson 19 For the Peace of Jerusalem Pray—Monday Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 20 The LORD God Is a Sun & a Shield—Tuesday Lauds (Week II)
Lesson 21 May the LORD Bless You—Tuesday Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 22 Teach Us to Number Our Days—Wednesday Lauds (Week II)
Lesson 23 O Give Thanks to the LORD—Wednesday Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 24 I Will Walk with Blameless Heart—Thursday Lauds (Week II)
Lesson 25 What Is Man That You Regard Him?—Thursday Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 26 Create a Pure Heart for Me—Friday Lauds (Week II)
Lesson 27 The LORD Remembers Us—Friday Vespers (Week II)
Lesson 28 The Just One Will Flourish—Saturday Lauds (Week II)

You can compare the two-week cursus used in Volume I of our study of the Psalms with the four-week Roman cursus for Lauds and Vespers followed in Liturgy of the Hours.


*includes a sample lesson


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