Sing a New Psalm II - Turning to God's Word

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

Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline

Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, a 29-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. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is a slightly revised version of the monks’ 2010 translation, The Revised Grail Psalms. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) now holds rights to The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, which has been approved for liturgical use in the United States and is being added to all English-language Liturgy of the Hours books and Catholic lectionaries published for use in the United States.

Volume II of Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church is available for purchase from our website shop. Jennifer McGaw Phelps, who wrote Volume I, which covers the psalms prayed at Lauds and Vespers, also has written Volume II, which covers the remaining psalms that are prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. Both volumes have been granted an imprimatur. A separate copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is needed for either volume of this Turning to God Word Catholic Bible study. Volume I currently is available only in digital format; it may be purchased from our website shop. Here is a link to a sample copy of the Introduction and Lesson 1 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline.

In addition to the sample for this Bible study, Turning to God’s Word is providing a copy of Lesson 29 In Peace I Will Lie Down, which addresses the nightly Compline prayers based on Psalm 91 (RSVCE), Psalm 4 (RSVCE), and Psalm 134 (RSVCE). The monks at Conception Abbey pray these short psalms each evening—Psalm 91 on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; Psalm 4 and Psalm 134 on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. A separate copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is needed to read the exact translation on which the psalms in Lesson 29 are based.

Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volumes I and II include a foreword by Abbot Gregory Polan, O.S.B., who directed Conception Abbey’s translation of the psalms. He recently has served as Abbot Primate of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation, the international governing body of the Order of St. Benedict, and as Abbot of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. Prior to that, he was abbot at Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri.

Our online glossary for Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline lists every proper noun included in the biblical text. Links to the online glossary are accessible here and at the top of every online study page for Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. Online study pages, which feature additional commentary to accompany each lesson, began posting in August.

Following is a list of the lessons in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. Neither Volume I nor Volume II of this Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study will include lesson videos. At this time, links for online study pages in both volumes are to psalms in the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE); it is hoped that these will be replaced by links to The Abbey Psalms and Canticles if that translation becomes available online. In the meantime, participants interested in this study are encouraged to purchase a hard copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, currently available from Magnificat or Ascension Press.

You can compare the two-week cursus (schedule) used in both volumes of our study with the four-week Roman cursus followed by current Liturgy of the Hours books.

Online pages for Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline have begun posting.

check out all of our in-depth Catholic Bible studies

In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis (2016; 2024 revision)—a study of the first book of the Old Testament. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: And God Said, ‘Let There Be Light.’
You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus (2023)—an extensive look at how the second book of the Old Testament prefigures Christianity. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: The More the People Are Oppressed, the More They Multiply.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness (2022 revision)—an expanded study of the final book of the New Testament, including illustrations of images appearing throughout the biblical text, as well as relevant maps and an online glossary. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: The Ruler of Kings on Earth.
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption (2021) looks at biblical prophecy from the time of the Babylonian Exile through the book of Revelation. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: How the Divided Kingdom Came to an End.
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth (2019 revision)—a study of the life of Jesus Christ presented in the Fourth Gospel. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: In the Beginning Was the Word.
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided (2018)—a study of biblical prophecy from Creation until the Babylonian Exile. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: The LORD Announces He Is About To Do a New Thing.
The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King (2017)—a study of the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: God’s People Ask for a King. The print version of this study is temporarily unavailable; contact us if you’re interested in purchasing a digital version.
Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers (2015)—a study of psalms prayed for Lauds and Vespers using The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation prepared by the Benedictine monks at Conception Abbey and published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Read the online study page related to Lesson 1: Set a Guard on My Mouth. No videos accompany either volume of this Bible study. Both Volume I and Volume II have been granted an imprimatur. A revision of Volume I based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles instead of The Revised Grail Psalms is available digitally; Volume II (based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles) is available in hard copy.
The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation (2014 revision; digital only)—a study of the Letter to the Hebrews. Read the online study page and link to a video related to Lesson 1: Superior to Angels.
Scripture & the Rosary: New Testament Mysteries, Old Testament Parallels (2012 revision; digital only)—a study of the biblical foundations of the Rosary in both the Old and New Testaments. This study has been converted to a digital version with the first six lessons available free year-round. The remaining 20 lessons, also free, alternate throughout the year based on the liturgical season (the Joyful Mysteries during Advent and the Christmas season, the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent, the Glorious Mysteries during the Easter season, and the Luminous Mysteries during Ordinary Time). The study directory includes links to online study pages for posted lessons. No videos accompany this Bible study.
Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering (2014 revision; digital only)—an in-depth explanation of the biblical accounts of Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection. This Catholic Bible study, which has been granted an imprimatur, is based on Scripture and designed to be used with or without the film The Passion of the Christ. A free digital version of Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering is posted each year during Lent, along with related online study pages. No videos accompany this Bible study.