Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline
Lesson 23 Hidden Lessons of the Past
Invitatory: Psalm 100 (RSVCE)
Psalm 12 (RSVCE), Psalm 13 (RSVCE), Psalm 14 (RSVCE), and Psalm 78 (RSVCE)
Thursday Vigils (Week II)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Volume II of Sing a New Psalm
next lesson: More Than Finest Gold
This material coordinates with Lesson 23, “Hidden Lessons of the Past,” on pages 85–88 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. Our Catholic Bible study is based on
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a translation of the psalms prepared by the monks at Conception Abbey in 2010 and first published as The Revised Grail Psalms. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is a revision of that work, finished in 2020 and published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Wording and numbering of some psalms and verses in other translations may differ. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is being added to Liturgy of the Hours books used in the United States. While the Turning to God’s Word study book is based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation, all online links to the psalms are to the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. A separate copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is needed to read the translation on which the psalms in this study are based.
“Unlike other prayers in sacred Scripture, the prayers contained in the psalms are not inserted into a narrative story that specifies their meaning and function. Instead, the psalms are given to the believer precisely as a text of prayer. Since they are the Word of God, the believer who prays the psalms speaks to God using the very words that God himself has given to us. Thus, in praying the psalms we learn to pray. The psalms are a school of prayer.”—Pope Benedict XVI
welcome to our continuing in-depth study of the psalms
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample Introduction and Lesson 1 from this 29-
lesson Turning to 
God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages include additional questions, commentary, and prayers based on the psalm texts, plus an online glossary. Both Volume I and Volume II of Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church have been granted imprimaturs. A digital version of Volume I: Lauds & Vespers can be purchased from our website shop. Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline is available in hard copy. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words, pray one of the psalms in this lesson, or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
think about praying Compline every night
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, Psalm 4, and Psalm 134. 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.
about the psalms in this lesson**
Three of the five psalms prayed for Thursday Vigils Week II at Conception Abbey are laments attributed to David. Psalm 12 and Psalm 14 are classified as communal laments, while Psalm 13 is considered an individual or personal lament. Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) is a hymn composed by an unknown person. Psalm 78 is attributed to Asaph, but scholars have found it difficult to classify so it’s usually listed as “miscellaneous.”
classifying the psalms
The classification of the psalms, though somewhat standardized, retains an arbitrary nature. Some psalms are classified according to form or type; such forms include the hymn, the lament, and the song of thanksgiving. Psalms also may be classified according to subject matter—royal psalms, for instance, portray the political king of the descendants of Jacob as both the representative of God to the community and the representative of the community to God—or they may be classified according to their use; scholars generally think that hymns exalting Zion were part of a ritual reenactment of the great deeds of God in maintaining Mount Zion and Jerusalem as a home base. Turning to God’s Word is indebted to Fr. Felix Just, a Jesuit priest and biblical scholar, for his organized listing of the psalms by classification and author.
Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) is one of 19 psalms classified as a hymn
In addition to Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) in this lesson, the other 18 psalms classified as hymns are: Psalm 8, Psalm 19, Psalm 29, Psalm 33, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 111, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 117, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, and Psalm 150.
the largest number of psalms are laments
Forty-three of the psalms, including Psalm 13 in this lesson, are classified as individual laments. The word “lament” means “a passionate expression of regret.” An additional 18 psalms are classified as communal laments, which means they were written to be used by an entire community. These include Psalm 12 and Psalm 14. Refer to the above-mentioned work of Fr. Felix Just for a complete online listing of psalms classified as individual or communal laments.
what is a lament?
Because the word “lament” as a verb means to wail, moan, or sob in sorrow, when the same word “lament” is used as a noun it means an expression of mourning. It is this meaning that it holds in the psalms in this lesson. In addition to the laments in the psalms, Scripture also includes a book called Lamentations (sometimes referred to as the Lamentations of Jeremiah, although many scholars contest the prophet Jeremiah’s authorship of that work). A lament frequently refers to a funeral dirge, elegy, or burial hymn.
there are a dozen ‘miscellaneous’ psalms
Some of the psalms exhibit a number of themes, making it difficult for scholars to classify them under a single category. All told, there are a dozen such psalms, which are classified as “miscellaneous.” They include Psalm 78 in this lesson, as well as Psalm 15, Psalm 24, Psalm 50, Psalm 82, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 95, Psalm 105, Psalm 108, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, and Psalm 139.
who was Asaph?
Asaph was a Levite appointed chief musician after David moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Asaph played the cymbal and also was a prophet. Asaph founded a prominent guild of temple singers called the “sons of Asaph,” whose members continued musical worship for generations. Asaph or members of the sons of Asaph are credited with composing Psalm 50 and Psalms 73–83. In Psalm 78, a psalm in this lesson attributed to Asaph and classified as “miscellaneous,” the Psalmist recalls major moments in Old Testament history for which the descendants of Jacob owe God thanks.
so what’s the problem with Ephraim?
Psalm 78 strongly suggests a problem with the descendants of Ephraim, who was the Egyptian-born son of Jacob’s favorite son Joseph. There is little is Scripture to support the idea that Ephraim’s descendants were cowardly in battle, although Psalm 78:67–68 is clear that God rejects the descendants of Ephraim in favor of the descendants of Judah when he chooses Jerusalem as the site for his dwelling on Mount Zion.
For more information about how scholars view the confusing mention of Ephraim in Psalm 78, read “Failure of the Sons of Ephraim” on page 86 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. Read the First Book of the Kings 11:26–40 to learn about a prophecy that descendants of Ephraim would view with descendants of Judah to rule over the 12 tribes of Israel. What reason can you suggest for why descendants of Judah are considered to have won? (Hint: One possible answer is suggested in the First Book of the Kings 12:25–32.)
holy—you could look it up in our archives
Holiness is an overarching theme throughout Scripture. The psalms covered in this lesson look at some of the difficulties faced by those who seek holiness. To learn more, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
how does your desire for holiness set you apart?
The idea of being set apart in order to be dedicated to God appears throughout the Old and New Testaments and is one of the most important aspects of the service of God. While holiness is presented as one of the great goals of the Christian life, we’ve potentially lost touch with what that means. We cannot be holy without being set apart, different, out of place.
? What times and spaces do Christians set apart for God?
? What other things in the present-day do we consider to be holy?
? How are these things set apart?
? How might setting things apart for God be beneficial?
? In what ways does your practice of your faith and service of God sets you apart?
read the Catechism—do you know the four reasons for the Incarnation?
Very few Catholics are able to successfully name the four reasons for the Incarnation, although God’s decision to become man is so crucial to our understanding of Christianity that we confess it in the Nicene Creed every Sunday . Paragraph 457 through paragraph 460 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the four reasons for the Incarnation. The third reason in paragraph 459 teaches: “The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness.” (The italics are included in the Catechism.)
457 The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”: “the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world”, and “he was revealed to take away sins”: Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?
458 The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
459 The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: “Listen to him!” Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example.
460 The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature“: “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.
a translation difference: human race vs. sons of men
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 12:2 (Psalm 12:1 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “Save me, O LORD, for the holy ones are no more; the faithful have vanished from the human race.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Save me, O LORD, for the holy ones are no more; the faithful have vanished from the sons of men.” This appears to be an effort on the part of editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to include more inclusive language in the Scripture. Do you agree with that decision? (Note that it is not possible to link to either The Abbey Psalms and Canticles or The Revised Grail Psalms; all links on the online pages are to the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE].)
two deletions in one verse
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 13:4 (Psalm 13:3 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “Look, and answer me, O LORD my God! Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death; …” The Revised Grail Psalms deletes the words “and” and “O” from the same verse. Reflect on whether these changes affect the meaning of Psalm 13.
a translation difference: prevailed over vs. overcome
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 13:5 (Psalm 13:4 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “… lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him;’ lest my foes rejoice when they see me fall.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “… lest my enemy say, ‘I have overcome him;’ lest my foes rejoice when they see me fall.” This translation change does not appear to significantly change the meaning of Psalm 13.
another deletion
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 14:2: “The LORD looks down from heaven on the human race, to see if any are wise, if any seek God.” The Revised Grail Psalms deletes the words “from heaven” in the same verse. What reason can you suggest for why the USCCB editors sought to make this translation change?
a translation difference: return vs. deliverance
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 14:7: “Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion? When the LORD brings about the return of his people, then Jacob will be glad and Israel rejoice.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “O that Israel’s salvation might come from Zion. When the LORD delivers his people from bondage, then Jacob will be glad and Israel rejoice.” Which translation do you prefer, and why?
a translation difference: return vs. deliverance
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 78:57: “They strayed, as faithless as their fathers; they betrayed him like a treacherous bow.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “They strayed, faithless like their fathers; they betrayed him like a treacherous bow.” It’s possible this difference, which doesn’t appear to affect the meaning of Psalm 78, was made solely for the purpose of controlling the meter for chanting. Do you have a translation preference for this verse?
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by passages in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including Psalm 13, Psalm 14, Psalm 78, and Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) in this lesson.
Psalm 12:3—paragraph 2561
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out 
persons or places mentioned in the biblical text under more than one name or more than one spelling. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the biblical text for every lesson in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a passage in Scripture, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book. If you want to revisit a particular commentary, you can look that up by title in the topics index. If you want to learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, you can read the online commentaries and watch any accompanying videos by going to the online study directories. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies 
at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following links are to readings from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open one of the links and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV readings provide an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. An online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current three months can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Psalm 100, the Invitatory (NIV)
Psalm 12 (NIV)
Psalm 13 (NIV)
Psalm 14 (NIV)
Psalm 78 (NIV)
close with a psalms-based prayer for Thursday Vigils (Week II)
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can pray any of the psalms in this lesson, or you can use the following short prayer.
Lord GOD, Scripture teaches us that you alone are holy.
Grant us a share in your holiness,
and help us to appreciate it as the great gift that it is.
Teach us to value the ways that our desire for holiness
sets us apart from the world,
and allow us to remain firm in our resolve
always to praise and honor your name.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who provides us with a model of holiness. Amen.
Lesson 24 More Than Finest Gold, Thursday Day Prayer (Week II)—Psalm 119:97–104, Psalm 119:113–120, and Psalm 119:121–128
Lesson 22 It Was Your Hands That Shaped Me, Wednesday Day Prayer (Week II)—Psalm 119:73–80, Psalm 119:81–88, and Psalm 119:89–96
you also may like our study of the Letter to the Hebrews (digital only)
Many Christians struggle to understand one of the central mysteries of our faith: how Jesus can be both human and divine at the same time. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, an 18-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, offers an in-depth look at the way in which Jesus’ dual nature allows for the salvation of humanity. The Letter to the Hebrews is designed to provide information that will encourage Christians to remain faithful. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II. 
Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—Baruch, Judith, Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, and First and Second Maccabees—and there are some deuterocanonical passages in the Books of Daniel and Esther. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. Deuterocanonical means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
**You can learn more about the psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church. The first volume covers psalms prayed at Lauds and Vespers; the second covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. Numbering of psalms and verses may vary in other translations.
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” and “didst” in the psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering for some passages in this Bible study will vary. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book.