Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline
Lesson 5 Awake, O LORD! Why Do You Sleep?
Invitatory: Psalm 100 (RSVCE)
Psalm 40 (RSVCE), Psalm 44 (RSVCE), Psalm 59 (RSVCE), and Psalm 60 (RSVCE)
Tuesday Vigils (Week I)
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: God Looks Down From Heaven
This material coordinates with Lesson 5—”Awake, O LORD! Why Do You Sleep?”—on pages 22–25 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, an English 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 now owned 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**
Four of the psalms prayed for Tuesday Vigils Week I at Conception Abbey are classified as laments—either individual or 
communal. Psalm 40, Psalm 59, and Psalm 60 are attributed to David. Psalm 40 and Psalm 59 are individual laments in which David prays about his personal concerns; Psalm 60 is a communal lament in which David addresses the needs of his fellow Israelites. Psalm 44 is another communal lament thought to have been composed by one or more of the Korahites. The author of Psalm 100 (the Invitatory)—a psalm classified as a hymn—is unidentified.
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 two of the five psalms prayed in this lesson, are classified as individual laments. The word “lament” means “a passionate expression of regret.” Besides the 43 individual laments, an additional 18 psalms are classified as communal laments, which means they were written to be used by an entire community. Two more of the five psalms prayed in this lesson are included among those communal laments. 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 the word “lament” holds in the psalms prayed for 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.
passages omitted from Liturgy of the Hours books
A difficulty for Christians who wish to incorporate the psalms into their prayers is that in some of these 
ancient hymns the Psalmists blatantly curse their enemies and ask the LORD to deal harshly with those enemies. This is disturbing enough that the editors compiling the four-week Liturgy of the Hours books chose to leave out a few problematic verses. Omitted from psalms for this lesson (Tuesday Vigils Week I prayed by the monks at Conception Abbey) are Psalm 40:15–16, Psalm 59:6–9, and Psalm 59:12–16 (Psalm 40:14–15, Psalm 59:5–8, and Psalm 59:11–15, respectively, in Revised Standard Versions Catholic Editions). Consider why the editors of Liturgy of the Hours books might have felt that these verses shouldn’t be included.
all omissions are noted in this study
Omissions in the four-week Liturgy of the Hours books are addressed in Volume I and Volume II. For a complete list, click on this link, which includes a comparison of the two-week cursus (schedule) used at Conception Abbey and in both volumes of our study with the four-week Roman cursus followed by current Liturgy of the Hours books.
who are the sons of Korah?
The superscript to Psalm 44 associates the sons of Korah with the authorship of this psalm. The book of Exodus 6:24 lists the names of Korah’s sons as Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, indicating that they followed Moses‘ command to depart from their father’s tent to avoid being destroyed because of Korah’s sin, which was challenging the authority of Moses and Aaron—and ultimately of God. This event is described in the book of Numbers 16:20–26. Various psalms mention the “sons of Korah” as their composers; the term refers to descendants of Korah and not to his literal children. In addition to Psalm 44 in this lesson, other psalms in Volume II attributed to descendants of Korah include Psalm 46 (in Lesson 13 Praise the LORD Who Rides on the Heavens) and Psalm 88 (in Lesson 14 Give Ear, O LORD, to My Prayer). In addition, Psalm 42, Psalm 45, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, and Psalm 87 are covered in Volume I and also are attributed to descendants of Korah.
does God need a little nap?
Psalm 44:24 (Psalm 44:23 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) and Psalm 59:5 both suggest that the LORD has been catching a few ‘Z’s. It’s easy to see how this idea doesn’t mesh well with God’s omnipotence, but men and women seem to find it comfortable to explain things they don’t understand about God in terms of normal human behavior. Humans need to sleep, so the Psalmists apparently assumed that God needs to sleep as well.
what Jesus has to say about sleep
In the Gospel According to Mark 13:33–36, Jesus takes up a related theme when he urges his followers to stay awake: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Watch therefore—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” In this case, Jesus seems to be identifying with the master of the house. Elsewhere in Scripture (the Gospel According to Matthew 24:43-44) Jesus tells a similar story, only in that passage he appears to be identifying with a thief in the night. Consider the difference between the master of the house and a thief in the night.
read the Catechism—thanksgiving & grace
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) is labeled a “Psalm of 
Thanksgiving” in the superscript (Psalm 100:1). If we attempt to look up the word “thanksgiving” in the topical Index at the back of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it directs readers to a section on grace, where we find a lengthy subsection on thanksgiving. Paragraph 224 in the Catechism offers perhaps the strongest reason why men and women should be thankful to God—our faith in a monotheistic God implies that we should. The same paragraph goes on to cite the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 4:7 and Psalm 116:12. Psalm 116 is covered in Lesson 15 Let My Prayer Be As Incense and Lesson 27 The LORD Remembers Us, both in Volume I.
224 It means living in thanksgiving: If God is the only One, everything we are and have comes from him: “What have you that you did not receive?” “What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me?”
the popes inspire us—we are God’s flock
In a reflection on Psalm 100 issued as part of a general audience on November 7, 2001, Pope St. John 
Paul II saw a renewed opportunity for Christians to profess their faith. The Invitatory for Tuesday Vigils Week I encourages God’s people to follow the first commandment, recorded in the book of Exodus 20:2–3: “I am the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” The saint explains: “Faith in God is expressed through a ‘covenant formula'” that includes the claim that the Israelites and later the Christians made their own: “We are his, his people and the sheep of his pasture.” Pope St. John Paul II is well aware that Christians make up the flock that the supreme Shepherd of souls leads to the eternal pastures of heaven.
for more writings from recent popes
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, including books on the psalms by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Psalms & Canticles: Meditations and Catechesis on the Psalms and Canticles of Morning Prayer is a collection of reflections on the texts of the prayers at Lauds originally delivered as part of Pope St. John Paul II’s Wednesday audiences. In another volume, Psalms & Canticles: Meditations and Catechesis on the Psalms and Canticles of Evening Prayer, Pope Benedict XVI continued the practice to include the biblical texts prayed at Vespers.
another book about the psalms
Gregory Polan, OSB, recent abbot primate of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation, 
was lead 
translator of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, the English translation upon which the Turning to God’s Word two-part Bible study of the psalms is based. Abbot Polan is author of The Psalms: Songs of Faith and Praise, which contains commentary and prayers as well as the Abbey’s complete translation of the psalms. Abbot Polan’s book is listed in ex libris—main bookshelf on the Turning to God’s Word website.
blessed—you could look it up in our archives
In Psalm 40:5 (Psalm 40:4 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions), David describes what makes a man blessed by God. To learn more about how this applies in the present day, 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.
some words have been rearranged
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 40:6 (Psalm 40:5 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “How many are the wonders and designs that you have worked for us, O LORD my God….” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “How many, O LORD my God, are the wonders and designs that you have worked for us.…” The Abbey Psalms and Canticles similarly translates Psalm 40:12 (Psalm 40:11 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “You, O LORD, will not withhold your compassion from me.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “O LORD, you will not withhold your compassion from me.” It’s difficult to guess what motivated the editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to make these translation changes. (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].)
a translation difference: sin offering vs. victim
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 40:7 (Psalm 40:6 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “…holocaust and sin offering.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates “sin offering” in the same passage as “victim.” Consider what effect this change has on the psalm’s meaning.
two translation differences: behold vs. see; uprightness vs. justice
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 40:8 (Psalm 40:7 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “Behold, I have come.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage using “see” instead of “behold.” In similar fashion, The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 40:10 (Psalm 40:9 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) using the word “uprightness“; The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage using “justice” instead of “uprightness.” Consider what effect these changes have on the psalm’s meaning.
one more translation difference in Psalm 40
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 40:12 (Psalm 40:11 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) using the term “loving mercy“; The Revised Grail Psalms translates “loving mercy” in the same passage as “merciful love.” It would appear that the USCCB editors wanted to emphasize God’s mercy, while the Benedictine monks were more interested in stressing God’s love. In reality, the two concepts probably should be considered hand in hand. Which translation do you prefer?
different titles for God
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 59:12 (Psalm 59:11 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) referring to God using the words “O Lord.” The Revised Grail Psalms in the same passage refers to God using the words “Lord God.”
two translation differences: consume vs. destroy; then they will know vs. let them know
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 59:14 (Psalm 59:13 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “Consume them, consume them in anger, till they are no more. Then they will know….” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passages: “Destroy them in your anger. Destroy them till they are no more. Let them know….” What effect might these changes have on this psalm’s meaning?
three word changes in Psalm 60
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 60:10 (Psalm 60:8 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) using the phrase “toss my shoe”; The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same phrase as “cast my shoe.” Just a few verses later, The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 60:12 (Psalm 60:10 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “Have you not cast us off, O God?” while The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Have you, O God, rejected us?” And finally, The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 60:13 (Psalm 60:11 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “…for human help is vain.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage as “…for the help of man is vain.” What might explain each of these changes?
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. 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 44, Psalm 59, Psalm 60, and Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) in this lesson.
Psalm 40:2—paragraph 2657
Psalm 40:5—paragraph 150
Psalm 40:7—paragraph 2824
Psalm 40:7–9***—paragraph 462
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 40 (NIV)
Psalm 44 (NIV)
Psalm 59 (NIV)
Psalm 60 (NIV)
close with a psalms-based prayer for Tuesday Vigils (Week I)
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.
O God, it is naive of men and women to think
that because you haven’t responded to our prayers
in the way that we think fitting,
you must have been sleeping.
Grant us the humility to consider
that prayers we think have gone unanswered
may have been flawed to begin with.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who always trusted in your merciful love. Amen.
Lesson 6 God Looks Down From Heaven, Tuesday Day Paryer (Week I)—Psalm 38 and Psalm 53
Lesson 4 I Wash My Hands in Innocence, Monday Day Prayer (Week I)—Psalm 26, Psalm 28, and Psalm 39
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.
***The designation LXX in the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Septuagint or Greek translation of the Bible.