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

Volume I: Lauds & Vespers

Lesson 19 For the Peace of Jerusalem Pray
Psalm 122, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, and Psalm 127
Monday Vespers (Week II)

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
ex libris (in our library)
next lesson: The LORD God Is a Sun & a Shield

This material coordinates with Lesson 19, “For the Peace of Jerusalem Pray,” on pages 80–83 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. Our Catholic Bible study is based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a psalms translation 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 in other translations may differ. This translation is being added to all English-language Liturgy of the Hours books used in the United States.

---

“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 in-depth study of the psalms
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample Introduction and Lesson 1 from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages include additional questions, commentary, and prayers based on the psalm texts. Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers has been granted an imprimatur. A digital version of can be purchased from our website shop. Volume II covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. 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.

about the psalms in this lesson**
During Ordinary Time, the monks at Conception Abbey pray the following psalms for Monday Vespers Week II: Psalm 122, a hymn to Zion written by David; Psalm 125, a hymn of trust by an anonymous composer; Psalm 126, a communal lament by an anonymous composer; and Psalm 127, wisdom poetry attributed to Solomon.

pray for peace in God’s holy city of Jerusalem—& throughout the world
This illustration by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino captures the theme of Lesson 19 —”For the Peace of Jerusalem Pray.” The Holy City is shown in deepening shadows at sunset, the time of day when Vespers are prayed. Jerusalem’s darkened skyline stands out in bold relief against the glowing evening sky. There’s little doubt that Jerusalem today is a dangerous place. In this city sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, strong religious feelings lead to hostilities. It’s fitting for Christians to pray for an end to violence, especially violence associated with threats to religious freedom. As we pray for peace in the Holy Land, let’s also pray to do our part to bring about more peace in our own lives. Click on Tami’s illustration to enlarge it. The illustration also is printed on page 81 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.

daily needs—you could look it up in our archives
It’s not uncommon—nor entirely wrong—for people to think about praying as bartering with God. To learn about praying for our daily needs—and what those needs might be, 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.

ex libris—information about our daily needs
While the Our Father is recited at every celebration of Mass—with the assembly praying in unison, not many Catholics give much thought to what their daily needs actually entail. The language—even if we substitute “your name” for “thy name”—can seem cumbersome, old-fashioned, and formulaic. For people who want to think more about exactly what we’re petitioning God to do, we continue to recommend Gerhard Lohfink’s excellent book, The Our Father: A New Reading. Lohfink, a German theologian, has written a short and extremely accessible in-depth explanation of the prayer many Christians have come to take for granted. Read excerpts and learn more about The Our Father: A New Reading and other works related to Bible study at ex libris—main bookshelf.

the popes inspire us—Jerusalem means a vision & peace
“Peace of Christ” on page 81 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers is an excerpt from an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy Father examines peace as it’s understood by St. Augustine of Hippo. “We are the Israel of God, and let us cling tightly to peace, for Jerusalem means a vision and peace, and we are Israel: The Israel on which is peace.” For Pope Benedict XVI, the only earthly peace possible is the peace of Christ. It isn’t necessary that a person be a beauty contestant in order to long for world peace. Consider the following questions:

?  What are some of the ways in which you see Christ’s peace at work in your own life?
?  How does Christ’s peace differ from the peace offered by the secular world?
?  Who is the most peace-loving person that you know?
?  What can you do to advance peace among the people with whom you come in contact daily?

ex libris—all about the city that’s spiritual home to three world religions
The title Jerusalem: The Biography says it all. Simon Sebag Montefiore’s prize-winning work of non-fiction looks at the Holy City’s 3,000 years of frequently unholy history through the viewpoint of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. A seriously ambitious work, this lengthy book treats the city of David as the primary character in a gripping narrative of the location often referred to as the “center of the world.” Jerusalem: The Biography opens by recounting the Roman attack on the city in 70 A.D., followed by an intensive look at Jewish control of Jerusalem beginning with David’s conquest of the citadel of Zion. Sections on the Christian and Muslim influences on the Holy City follow. Despite continued armed conflict, present-day political leaders see Jerusalem as key to peace in the Middle East. Visit ex libris—main bookshelf, to read an excerpt from this book and others related to in-depth Scripture study.

read the Catechism—particular judgment can be confusing
Many people have difficulty understanding how particular judgment differs from Final Judgment. Paragraph 1021 and paragraph 1022 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church explain Church teaching.

1021    Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ. The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts, speak of a final destiny of the soul—a destiny which can be different for some than for others.

1022     Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification or immediately,—or immediate and everlasting damnation.

At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.

another translation difference: upright vs. just 
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 125:3 twice substitutes “upright” for “just,” which is found in The Revised Grail Psalms translation of the same verse. Why might editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have wanted to make this correction?

a change in sentence structure
In The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 126:2, the second sentence is translated: “Then they said among the nations, ‘What great deeds the LORD worked for them!” The Revised Grail Psalms renders the same sentence: “Then the nations themselves said, ‘What great deeds the LORD worked for them!” Can you suggest a reason why the USCCB editors made this translation change?

another translation difference: the Negeb vs. the south 
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 126:4 refers to an arid region of the Promised Land as “the Negeb“; in the same verse, The Revised Grail Psalms refers to the region as “the south.” The word “Negeb” often appears as “Negev.” Both refer to the same southern region of Israel. Negev is a more modern spelling; Negeb is an older transliteration from Hebrew.

another translation difference: reward vs. blessing
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 127:3: “Yes, children are a gift from the LORD, a reward, the fruit of the womb.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Yes, children are a gift from the LORD, a blessing, the fruit of the womb.” Consider whether the concept of blessing is synonymous with the idea of a reward.

and one more change in sentence structure 
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 127:4: “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior so the sons of one’s youth.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Indeed, the sons of youth are like arrows in the hands of a warrior.” Think about whether this translation change makes any difference to the meaning of the psalm.

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 I: Lauds & Vespers, 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 122, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, and Psalm 127 in this lesson.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. 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
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes 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 many words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. A close 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 month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Psalm 122 (NIV)
Psalm 125 (NIV)
Psalm 126 (NIV)
Psalm 127 (NIV)

close with a psalms-based prayer for Monday Vespers 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.

O God, you desire peace to spread over all nations of the world.
Keep us mindful of those in distant places
who are suffering the violence and unrest
associated with war and other hostilities.
Help us to be dutiful in remembering to pray for their welfare,
and show us ways in which we can promote peace in our own lives.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who’s known as the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Lesson 20 The LORD God Is a Sun & a Shield, Tuesday Lauds (Week II)—Psalm 84, Psalm 85, and Psalm 97
Lesson 18 What God Is As Great As Our God? Monday Lauds (Week II)—Psalm 77, Psalm 87, and Psalm 96

you also may like our free year-long study of Scripture & the Rosary (digital only)
Scripture & the Rosary: New Testament Mysteries, Old Testament Parallels, a 26-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, looks at the biblical foundations of the Rosary. The study includes lessons on Pope St. John Paul II’s Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), the Apostles’ Creed, and the Luminous Mysteries as well as the original 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. Color photographs of stained glass windows depict key scenes in the lives of Jesus and Mary. In lieu of a sample, check out our free digital lessons.

---

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 I: Lauds & Vespers. More information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found on this website at start a Bible study, and Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions or discuss concerns. Contact us to start this or one of our other studies or to 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 different 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 I: Lauds & Vespers 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 varies for some passages in this Bible study. 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.