Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume I: Lauds & Vespers
Lesson 3 You Are a Priest Forever
Psalm 110, Psalm 111, and Psalm 112
Sunday 2nd Vespers (Week I)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
next lesson: To My Words Give Ear, O LORD
This material coordinates with Lesson 3, “You Are a Priest Forever,” on pages 16–19 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 Sunday Second Vespers Week II: Psalm 110, a royal psalm written by David; Psalm 111, a hymn by an anonymous author; and Psalm 112, wisdom poetry also written by an unidentified author.
about the acrostic format in the psalms
In this lesson, Psalm 111 and Psalm 112 are considered biblical examples of acrostic poetry. Other acrostic psalms in this study include Psalm 119:105–112 and Psalm 145; Psalm 25, Psalm 34, Psalm 37, and the remainder of Psalm 119 are covered in Volume II. Each acrostic psalm is structured to begin successive lines or verses with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This alphabetic pattern serves as both a mnemonic device for memorization and a way to express the completeness of the psalm’s theme. The most famous example is Psalm 119, in which each of the Hebrew alphabet’s 22 letters begins a section of eight verses. Most of these stanzas are prayed at Conception Abbey as part of Day Prayer during Week II and covered in Volume II, but Psalm 119:105–112 is prayed by the monks as part of Sunday First Vespers during Week I and is covered in Lesson 1 Set a Guard on My Mouth.
a passage 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. Psalm 110:6 is omitted from current four-week Liturgy of the Hours books but included among psalms prayed by the monks at Conception Abbey for Sunday Second Vespers Week I and Week II. Consider why the editors of Liturgy of the Hours books might have felt that this verse shouldn’t be included. Do you think they made the right decision?
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.
what’s the significance of the order of Melchizedek?
This illustration by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino shows Melchizedek, the priest-king of ancient Salem, a settlement that eventually became known as Jerusalem. Melchizedek makes one of only two very brief Old Testament appearances in Psalm 110:4, which describes a priest forever, “according to the order of Melchizedek” or, as the passage is translated in The Revised Grail Psalms, “in the line of Melchizedek.” (Melchizedek’s second biblical appearance is in the book of Genesis 14:17–24. His brief appearance in Scripture has led to speculation about him—speculation that the Church does not endorse.) Click on Tami’s illustration to enlarge it. The illustration is printed on page 17 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. This lesson’s title—”You Are a Priest Forever”—focuses attention on how this mysterious figure 
of Melchizedek sets the stage for the priesthood of Jesus Christ. You can learn more about Melchizedek in Lesson 8 The Call of Abram in our Catholic Bible study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis. The Turning to God’s Word related Catholic Bible study The Letter to the 
Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation explains how Psalm 110:4 and other key Old Testament passages establish the superiority of the Christian faith over traditional Hebrew worship practices.
fear & awe —you could look it up in our archives
A few years back, many catechists began replacing fear of the LORD (and “fear of the Lord”) with less challenging, more acceptable language. Awe became a popular substitution, and recognizing the awesomeness of God is indeed an important aspect of developing an intimate relationship with God. It’s worth noting, however, that in the original language of the psalms, the biblical authors used words that are most closely translated as fear of the LORD. Psalm 111:10 highlights fear of the LORD as the beginning of wisdom, which the unnamed Psalmist assumes is a desirable thing. To learn more about the linguistic roots of the phrase, read fear & awe in 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.
? Consider the pros and cons of possessing wisdom. What do you think might be the greatest drawback to being thought of as wise?
? Solomon is the biblical figure most frequently associated with the idea of wisdom. Refer to the First Book of the Kings 3:1–28 to describe how Solomon received wisdom and the ways in which it served him.
? Then refer to the First Book of the Kings 11:1–13 to learn what about Solomon’s life displeased God. What explanation can you offer for why all of Solomon’s wisdom failed to
prevent him from eliciting God’s anger? Learn more about the life of Solomon in Lesson 23 Solomon’s Struggle for Succession through Lesson 28 The United Kingdom Dies with Solomon in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
? How might awe be related to wisdom?
? Consider how it is that fear of the LORD can lead to wisdom.
? Who’s the wisest person that you know?
? What can you learn from that person?
the popes inspire us—docility is the root of hope
Don’t miss reading the papal commentary “Beatitude” on page 19 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. In a reflection from one of his general audiences, Pope Benedict XVI shares what he understands the term “fear of the LORD” to mean for Christians. The Holy Father also teaches about the particular blessing promised in Psalm 112 for the person who fears the LORD.
the importance of just & upright behavior
In Psalm 112:4, the anonymous Psalmist praises the justice practiced by the upright who fear the LORD. The importance God places on just behavior permeates the psalms. The word “justice” derives from the Greek language, but the Hebrew word for “justice” carries a slightly different shade of meaning. You can learn more by reading the vocabulary box “Justice” on page 19 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.
a translation difference: order of Melchizedek vs. line of Melchizedek
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 110:4 refers to a priest forever, “according to the order of Melchizedek.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “in the line of Melchizedek.” Both translations focus on the what it is that enables Melchizedek to serve as a priest—his eternal nature. In the Church, an order refers to the religious community whose members are in some way set apart. Such an order sometimes also is referred to as a “blessed lineage” or “sacred lineage” (as opposed to a genetic lineage). Which translation do you prefer, and why? (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: at your right hand vs. standing at your right
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 110:5: “The Lord at your right hand shatters kings in the day of his wrath.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “The Lord standing at your right shatters kings in the day of his wrath.” It is likely The Revised Grail Psalms translation took meter into account for chanting purposes.
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 112 in this lesson.
Psalm 110:1—paragraph 447
Psalm 110:1–7—paragraph 659
Psalm 110:4—paragraph 1537
Psalm 111:9—paragraph 2807
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 110 (NIV)
Psalm 111 (NIV)
Psalm 112 (NIV)
close with a psalms-based prayer for Sunday 2nd Vespers 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, you are judge and ruler of all nations.
Bring about an increase in wisdom and peace in our world
through an increase in respect for your divine power.
Grant us steadfast hearts that we may never neglect
to praise your majestic and glorious deeds.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who will come to judge the living and the dead. Amen.
Lesson 4 To My Words Give Ear, O LORD, Monday Lauds (Week I)—Psalm 5 and Psalm 19
Lesson 2 O God, at Dawn I Seek You, Sunday Lauds (Week I)—Psalm 63, Psalm 93, and Psalm 149
you also may like our study of Saul, David & Solomon (digital only)
The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at the First and Second Books of Samuel to learn how the lives of the monarchs Saul, David, and Solomon point ahead to the kingdom of heaven. The unified reign of King David is seen as a foreshadowing or type of the unity that is one of the four marks of the Church—the kingdom of God—established by Jesus Christ. 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 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.