CNP Feedback -
"Psalm-what" Confusing

The "Feedback Box" on the CanticaNOVA Publications website has proven quite effective in promoting communications on a variety of subjects, and expressing concerns of liturgists and musicians. From time to time, we'll compile a few of these questions or comments and anonymously put them in public view, with the hope that others with similar concerns may benefit from their content.

Q. Dear CNP:

I understand in principle why we should use settings of Responsorial Psalms that correspond to the Lectionary text, rather than those that paraphrase. After all, we don't paraphrase the readings for the day.

What I'm curious about, though, is why the Lectionary phrasing can be quite different from the text in the New American Bible.

If you look at the Psalm for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), the same ideas are expressed, but the language is quite different. For example:

Lectionary: You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

NAB: You are my shelter; from distress you keep me; with safety you ring me round.

Why is there such a difference? And since there is a difference, why is it so important to stick to the Lectionary text when choosing a Psalm?

Sign me...

Amused but confused

A. Dear Amused:

The problem is that there are at least two relatively recent translations each of the Lectionary for Mass and the New American Bible.

The older Lectionary for Mass published in 1970 used the New American Bible also published in 1970.

Both of these have this translation for Psalm 32:7

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

Since 1970, both the New American Bible and the Lectionary for Mass have been revised.

The new Lectionary (1998) still uses, for the most part, the newest revision of the New American Bible (1991). However, the new translation of the Book of Psalms was found by the Vatican to be seriously deficient in its overextended use of so-called "inclusive" language, and particularly in its "neutralization" of properly masculine language for God. For this reason, the old version of the Book of Psalms was retained, which also meant that cantors didn't need to learn all new Responsorial Psalms when the new Lectionary was issued in 1998.

So, in our current Lectionary (1998), you will find the same translation of Psalm 32:7 as in the old Lectionary (which is from the old NAB):

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

The currently published revised New American Bible (on bookshelves and for study purposes) uses the revised Book of Psalms (with its "inclusive" language), and that is where this text comes from:

You are my shelter; from distress you keep me; with safety you ring me round.

One must be very careful, as a composer or as an arranger, when choosing text for the Responsorial Psalm, that the text from the Lectionary is used (the official, approved translation), NOT the text from the currently circulating New American Bible.

It is indeed unfortunate that the translators of the new NAB pursued such an aggressive "inclusivity" agenda, and that now there are two Psalter translations circulating, to the confusion and dismay of many Catholics.

This is a rather lengthy, and perhaps difficult, reply. I hope it makes things slightly clearer, though.

Gary Penkala
CanticaNOVA Publications