The Living Church Acclaims - Refrains
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Refrains to print in bulletins and programs or for projecting are available below in both PDF and TIF formats.
Here's a simple copyright line you can place under the music:
Music © Scot Crandal. Published by Zeal Music Publishing. Text © ICEL.

Date | Liturgy | Psalm | Gospel Acc |
Dec 1 |
First Sunday of Advent Psalm 122 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 8 |
Second Sunday of Advent Psalm 72 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 9 |
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Psalm 98 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 12 |
Our Lady of Guadalupe Judith 13 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 15 |
Third Sunday of Advent Psalm 146 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 22 |
Fourth Sunday of Advent Psalm 24 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 24 |
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): At the Vigil Mass Psalm 89 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 25 |
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): At the Mass During the Night Psalm 96 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 25 |
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): At the Mass at Dawn Psalm 97 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 25 |
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): At the Mass During the Day Psalm 98 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Dec 29 |
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Psalm 128 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Jan 1 |
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Psalm 67 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Jan 5 |
The Epiphany of the Lord Psalm 72 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Jan 12 |
The Baptism of the Lord Psalm 29 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Jan 19 |
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 40 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Jan 26 |
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 27 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Feb 2 |
The Presentation of the Lord Psalm 24 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Feb 9 |
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 112 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Feb 16 |
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 119 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Feb 23 |
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalm 103 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Feb 26 |
Ash Wednesday Psalm 51 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Mar 1 |
First Sunday of Lent Psalm 51 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Mar 8 |
Second Sunday of Lent Psalm 33 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Mar 15 |
Third Sunday of Lent Psalm 95 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Mar 22 |
Fourth Sunday of Lent Psalm 23 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Mar 29 |
Fifth Sunday of Lent Psalm 130 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Apr 5 |
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord Psalm 22 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Apr 9 |
Thursday of the Lord's Supper (Holy Thursday) Psalm 116 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Apr 10 |
Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday) Psalm 31 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Apr 11 | The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night | ||
Psalm 104 - Lord, send out your Spirit | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 33 - The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 16 - You are my inheritance, O Lord | pdf • tif | ||
Exodus 15 - Let us sing to the Lord | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 30 - I will praise you, Lord | pdf • tif | ||
Isaiah 12 - You will draw water joyfully | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 19 - Lord, you have the words | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 42 - Like a deer | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 51 - Create a clean heart in me | pdf • tif | ||
Psalm 118 - Alleluia | pdf • tif | ||
Apr 12 |
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord: At the Mass During the Day Psalm 118 (This is the day) | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Apr 19 |
Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy) Psalm 118 (Give Thanks to the Lord) | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
Apr 26 |
Third Sunday of Easter Psalm 16 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
May 3 |
Fourth Sunday of Easter Psalm 23 | pdf • tif | pdf • tif |
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Some History
The Psalms have always been an important part of Catholic liturgy. The Liturgy of the Hours is centered on chanting or recitation of the Psalms, using fixed melodic formulas known as psalm tones. Early Catholics employed the Psalms widely in their individual prayers also; however, as knowledge of Latin (the language of the Roman Rite) became uncommon, this practice ceased among the unlearned. However, until the end of the Middle Ages, it was not unknown for the laity to join in the singing of the Little Office of Our Lady, which was a shortened version of the Liturgy of the Hours providing a fixed daily cycle of twenty-five psalms to be recited, and nine other psalms divided across Matins.
The work of Bishop Richard Challoner in providing devotional materials in English meant that many of the psalms were familiar to English-speaking Catholics from the eighteenth century onwards. Challoner translated the entirety of the Lady Office into English, as well as Sunday Vespers and daily Compline. He also provided other individual Psalms such as 129/130 for prayer in his devotional books. Challoner is also noted for revising the Douay-Rheims Bible, and the translations he used in his devotional books are taken from this work.
Until the Second Vatican Council the Psalms were either recited on a one-week or, less commonly (as in the case of Ambrosian rite), two-week cycle. Different one-week schemata were employed: most secular clergy followed the Roman distribution, while Monastic Houses almost universally followed that of St Benedict, with only a few congregations (such as the Benedictines of St Maur) following individualistic arrangements. The Breviaryintroduced in 1974 distributed the psalms over a four-week cycle. Monastic usage varies widely. Some use the four-week cycle of the secular clergy, many retain a one-week cycle, either following St Benedict's scheme or another of their own devising, while others opt for some other arrangement.
Official approval was also given to other arrangements (see "Short" Breviaries in the 20th and early 21st century America for an in-progress study) by which the complete Psalter is recited in a one-week or two-week cycle. These arrangements are used principally by Catholic contemplative religious orders, such as that of the Trappists (see for example the Divine Office schedule at New Melleray Abbey).
The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, 122 sanctions three modes of singing/recitation for the Psalms:
- directly (all sing or recite the entire psalm);
- antiphonally (two choirs or sections of the congregation sing or recite alternate verses or strophes); and
- responsorially (the cantor or choir sings or recites the verses while the congregation sings or recites a given response after each verse).
Of these three the antiphonal mode is the most widely followed.
Over the centuries, the use of complete Psalms in the liturgy declined. After the Second Vatican Council (which also permitted the use of vernacular languages in the liturgy), longer psalm texts were reintroduced into the Mass, during the readings. The revision of the Roman Missal after the Second Vatican Council reintroduced the singing or recitation of a more substantial section of a Psalm, in some cases an entire Psalm, after the first Reading from Scripture. This Psalm, called the Responsorial Psalm, is usually sung or recited responsorially, although the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 61 permits direct recitation.
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