Responsorial Psalm
  • mbwittry
    Posts: 39
    I have a question, friends, about the Responsorial Psalm. Is it possible (for school Masses) to use a seasonal psalm refrain such as "Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned", but still use the psalm verses of the day (a different psalm than 51). I know it is far less than ideal, but I promised the school principal I would check this out. Hopefully, it would just be baby steps for eventually singing the refrain intended for the day.
  • bhcordovabhcordova
    Posts: 1,152
    The refrain for the day in most of the books I've seen are usually very simple. Why not just use them?
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,465
    Seasonal psalms are in included in the missal and are perfectly acceptable.
  • RevAMG
    Posts: 162
    When I was chaplain in a high school, we used the seasonal psalms as printed in the Lectionary (antiphon and verses). We always sang them. We had 2-3 for each liturgical season. It worked well for the circumstances. My question to you would be why do you want to use the verses from the day without the proper antiphon? Are you singing them or reciting them?
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 517
    I would suggest that whatever psalm you use, you follow the texts presented in the lectionary, or at least the antiphonal and the citation (I would always use the RGP text for the verses). I’m not aware of any provision to “mix and match.”
  • mbwittry
    Posts: 39
    Thanks, folks. Of course, I want to use the psalm of th day, but I have been overruled on this. I didn’t think there was a ‘mix and match’ theory, but I just thought I would ask.
  • SacredMusicLibrary
    Posts: 113
    I think it's a great idea. It HAS to be legal to sing the seasonal psalm antiphon, singing the verses of the day is HAS to also be legal and preferable to singing the same verses all through the season.

    It's increasing the number of people singing the antiphon (active participation) and increasing the skill of the cantor/cantors/choir at singing verses.

    It's eminently practical and a plus that your principal suggested it.

    Let him who casts the first liturgical stone...
    Thanked by 1PaxMelodious
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,945
    "It HAS to be legal to sing the seasonal psalm antiphon, singing the verses of the day is HAS to also be legal and preferable to singing the same verses all through the season."

    So, please demonstrate how that HAS to be *legal* (as opposed to *desirable*).
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,388
    From the Introduction to the Order of Readings (1981):
    89. ... But to make it easier for the people to join in the response to the psalm, the Order of Readings lists certain other texts of psalms and responses that have been chosen according to the various seasons or classes of Saints. Whenever the psalm is sung, these texts may replace the text corresponding to the reading.113

  • Liam
    Posts: 4,945
    Thank you, Fr Ron, though I am not sure that quite gets there, as it doesn't directly address separation of verses and antiphons as such, but seems more geared to full substitution, if memory serves.
  • SacredMusicLibrary
    Posts: 113
    Jeffrey Ostrowski did not have this exact issue in mind when he wrote this, however: (I have used BOLD to ease finding the pertinent sections)

    Should, however, the continuous reading during the week from time to time be interrupted, on account of some Solemnity or Feast, or some particular celebration, then the Priest shall be permitted, bearing in mind the scheme of readings for the entire week, either to combine parts omitted with other readings or to decide which readings are to be given preference over others.

    In Masses for special groups, the Priest shall be allowed to choose texts more particularly suited to the particular celebration, provided they are taken from the texts of an approved Lectionary.

    Thus, in the Missal, thirty-four Masses for the Sundays and weekdays in Ordinary Time are found. They are used in this way: a) On Sundays the Mass corresponding to the number of the Sunday in Ordinary Time is ordinarily used, unless there occurs a Solemnity or a Feast of the Lord which takes the place of the Sunday. b) On weekdays, however, any of the thirty-four Masses may be used, provided the pastoral needs of the faithful are taken into consideration.

    Since, indeed, many possibilities are provided for choosing the different parts of the Mass, it is necessary for the Deacon, the readers, the psalmist, the cantor, the commentator, and the choir to know properly before the celebration the texts that concern each and that are to be used, and it is necessary that nothing be in any sense improvised.

    When a possibility is given of choosing between one or other text laid down, or suggested as optional, attention shall be paid to the good of participants, whether, that is to say, it is a matter of using an easier text or one more appropriate for a given gathering, or of repeating or setting aside a text that is assigned as proper to some particular celebration while being optional for another, just as pastoral advantage may suggest.

    On the weekdays in Ordinary Time, however, besides the orations from the previous Sunday, orations from another Sunday in Ordinary Time may be used, or one of the Prayers for Various Needs provided in the Missal. However, it shall always be permissible to use from these Masses the Collect alone. In this way a richer collection of texts is provided, by which the prayer life of the faithful is more abundantly nourished.

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