The Book of Psalms and Canticles
ISBN 9781784698164
CTS Booklet SC138
This is one of the new volumes supporting the change in the Lectionary in the Catholic Church in England, Scotland and Wales. I have read each of the CTS’s volumes for the four Gospels and eagerly awaited this volume. It has changed a bit since it was first announced, originally the cover was marked with ESV indiccatng the English Standard versions. But this version is based on the Abbey Psalter from the Monks of Conception Abbey.
The description of this volume states:
“The Psalms and Canticles of the Bible are a priceless treasure of in the prayer life of the Church. This special edition of the Abbey Psalter allows the reader to contemplate and pray with the Psalms and Canticles just as they are heard at Mass.
The Psalms and canticles of the Bible are a priceless treasure of in the prayer life of the Church. Shaping both liturgical prayer and personal devotions, the Psalms, through their great variety and ability to poetically capture the essentials of human experience, contain prayers for all occasions: joy and gratitude, sorrow and anger, worship and awe.
This special edition of the Abbey Psalter, an updated translation based on the Grail Psalms, has been published in conjunction with the new lectionary for the Catholic Church in England, Scotland and Wales, which uses this translation. This book allows the reader to contemplate and pray with the Psalms and Canticles just as they are heard at Mass.”
There are three sections in the book:
Section I The Psalms: which contains the 150 Psalms:
Section II Liturgical Canticles
Old Testament Canticles: 37 from Exodus to Zephaniah
New Testament Canticles: 12 from Luke to Revelation
I love the formatting of volume. I took a look at the North American edition and the eBook and the formatting in this version is the best. Nice wide margins. Red letter titles. And For the Old and New Testament ones it lists when in the cycle it is used. It is a great size for carrying around and working though. The typesetting is near perfect.
A sample Psalm is:
“Psalm 13 (12)
1 For the Choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
2 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me for ever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 How long must I bear grief in my soul,
have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy prevail over me?
4 Look, answer me, LORD my God!
Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death;
5 lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him”;
lest my foes rejoice when they see me fall.
6 As for me, I trust in your merciful love.
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD who has been bountiful with me.”
A sample Old Testament Canticle:
“Tobit 13:8-11, 13-14ab, 15-16ab
Friday, Week IV
8 Bless the Lord, all you chosen ones;
and all, give praise to his grandeur.
Take up days of rejoicing and confess him.
9 O Jerusalem, holy city,
for the works of your hands he will punish you.
10 Give thanks to the Lord with good works,
and bless the King of the ages
so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy.
And may he gladden all captives within you;
and may he love all the anguished within you
for all generations, forever.
11 A brilliant light will shine to all the ends of the earth;
many nations will come to you from afar,
and from all the earth’s ends to your holy name,
bearing their gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.
Generation after generation
will give joyful praise in you,
and the name of the chosen one will be forever.
13 Then you will rejoice and exult
over the children of the righteous,
for they will all be gathered in
and will bless the Lord of the ages.
14 Blessed are those who love you,
and blessed those who rejoice in your fruitful peace.
15 O my soul, bless the Lord, the great King,
16 for Jerusalem shall be built as a city,
his house from age to age.”
A sample New Testament Canticle:
“Ephesians 1:3-10
Monday
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens;
4 just as he has chosen us in him
before the foundation of the world
to be holy and blameless before him in love.
5 He destined us for adoption
to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the good pleasure of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
with which he favoured us in the Beloved.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace
8 lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.
9 He has made known to us the mystery of his will
in accord with his good pleasure,
which he set forth in Christ as a plan,
10 a plan for the fullness of times,
to recapitulate all things in him,
things in heaven, and things on earth.”
I have worked through this volume once and will keep it on my bedside table and likely work through it time and time again. It is an excellent edition to read, study, and pray. I absolutely love this edition of the Psalms and love the addition of the Canticles.
I can easily recommend this volume it would be a great addition to any Catholics library or prayer corner.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.
For all books in the CTS Scriptures Series click here.
Books in the CTS Scriptures Series:
The CTS New Catholic Bible - Jerusalem Bible
The Gospel of Matthew - English Standard Version
The Gospel of Mark - English Standard Version
The Gospel of Luke - English Standard Version
The Gospel of John - English Standard Version
…
CTS Resources for the New Lectionary:
Ministering the Word of God - Father Allen Morris - CTS Books
Hearing Christ’s Voice A New Lectionary for the Church - Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB
The Word is Very Near to You - Father Allen Morris
...
Reviews of Different Editions of the Bible:
The Catholic Study Bible - NABRE - Oxford University Press
Spiritual Warfare Bible - Saint Benedict Press
The Great Adventure Bible - Ascension Press
The Bible Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition - Blue Sparrow Publishing
Proverbs: Douay Rheims Bible Version - Fr. Mark Goring and Sr. Penolope Nguyen SC
New Testament and Psalms for Men - Saint Benedict Press
