Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition

In November 2012, the U.S. Bishops voted to revise the translation of the Liturgy of the Hours in light of the Roman Missal, Third Edition and the 2001 Vatican document Liturgiam authenticam. This page will help to track the progress of this major undertaking for the Church in the United States.

Sacred Scripture

Each Conference of Bishops is responsible for the translation of Sacred Scripture that is used in the liturgy. For the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition, the psalms and canticles will be those translated by the monks of Conception Abbey, Missouri, while the latest version of the New American Bible will be employed for the various readings.

Psalms

March 19, 2010: The Revised Grail Psalms were granted recognitio from the Holy See's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

After four years of use by some religious houses and review by the USCCB, a series of modifications were proposed.

November 11, 2014: The U.S. Bishops voted to accept the modifications, which are known for being remarkably faithful to the original Hebrew while also being rendered in a "sprung rhythm" to facilitate singing.

May 3, 2018: The modified Revised Grail Psalms are confirmed by the Holy See.

July 1, 2019: The USCCB acquires copyright over the psalter, renaming the collection The Abbey Psalms and Canticles.

Canticles

June 11, 2015: The USCCB approves new translations of the Old and New Testament canticles. Prepared by Conception Abbey, these canticles are rendered in the same "sprung rhythm" as the Revised Grail Psalms.

May 3, 2018: The Old and New Testament canticles are confirmed by the Holy See.

July 1, 2019: The USCCB acquires copyright over the canticles, renaming the collection The Abbey Psalms and Canticles.

Readings

The various readings from Scripture will be taken from the latest edition of the New American Bible. A separate project currently underway will lead to the eventual approval and confirmation of a "liturgical Bible," that is, a sole translation of the Bible that will be used in liturgical books and available for devotional study by the faithful. The liturgical Bible will be based on the New American Bible, Revised Edition. The goal is for this project to be completed around the same time as the Liturgy of the Hours.

Non-Scriptural Elements

The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) has begun work on translating from the Latin or revising the English translation from the Latin of other elements of the Liturgy of the Hours, namely:

Hymns

Many of the nearly 300 Latin hymns, some dating back to the early centuries of the Church, have never had an official English translation. Concluding its work in 2019, ICEL has translated all of these hymns in a manner that is faithful to the Latin that is both metrical and able to be chanted.

  • May 2014: Green Book (draft translation) of the hymns for Advent and Christmas Time
  • December 2015: Gray Book (final translation) of the hymns for Advent and Christmas Time
  • December 2015: Green Book of the hymns for Lent and Easter Time
  • December 2015: Green Book of the hymns for Ordinary Time
  • May 2016: Green Book of the hymns found in the Ordinary and Four-Week Psalter
  • March 2017: Gray Book of the hymns for Lent and Easter Time
  • July 2017: Gray Book of the hymns for Ordinary Time
  • November 2017: Green Book of the hymns of the Commons and Office for the Dead
  • December 2017: Gray Book of the hymns found in the Ordinary and Four-Week Psalter
  • November 2018: Green Book of the hymns of the Proper of Saints
  • May 2019: Revised and consolidated Gray Book of all the hymns in the Liturgy of the Hours

November 12, 2019: The USCCB approves the body of translated hymns for inclusion in the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition.

May 14, 2020: The body of hymns is confirmed by the Holy See.

Intercessions

The current English translation of the intercessions (as well as many of the original Latin preces) are not consistent in style or vocabulary. ICEL is working to render the Latin preces in a more consistent manner, while also bringing out more of the scriptural imagery latent in the Latin.

  • May 2014: Green Book (draft translation) of the intercessions for Advent and Christmas Time
  • December 2015: Gray Book (final translation) of the intercessions for Advent and Christmas Time
  • December 2015: Green Book of the intercessions for Lent and Easter Time
  • December 2015: Green Book of the intercessions for Ordinary Time
  • May 2016: Green Book of the intercessions found in the Four-Week Psalter
  • March 2017: Gray Book of the intercessions for Lent and Easter Time
  • July 2017: Gray Book of the intercessions for Ordinary Time
  • November 2017: Green Book of the intercessions of the Commons and Office for the Dead
  • December 2017: Gray Book of the intercessions found in the Four-Week Psalter
  • November 2018: Green Book of the intercessions of the Proper of Saints

June 14, 2018: The USCCB approves the intercessions found in the Proper of Time (Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, Easter Time, and Ordinary Time). Additional groups of intercessions will be proposed for a vote at future meetings of the bishops.

Benedictus and Magnificat Antiphons

In the revised edition of the Latin Liturgia Horarum (promulgated in 1985), the Church expanded the antiphons used for the Gospel Canticles for Morning and Evening Prayer to match the three-year Lectionary cycle of Sunday Gospel readings. The new antiphons have never been translated into English. ICEL completed its translation work for this portion in 2017.

  • May 2014: Green Book (draft translation) of the antiphons for Advent and Christmas Time
  • December 2015: Gray Book (final translation) of the antiphons for Advent and Christmas Time
  • December 2015: Green Book of the antiphons for Lent and Easter Time
  • December 2015: Green Book of the antiphons for Ordinary Time
  • March 2017: Gray Book of the antiphons for Lent and Easter Time
  • July 2017: Gray Book of the antiphons for Ordinary Time

June 14, 2018: The USCCB approves the three-year Sunday cycle of Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons in the Proper of Time (Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, Easter Time, and Ordinary Time). Any retranslations of existing antiphons may be proposed for a vote at future meetings of the bishops.

Psalm Antiphons

Since many of the psalm antiphons are drawn from the texts of the psalms themselves, and since the U.S. will be using a new translation of the psalms, it was determined to revise these antiphons in light of the Revised Grail Psalms. ICEL will include translations of these psalm antiphons in a future segment of texts.

Orations

All of the orations which do not already have a revised translation from the Roman Missal, Third Edition, are being revised by ICEL for accuracy and consistency.

  • November 2018: Green Book of the concluding prayers found in the Four-Week Psalter
  • April 2020: Gray Book of the concluding prayers found in the Four-Week Psalter