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. The approval process was completed in November 2024, and on May 29, 2025, the USCCB transmitted the completed manuscript of the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition to the Holy See for confirmation.

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.

February 2, 2020: The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is authorized for optional liturgical use in the United States and initially published by USCCB Communications. (As of 2025, editions are now available from Ascension Press and Magnificat.)

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, Revised Edition: the 2010 Old Testament and a revised 2024 edition of the New Testament. Together with The Abbey Psalms and Canticles used for the Book of Psalms and the liturgical canticles, these elements form the "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.

September 10, 2024: The USCCB Administrative Committee approves the latest New American Bible for private use and study by the faithful.

November 13, 2024: The USCCB approves the liturgical Bible for the United States.

April 13, 2025: The liturgical Bible is confirmed by the Holy See. Plans are now underway for publication.

Non-Scriptural Elements

From 2014 to 2024, the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) translated other elements of the Liturgy of the Hours, either directly from the Latin or by revising the previous English translation. These elements included antiphons, hymns, intercessions, orations, responsories, and versicles.

Antiphons

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. Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons for the rest of the Liturgy of the Hours were revised by ICEL in 2023.

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
May 2023: Single draft of the antiphons for the rest of the Liturgy of the Hours

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).

November 15, 2023: The USCCB approves an expedited process to review the collection of revised Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons throughout the Liturgy of the Hours.

June 14, 2024: The USCCB approves the revised translation of Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons throughout the Liturgy of the Hours.

Psalm Antiphons

Since many of the antiphons accompanying psalms and canticles are drawn from the biblical texts themselves, and since the U.S. will be using a new translation of the psalms and liturgical canticles, it was determined to revise these antiphons in light of the Abbey Psalms and Canticles. ICEL undertook this revision work in 2023.

May 2023: Single draft of the antiphons for the entire Liturgy of the Hours

November 15, 2023: The USCCB approves an expedited process to review the collection of revised antiphons.

June 14, 2024: The USCCB approves the antiphons for all psalms and canticles.

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.

September 3, 2022: The Divine Office Hymnal is authorized for optional liturgical use in the United States and published by GIA Publications.

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 worked 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, Office for the Dead, and Appendix II (Shorter Forms for Evening Prayer)
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
July 2019: Gray Book of the intercessions of the Commons, Office for the Dead, and Appendix II
April 2020: Gray Book of the intercessions of the Proper of Saints
January 2024: Single draft of previously untranslated intercessions in 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).

June 17, 2021: The USCCB approves the intercessions found in the Four-Week Psalter, Proper of Saints, Commons, Office for the Dead, and Appendix II.

June 14, 2024: The USCCB approves additional intercessions found in the Proper of Saints previously untranslated by ICEL.

Orations

All of the orations which do not already have a revised translation from the Roman Missal, Third Edition, were 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

June 17, 2021: The USCCB approves the concluding prayers found in the Four-Week Psalter.

June 14, 2024: The USCCB approves additional, previously unrevised concluding prayers found in the Proper of Time.

Responsories, Rubrics, Versicles, and Other Texts

ICEL translated the Ordinary, the basic instructions for celebrating each Hour, in 2020-2021. Within the Ordinary, the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition will include the popular translation of the Gloria Patri for use throughout the Divine Office: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." For the final Marian antiphon at Night Prayer, both Latin and English texts of the seasonal options were retained, along with the Hail Mary and a restored option, the Sub tuum praesidium ("We fly to your patronage").

After the original work for the Liturgy of the Hours was complete, ICEL identified and revised a number of shorter texts—short and long responsories, introductions to the various saints in the Proper of Saints, introductions to the Lord's Prayer for use at Morning and Evening Prayer, psalm titles and introductory sentences, rubrics, and versicles—and retranslated the front matter of the Divine Office, including the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours.

April 2020: Green Book of the Ordinary
May 2021: Gray Book of the Ordinary
May 2023: Single draft of responsories, hagiographical introductions (Proper of Saints), Lord's Prayer introductions, and versicles
January 2024: Single draft of the front matter (initial decrees, Apostolic Constitution, General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, table of movable celebrations), rubrics, and psalm titles and sentences

June 16, 2023: The USCCB approves the Ordinary of the Liturgy of the Hours.

November 15, 2023: The USCCB approves an expedited process to review the additional material revised by ICEL.

June 14, 2024: The USCCB approves the additional material revised by ICEL.

Proper Texts for the United States

Liturgical texts for many of the saints and blesseds on the U.S. proper calendar are the responsibility of the USCCB. Four years of extensive research and consultation culminated in two fascicles of proper texts and adaptations for the dioceses of the United States. Most texts in the Proper of Saints concern hagiographical introductions and Second Readings in the Office of Readings. In volume I (Advent and Christmas Time), one substitute text is proposed in the Proper of Time, and an antiphon is added in Appendix I to facilitate an extended Vigil for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Finally, the three U.S. observances on January 22, July 4, and Thanksgiving Day have been enriched with Second Readings for optional use in the Office of Readings.

November 2022: Single draft of the U.S. proper texts found in the Proper of Saints
June 2023: Single draft of the U.S. adaptations for the entire Liturgy of the Hours

June 16, 2023: The USCCB approves the proper liturgical texts for U.S. saints and blesseds found in the Proper of Saints.

November 15, 2023: The USCCB approves the U.S. adaptations for the entire Liturgy of the Hours, found in the Proper of Time, Appendix I, and a new appendix of optional Second Readings.