Responsorial Psalm issue

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NickyMaz

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Hi Folks,

It seems that during special periods like advent and lent my parish will use one responsorial psalm for the entire period. I noticed this during advent and again when lent started. I checked the missal and I couldn’t find even find the one they used for any of the other weeks of lent. I imagine this is a way to make it easier on the cantors and music people but I have a real issue with this from a liturgical point of view. The responsorial is a part of the daily lectionary, it changes daily just as the other readings do. Could we get away with doing the same gospel reading every Sunday during lent?

I was just wondering if this was an issue anyone else has encountered. I’m considering bringing this up with my priest.

Thanks.
 
It’s not an issue, this is a legitimate liturgical variation, not an abuse.
 
The readings for the Mass are under the control of the pastor- Mine once did the Christmas Day readings in the middle of the summer in order to prove a homiletic point… it was good, and kinda shook the congregation of their stupor
 
@spyridon is right. Seasonal psalms are allowed by the GIRM.
 
From the General Introduction to Lectionary for Mass:

“89. … As a rule the psalm to be used is the one assigned to the reading. But in the case of readings for the Common of Saints, ritual Masses, Masses for various needs and occasions, votive Masses, and Masses for the dead the choice is left up to the priest celebrating. He will base his choice on the principle of the pastoral benefit of those participating.
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.”

In the Australian Lectionary these are given in Volume 1, pages 913 to 927, under the heading “Common Texts for Sung Responsorial Psalms”. Lent, for example, has three, from Psalm 50, 90 and 129.
 
GIRM 358:

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.
 
I mean, define “special group”… I would say that it is essentially placed within pastoral authority, just by looking at that phrasing.
 
What about changing the responsorial psalm for all of Lent to a hymn?
 
stpurl said:
What about changing the responsorial psalm for all of Lent to a hymn?
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No. It must be a Psalm, not a hymn. And it must come from the list of Psalms approved for use as ‘seasonal’ psalms.
 
Well, it is listed in the bulletin as Psalm 80, but it’s “Save us O Lord” by Bob Dufford/St. Louis Jesuits. Would that be allowed?
 
In that case, then, no. That’s a hymn, and a ghastly one at that. The psalm is supposed to come from the approved psalm translation in the approved lectionary. In the Commonwealth realms, this is usually the Grail psalms. I think they’re approved for US use as well, but I could be wrong. Unless the words have been modified somehow according to the approved translation.
 
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