Responsorial Psalm at Mass: Meaning, Rules and How to Sing It

The responsorial psalm is the psalm sung or said after the first reading at Mass, with the people repeating a short response between its verses. It is not a song chosen to fill a gap: it is itself the word of God, chosen to answer the reading that came before it. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal calls it “an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word” that “fosters meditation on the word of God” (GIRM 61). Below is how the responsorial psalm works, the Church’s rules, the seasonal psalms parishes may use, why psalm numbers differ between Bibles, and practical tips for cantors and readers.

How the responsorial psalm works

After the first reading and a moment of silence, the psalmist (cantor) or a reader goes to the ambo.
The psalmist sings or says the response (refrain), for example “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” The people repeat it.
The psalmist sings the verses (usually three or four stanzas), and the people sing the response after each one.
The people remain seated throughout.

The psalm is chosen for each Mass in the Lectionary for Mass to match the first reading, so it continues the conversation between God and his people: God speaks in the reading, and the Church answers in the words God himself gave us in the psalms.

What the Church asks

According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM):

The psalm “should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary” (GIRM 61).
“It is preferable that the responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people’s response is concerned” (GIRM 61).
It is proclaimed from the ambo, like the readings (GIRM 61, 309).
The psalmist’s role “is to sing the Psalm or other biblical canticle that comes between the readings” (GIRM 102). If there is no psalmist, the lector proclaims the verses (GIRM 129).
To help the people sing, the Lectionary provides seasonal psalms and responses that may replace the psalm of the day when it is sung.
In the United States, the psalm may also be taken from the Roman Gradual, the Simple Gradual, or another collection approved by the bishops, but “songs or hymns may not be used in place of the responsorial Psalm” (GIRM 61).

Read the full text of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

Seasonal psalms

So that a parish can learn one psalm well and sing it for several weeks, the Lectionary offers common psalms for each season. Typical choices include:

Season	Common psalms (modern numbering)
Advent	Psalm 25, Psalm 85
Christmas	Psalm 98
Epiphany	Psalm 72
Lent	Psalm 51, Psalm 91, Psalm 130
Holy Week	Psalm 22
Easter season	Psalm 118, Psalm 66
Ascension	Psalm 47
Pentecost	Psalm 104
Ordinary Time	Psalms 19, 27, 34, 63, 95, 100, 103, 145
Last weeks of the year	Psalm 122

Psalms often chosen for funerals include Psalms 23, 25, 27, 63, 103, 116, 122 and 130 (see Catholic funeral readings); for weddings, Psalms 33, 34, 103, 112, 128, 145 and 148 (see the Catholic wedding guide).

Why psalm numbers differ

Catholic Bibles have used two numbering systems. The Greek and Latin Bibles (and the Douay-Rheims) combine some psalms that the Hebrew text divides, so from Psalm 10 to Psalm 147 their numbers are usually one lower. The Lectionary today uses the Hebrew numbering. For example, “The Lord is my shepherd” is Psalm 23 in the Lectionary and Psalm 22 in the Douay-Rheims:

A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.
He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:
He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’s sake.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.
Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!
And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Tips for cantors and psalmists

Know the response cold and sing it clearly the first time; the people learn it from you.
Make eye contact and invite the people to respond with a simple gesture, without conducting.
Proclaim the words. The verses are Scripture: sing them so every word can be understood (GIRM 102 asks for “correct pronunciation and diction”).
Practice with the accompanist, and agree on the introduction and tempo before Mass.
Don’t announce “The responsorial psalm is…”; simply begin with the response.
Pray the psalm during the week, so you sing what you believe.

Tips for lectors who recite the psalm

Say the response slowly and clearly, then pause so the people can repeat it.
Read the verses as poetry, with a short pause at the end of each line.
Leave a breath before each response so the people know when to answer.
See our prayer before Mass and the order of the Mass.

Where to find today’s responsorial psalm

The psalm of the day is printed in your parish missalette and in the USCCB daily readings. For the Universal Prayer that follows the homily, see our Prayers of the Faithful for today.

Frequently asked questions

Do you stand or sit for the responsorial psalm?

Sit. The people remain seated for the first reading, the psalm and the second reading, and stand for the Gospel acclamation.

Can the responsorial psalm be replaced by a hymn?

No. The psalm may be sung in a different approved setting or replaced by a seasonal psalm, but “songs or hymns may not be used in place of the responsorial Psalm” (GIRM 61).

Who sings the responsorial psalm?

The psalmist or cantor. If there is none, a lector reads it and the people say the response.

What is the difference between the responsorial psalm and the Gradual?

The Gradual is the older chant between the readings found in the Roman Gradual. In the Ordinary Form it may be sung instead of the responsorial psalm.

More guides to the Mass

Sources

General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2002), with adaptations for the dioceses of the United States, nos. 61, 102, 129, 309.
Lectionary for Mass, Introduction, and the seasonal responsorial psalms.
Scripture: Psalm 22:1–6 (Psalm 23 in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.