Psalm 122 Catholic: Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

Psalm 122, “I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord,” is the joyful song of pilgrims arriving at Jerusalem. It ends with a prayer for the city’s peace. The Church sings it at the start of Advent and on Christ the King, and it was one of the psalms of the traditional Vespers of Our Lady. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 121. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.

Psalm 122 in the Douay-Rheims Bible

I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together.
For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.
Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David.
Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love thee.
Let peace be in thy strength: and abundance in thy towers.
For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of thee.
Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for thee.

Psalm 122 or Psalm 121?

The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 121 is Psalm 122 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi. See how many psalms are there?

What the psalm means

Joy in going to God’s house: for Christians, the joy of going to Mass, and the hope of heaven.
“Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem”: the pilgrims have arrived.
A city united: Jerusalem “is built as a city, which is compact together,” a picture of the Church, one people of God.
Pray for peace: “Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem.”
For the sake of others: “For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of thee.”

How the Church uses Psalm 122

On the First Sunday of Advent (Year A): “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” See Advent.
On Christ the King (Year C), with the same response. See Christ the King Sunday.
In the traditional Vespers of Our Lady, it was sung with Psalms 110, 113, 127 and 147. See Marian feast days.
In music, Hubert Parry’s anthem “I was glad” (1902) has been sung at British coronations.

A prayer with Psalm 122

Written for this page:

Lord, I rejoice when I hear the call to go to your house.
Bring me with joy to your altar, and one day to your heavenly Jerusalem.
I pray for the peace of your Church and of the whole world:
peace within our walls and in every home. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

What does Laetatus sum mean?

“I rejoiced,” the first words of Psalm 122 in Latin.

Why is Psalm 122 a pilgrim psalm?

It is one of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the great feasts.

More psalms and prayers

Texts and sources

Scripture: Psalm 121 (122), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer was written for this page.