Ordo for the eighth week after Pentecost (July 15-21)

The notes below are designed to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine Office according to the officially approved 1962 books (noting that older books can readily be adapted to this end).

They provides notes on the variable parts of the Office only, so should be read in conjunction with the Learn to Say the Benedictine Office notes provided elsewhere on the blog.  In particular, the collects indicated are used at Matins, Lauds, and Terce to Vespers; the collects for Prime and Compline are proper to those hours.

English translations of the readings for Matins can be found on the Lectio Divina Notes Blog.


Key to the abbreviations:

MD= Monastic Diurnal (MD, 2004 onwards editions).
AM =Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (1995 edition).
ff= and following pages.

THE ORDO

Sunday 15 July – Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

Matins to Vespers: All as in the psalter with Matins readings and responsories of the Sunday, canticle antiphons and collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598-9

Monday 16 July – Class IV [**in some places, Our Lady of Einsiedeln; EF: Commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel]

Collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598

**For Our Lady of Einsiedeln, Common of BVM

Tuesday 17 July – Class IV; St Leo IV OSB, memorial [**in some places, SS Andrew Svoradi and Benedict; EF: Commemoration of St Alexius]

Collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [194]/AM 972

**For SS Andrew Svoradi and Benedict, common of martyrs

Wednesday 18 July – Class IV [EF: St Camillus de Lellis]

Collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598

Thursday 19 July – Class IV; St Vincent de Paul, memorial [EF: Class III]

Collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [195]/AM 973

Friday 20 July – SS Jerome Aemiliani, Joseph Calanctius and John Baptist de la Salle, memorial

Collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [195-6]/AM 973

Saturday 21 July – Saturday of Our Lady, Class IV [EF: St Lawrence Brindisi; Commemoration of St Praxedes]

Matins to None: As for Office of Our Lady with reading at Matins for Saturday 3 in July, MD (129)/AM 714 ff

I Vespers of Ninth Sunday, MD 448-9*/AM 578&600

Understanding the calendar for the office Pt 1 - Why are the Saturday Magnificat antiphons in a different place to the Sunday ones?!

Every year around this time the Diurnal (and other Office books) do something that seems quite inconvenient: it places the variable texts for Saturday Vespers (ie I Vespers of Sunday) in different places, so you have to go to one page for the Magnificat antiphon, another for the collect.

So why does it do that?

I thought this might be a good place to both answer that question, and explain more broadly the different cycles of the calendar that determine what is said at each hour and day.

Why do Saturdays and Sundays after Pentecost have different places in the Diurnal?

Going back to Saturday Vespers, for a moment though, the short answer is that from August, the Scriptural cycle for the first Nocturn of Matins, to which the Magnificat antiphon generally refers, shifts from being dependent on the number of Sundays after Pentecost, to dependent on the calendar month.

The collect though, continues to depend on the number of the Sunday after Pentecost.

As the number of Sundays between Easter and the first Sunday of August differs each year, the Saturday Magnificat antiphons and collects do not always line up.

There can never be less than three Sundays after Pentecost and before August though, so although the Diurnal puts the collects in a separate place from the Second Sunday after Pentecost onwards, other Office books, such as the breviary and the Antiphonale Monasticum, make the split at that point.

All too complex?

Let's go back to first principles!

The five cycles in the Office

The key to understanding how the Office works is to appreciate that there are essentially five different cycles at work in the Office, consisting of:

• the 'hours', each of which have some fixed texts generally said every day at that particular hour;
• the day of the week, which dictates changes to either the psalms and a few other texts (antiphons, responsories), and in some cases the chants used (for example the hymn tune used for Compline changes on Saturdays and Sundays);
• the date - feasts which have fixed dates;
• the month.  There are days and offices that are fixed to particular days of the week in particular calendar months (such as Matins readings for the Office of Our Lady on Saturday, the September Ember Days and Matins reading from August to November).
• the week and season of the liturgical year, which mostly depends on the date of Easter each year.

Each of these cycles can contribute to what is said each day, with a set of rules dictating about which ones take precedence.

Next week I will start looking at how these cycles work and interact.

Ordo for the seventh week after Pentecost (July 8-14)

The notes below are designed to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine Office according to the officially approved 1962 books (noting that older books can readily be adapted to this end).

They provides notes on the variable parts of the Office only, so should be read in conjunction with the Learn to Say the Benedictine Office notes provided elsewhere on the blog.

Feast of the translation of the relics of St Benedict

This week we celebrate the feast of the translation of the relics of St Benedict, marking the date around 660 AD when monks of Fleury visited the then long abandoned site of Monte Cassino, allegedly discovered and removed the remains of SS Benedict and Scholastica, and took them back to France with them (an act for which they were subsequently excommunicated by the Pope).  Their possession of the relics, however, has long been contested by Monte Cassino, which claims to have found subsequently the intact tomb of the saints itself (although historians have suggested that the tomb in question is in fact a medieval forgery).

Presumably because of the dispute over the nature of the feast, there are a number of different versions of the feast extant.  

For Matins, the Liber Responsorialis provides an earlier version of the feast, with different antiphons and responsories to those set out in the 1962 monastic breviary.  This version of the feast is, I believe, still used in most french monasteries.

For the day hours, the Antiphonale Monasticum provides the chants for the modern version of the feast, but the older version of the feast is also still in use, with texts and chants set out in Clear Creek's Supplement to the Antiphonale as well as (in some editions) in an appendix to the Antiphonale (30*).

Key to the abbreviations:

MD= Monastic Diurnal (MD, 2004 onwards editions)
AM =Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (1995 edition).
LR=Liber Responsorialis (downloadable from CC Watershed) and the Nocturnale Romanum.

THE ORDO

Sunday 8 July - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

Matins to Vespers: All as in the psalter with Matins readings and responsories of the Sunday;

collect and canticle antiphon, MD 466-7*/AM 596-7

Monday 9 July – Class IV [***in some places: SS John Fisher and Thomas More]

Collect, MD 467*/AM 597

**For SS John Fisher and Thomas More, see MD 40** ff

Tuesday 10 July - Class IV [EF: Seven Holy Brothers and SS Rufina and Secunda]

Collect, MD 467*/AM 597

[*I Vespers of St Benedict if feast is Class I]

Wednesday 11 July – Translation of the Relics of St Benedict, Class II [OF: St Benedict; EF: Commemoration of Pius I]**

Note that there are different versions of this Office, see above.

Matins: (Three nocturns), Invitatory antiphon and hymn (LR 443), antiphons etc for the feast with psalms of a confessor not a bishop

Lauds and Vespers: Antiphons and other texts of the feast, MD [185]/AM 964 ff; festal psalms

Prime to None: Antiphons etc of the feast

Thursday 12 July – Class IV, St John Gualbert OSB, memorial

Collect, MD 467*/AM 597; for the commemoration, MD [193]/AM 969

Friday 13 July – Class IV

Collect, MD 467*/AM 597

Saturday 14 July – St Bonaventure, Class III

Matins: Invitatory antiphon and hymn from Common of a Confessor bishop, LR 190; antiphons and psalms of the day; one reading of the feast; chapter of a confessor bishop

Lauds: MD [193] ff: Antiphons and psalms of the day, other texts from common of a confessor bishop.  At Vespers, Magnificat antiphon for a doctor; collect MD [194-5]/AM 970

Prime to None: Antiphons of Lauds from the Common; Terce to None, chapter etc from Common

I Vespers of Eighth Sunday, MD 448*/AM 578&598

Ordo for the sixth week after Pentecost (July 1-7, 2018)

The notes below are designed to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine Office according to the officially approved 1962 books (noting that older books can readily be adapted to this end).

They provides notes on the variable parts of the Office only, so should be read in conjunction with the Learn to Say the Benedictine Office notes provided elsewhere on the blog.

Note that in the Extraordinary form calendar (but not the Benedictine) this Sunday is the feast of the Most Precious Blood.  You can find the readings for the feast on the Lectio Divina Notes Blog.

Key to the abbreviations:

MD= Monastic Diurnal (MD, 2004 onwards editions)
AM =Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (1995 edition).
LR=Liber Responsorialis (downloadable from CC Watershed) and the Nocturnale Romanum.

THE ORDO

Sunday 1 July – Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Class II [EF: The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Class I]

Matins to Vespers: All as in the psalter with canticle antiphons and collect, MD 465-6*/AM 595-6

Monday 2 July – Visitation of the BVM, Class II

Matins: Three nocturns, with invitatory (LR 442), readings and responsories of the feast, rest from the Common of feasts of the BVM

Lauds: Antiphons of the feast with festal psalms, MD [180]/AM 954 ff

Prime to None: Antiphons etc of the feast

Vespers: Antiphons of Lauds; psalms etc from Common of BVM, MD (119)/AM 708; Magnificat antiphon MD [184]/AM 957

Tuesday 3 July – Class IV; SS Processus and Martinian, memorial [EF: St Irenaeus]

Collect, MD 466*/AM 596; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [184]/AM 956 (from Et fit…)

Wednesday 4 July – Class IV [**in some places, St Procopius]

Collect, MD 466*/AM 596

For St Procopius, MD 35** ff

Thursday 5 July – Class IV [EF: St Anthony Mary Zacharia]

Collect, MD 466*/AM 596

Friday 6 July – Class IV

Collect, MD 466*/AM 596

Saturday 7 July – Office of Our Lady, Class IV [EF: SS Cyril and Methodius]

Matins to None: As for Office of Our Lady with reading for Saturday 1 in July, MD (129)/AM 714 ff 

I Vespers of the Seventh Sunday, MD 447-8*/AM 577&597

Ordo for the fifth week after Pentecost (June 24-30)

The notes below are designed to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine Office according to the officially approved 1962 books (noting that older books can readily be adapted to this end).

They provides notes on the variable parts of the Office only, so should be read in conjunction with the Learn to Say the Benedictine Office notes provided elsewhere on the blog.

Remember that if you prefer to use a monthly version of the Ordo, you can find one for June on the Ordo page of the blog.

And if you need a refresher on how to make a Commemoration, take a look here.

Key to the abbreviations:

MD= Monastic Diurnal (MD, 2004 onwards editions)
AM =Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (1995 edition).
LR=Liber Responsorialis (downloadable from CC Watershed) and the Nocturnale Romanum.

THE ORDO

Sunday 24 June - Nativity of St John the Baptist, Class I

Matins: All of the feast, with three Nocturns, LR 345 ff

Lauds:  Festal psalms; antiphons etc of the feast, MD [161]/AM 924 ff; commemoration of the Fifth Sunday of Pentecost, MD 464*/AM 594

Prime to None: Antiphons etc, MD [164-5]/AM 927

Vespers: Antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle of Lauds; Psalms of Sunday (=I Vespers of Apostles); Magnificat antiphon, MD [165]/AM 925; Commemoration of the Fifth Sunday of Pentecost, MD 464-5*/AM 594-5

Monday 25 June - Class IV [EF: St William, OSB, Class III]

Collect (of the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost), MD 464-5*/AM 594

Tuesday 26 June - Class IV; SS John and Paul, Memorial [EF: Class III]

Collect, MD 464-5*/AM 594; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [167]

Wednesday 27 June - Class IV

Collect, MD 464-5*/AM 594

Thursday 28 June - Vigil of SS Peter and Paul, Class II

Matins: All as in the psalter except for three readings and responsories (from Nocturn I of preceding Sunday), and collect of the feast 

Lauds to None: All as in the psalter for the day except for the collect, MD [166-7]/AM 930

Vespers: I Vespers of SS Peter and Paul, MD [167]/AM 931 ff 

Friday 29 June – SS Peter and Paul, Class I

Matins: All from the Common of Apostles except for the readings and responsories, of the feast, LR 359

Lauds: Antiphons and proper texts of the feast, MD [169]/AM 934 ff with festal psalms

Prime to None: Antiphons and other variable texts of feast

Vespers (of the feast): Antiphons and psalms from Common of Apostles, MD (13)/AM 626, Magnificat antiphon MD [173]/AM 939

Saturday 30 June - Commemoration of St Paul, Class III; commemoration of St Peter

Matins: Invitatory antiphon and hymn of the feast, one reading of the feast

Lauds: Antiphons and proper texts of the feast, MD [173]/AM 941 ff with festal psalms; note two collects under one ending

Prime to None: Antiphon etc of the feast

I Vespers of the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 446-7*/AM 577 & 594

Ordo for the fourth week after Pentecost (June 17-23)

The notes below are designed to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine Office according to the officially approved 1962 books (noting that older books can readily be adapted to this end).

They provides notes on the variable parts of the Office only, so should be read in conjunction with the Learn to Say the Benedictine Office notes provided elsewhere on the blog.

Key to the abbreviations:

MD= Monastic Diurnal (MD, 2004 onwards editions)
AM =Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (1995 edition).
LR=Liber Responsorialis (downloadable from CC Watershed) and the Nocturnale Romanum.

THE ORDO

Sunday 17 June - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

Matins: All as in the psalter with readings and responsories of the Sunday

Lauds to Vespers:  All as for Sunday in the psalter; canticle antiphon and collect, MD 463-4*/AM 593

Monday 18 June - Class IV; St Ephrem Syrus, SS Mark and Marcellianus, memorials [EF: St Ephrem, Class III]

Collect, MD 464*/AM 593; for the commemorations at Lauds, MD [156-7]/AM 917

Tuesday 19 June - Class IV; St Gervase and Protase, Memorial [EF: St Juliana Falcionieri]

Collect, MD 464*/AM 593; for the commemorations at Lauds, MD [157]/AM 918

Wednesday 20 June – Class IV [EF: Commemoration of St Silverius]

Collect, MD 464*/AM 593

Thursday 21 June - Class IV; St Aloysius Gonzaga, memorial

Collect, MD 464*/AM 593; for the commemoration, MD [157-8]/AM 918

Friday 22 June - Class IV [EF: ST Paulinus]

Collect, MD 464*/AM 593

Saturday 23 June – Vigil of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, Class II

Matins: All of the day except for the three readings with responsories from Nocturn III of the Second Sunday after Pentecost and collect of the feast

Lauds to None: All as in the psalter for the day except for the collect, MD [158]/AM 919

I Vespers of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, MD [159]/AM 920 ff; commemoration of Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 446*/AM 576&594

Ordo for the third week after Pentecost (June 10-16, 2018)

The notes below are designed to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine Office according to the officially approved 1962 books (noting that older books can readily be adapted to this end).

They provides notes on the variable parts of the Office only, so should be read in conjunction with the Learn to Say the Benedictine Office notes provided elsewhere on the blog.

Time after Pentecost

Note that we are currently in time after Pentecost, so unless otherwise specified, the antiphons and other texts are all as set out in the psalter section of your Office book.  

Where a collect (for the week, Office or feast) is specified it is used for all hours except Prime and Compline.

For I Vespers of Sunday (ie Saturday Vespers), the Magnificat antiphon usually refers to the First Nocturn readings for Sunday.  As these are for the calendar month from August, the number of these used varies each year, and so are provided in the earlier part of the 'temporale' (for the Third and Fourth Sundays, at MD 444*).  

The Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons for Sunday are provided later in the book (for the Third Sunday, at MD 462-3*).

Key to the abbreviations:

MD= Monastic Diurnal (MD, 2004 onwards editions)
AM =Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (1995 edition).
LR=Liber Responsorialis (downloadable from CC Watershed) and the Nocturnale Romanum.

THE ORDO

Sunday 10 June – Third Sunday after Pentecost

Matins: All as in the psalter with readings and responsories of the Third Sunday after Pentecost.

Lauds to Vespers: Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 462-3*/AM 571 ff (disregard other texts of the former octave).

Monday 11 June - St Barnabas, Class III

Matins: Invitatory and hymn from the Common of Apostles, LR 134; antiphon and psalms of the day; one reading of the feast.

Lauds: Antiphons and psalms of the day, rest from Common of an Apostle, MD (10)/AM 659; collect, MD [153-4]/AM 915.

Prime to None: Antiphons etc from Common the Common.

Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of the day, rest from Common of an Apostle, MD (18)/AM 663; collect, MD [153-4]/AM 915.

Tuesday 12 June – Class IV [EF: St John of Facundo; Commemoration of SS Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius]

All as in the psalter; collect, MD 463*/AM 572.

Wednesday 13 June - Class IV; St Anthony of Padua, memorial [EF: Class III; OF: Immaculate Heart of the BVM]

All as in the psalter; collect, MD 463*/AM 572; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [154]/AM 916.

Thursday 14 June – St Basil the Great, Class III

Matins: Invitatory antiphon and hymn from Common of a Confessor bishop, LR 190; antiphons and psalms of the day; one reading of the feast; chapter of a confessor bishop

Lauds: Antiphons and psalms of the day, rest from Common of a confessor bishop, MD (64)/AM 659 except for the collect MD [155]/AM 917 

Prime to None: Antiphons from the Common; chapter, versicle from the Common of the feast with collect of the feast at Terce to None

Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of the day, rest from Common of a confessor bishop, MD (64)/AM 654 except for the collect MD [155]/AM 917, and Magnificat antiphon (for a Doctor), MD (74)/AM 664

Friday 15 June – Class IV; St Vitus, memorial [EF: also SS Modestus and Crescentia]

All as in the psalter; collect, MD 463*/AM 572; at Lauds for the commemoration, MD [155]/AM 917.

Saturday 16 June – Our Lady on Saturday, Class IV

Matins: As for Office of Our Lady with reading for Saturday 3 in June; MD (129)/AM 714 ff 

I Vespers of Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Magnificat antiphon and collect MD 445*/AM 575-6&593.