The notes below are intended as an aid to those who wish to say the traditional form of the Benedictine Office according to the 1962 rubrics and books.
The Office this week
This week marks the start of the pre-Lenten season of Septuagesimatide, which consists of three Sundays, named for their distance from Easter:
Septuagesimatide is a post-Benedictine addition to the calendar (one of the Gregorian reforms), hence the inconsistency between the rubrics, which banish the Alleluia for this period, and St Benedict's own prescriptions for the use of the Alleluia in the Rule in Chapter 15.
The key features of the Office for the Season of Septuagesimatide are:
Monday 18 February – Class IV
The Office this week
This week marks the start of the pre-Lenten season of Septuagesimatide, which consists of three Sundays, named for their distance from Easter:
- the week of Septuagesima;
- the week of Sexagesima; and
- Quinquagesima Sunday and the Monday and (Shrove) Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Septuagesimatide is a post-Benedictine addition to the calendar (one of the Gregorian reforms), hence the inconsistency between the rubrics, which banish the Alleluia for this period, and St Benedict's own prescriptions for the use of the Alleluia in the Rule in Chapter 15.
The key features of the Office for the Season of Septuagesimatide are:
- the Alleluia is solemnly 'buried' with extra Alleluias added to the close of the Office of I Vespers of Septuagesima Sunday and thereafter the Alleluia is no longer used in the Office
- in the opening prayers of the Office the alleluia is replaced by 'Laus tibi Domine, Rex aeternae gloriae';
- at Matins, the Alleluias used as antiphons are replaced, on weekdays by three antiphons to be found in the psalter, and on Sundays be an antiphon for the third nocturn to be found in the temporale;
- On Sundays Matins has an invitatory specific to the season (Preoccupemus) and
- at Vespers, there are daily antiphons for the Magnificat.
List of Abbreviations
MD Monastic Diurnal, Farnborough, 2005 and later editions.
AM Antiphonale Monasticum, Solesmes, 1934.
LR Liber Responsorialis, Solesmes, 1895.
LH Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983.
SupAnt Supplement to the Antiphonale Monasticum, Fontgombault
(Clear Creek)
(Clear Creek)
** Indicates a feast celebrated in some places only, for which texts for feast available in supplement at the back of the Monastic Diurnal (page numbers with **).
ff And following pages.
Canticle antiphons In reference to Lauds and Vespers, refers to the Benedictus and Magnificat respectively. At Matins, it refers to the third nocturn canticles of Matins used for Sundays and feasts.
Festal psalms a) At Lauds: Psalm 66, 92, 99, 62, Sunday or festal canticle of the day of the week, Psalms 148-150;
(b) At Vespers: The psalms of Sunday or of a particular types of saints/feast (ie of one of the ‘Commons’), or specific to the feast; and
(c) At Matins: For the type of saint/feast (ie of the Commons) or specific to the feast.
Sunday 17 February – Septuagesima Sunday, Class II
Matins:
Invitatory antiphon for the Septuagesimatide Sundays (Preoccupemus faciem Domini);
hymn Primo dierum (from the psalter);
Nocturn III antiphon of the Sunday with canticles as for throughout the year; readings, responsories and collect of the Sunday.
Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect for Septuagesima, MD 154*/AM 312 ff.
Prime: Antiphon, MD 158*/AM 314 (Note: The antiphons for Prime to None are not those of Lauds).
Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle, MD 158-9*/AM 314-5; collect, MD 157-8*/AM 313.
Vespers: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Magnificat antiphon, MD 159*/AM 315 ff; collect, MD 157-8*/AM 313.
Monday 18 February – Class IV
Matins: Antiphons for Nocturn II of time from Septuagesima Sunday; readings and responsories for the week after Septuagesima Sunday.
Lauds to Compline: All as in the psalter for throughout the year and time after Septuagesima - As for throughout the year except for ‘Laus tibi’ in opening prayers and Magnificat antiphon of the day, MD 161*/AM 316-7; collect, MD 157-8*/AM 313.
Tuesday 19 February – Class IV
All as in the psalter for throughout the year and time after Septuagesima; Magnificat antiphon MD 161*/AM 317; collect, MD 157-8*/AM 313.
Wednesday 20 February – Class IV
All as in the psalter for throughout the year and time after Septuagesima; Magnificat antiphon MD 161*/AM 317; collect, MD 157-8*/AM 313.
Thursday 21 February – Class IV
All as in the psalter for throughout the year and time after Septuagesima; Magnificat antiphon MD 162*/AM 318; collect, MD 157-8*/AM 313.
Friday 22 February – Chair of St Peter, Class III
Matins: Two nocturns (Nocturn II antiphons for Septuagesimatide); with invitatory, hymn, three readings and responsories, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast.
Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collects (SS Peter and Paul under one conclusion) of the feast, MD [68]/AM 824 ff.
Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common of a Confessor Bishop, MD [69-70]/AM 657.
Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle of the Common of a Confessor Bishop, MD [70-1]/AM 662-3; collect of St Peter only, MD [69]/AM 826.
Vespers: Antiphon and psalms of the day; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collects (SS Peter and Paul under one conclusion) of the feast, MD [68]/AM 824 ff.
Saturday 23 February – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady; St Peter Damian, memorial [EF: Class III]
[Note: The MD suggests that the Office of Our Lady throughout the year is not said after Septuagesima; this is an error, the rubrics on page (120) should read ‘after the Purification until the Saturday before Quadragesima’.]
Matins: Office of Our Lady on Saturday -
Invitatory antiphon, hymn, versicles, absolution, blessings, third responsory, chapter and collect of the Office of Our Lady on Saturday;
Nocturn II antiphons for Septuagesimatide;
reading and responsories 1&2 of the Saturday after Septuagesima;
third reading of Our Lady, of Saturday 4 in February.
Lauds: Office of Our Lady on Saturday -
Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Office of Our Lady, MD (129) /AM 714 ff;
for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [73]/AM 350.
Prime: Antiphon of the Office of Our Lady, MD (131)/AM 715.
Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the Office of Our Lady, MD (132-3) /AM 715-6.
1 Vespers of Sexagesima Sunday: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of Sexagesima, MD 162*/AM 318-9 ff.