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.

Ordo for the second week after Pentecost (June 3-9, 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).

Time after Pentecost

The texts for the Ordinary of the Office for time throughout the year are set out in the psalter section of the Diurnal.

The key feast this week is that of the Sacred Heart on Friday.

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 3 June – Second Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

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

Lauds: Psalm scheme 1 (50, 117, 62); Hymn Ecce iam noctis, MD 55/AM 35; canticle antiphon and collect, MD 461-2*/AM 557 (disregard other texts for the former Octave)

Prime to None: As for throughout the year on Sunday

Vespers: As throughout the year in the psalter, collect and canticle antiphon, MD 462*/AM 558 (disregard other texts for the former octave)

Monday 4 June – Class IV [EF: St Francis Caracciolo]

Collect MD 462*/AM 557

Tuesday 5 June - St Boniface, Class III

Matins: Invitatory and hymn from the Common of a confessor bishop (LR 190-1); one reading of the feast

Lauds and Vespers: Psalms and Antiphons of the day with rest from Common of a martyr, MD (32)/AM 659; collect MD [152]/AM 914

Prime to None: Antiphons etc from Common

Wednesday 6 June - St Norbert, Class III

Matins: Invitatory and hymn from the Common of a confessor bishop (LR 190-1); one reading of the feast

Lauds and Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of the day, rest from Common of a confessor bishop, MD (64)/AM 659; collect, MD [152]/AM 915

Prime to None: Antiphons etc from the Common

Thursday 7 June - Class IV

Matins to None: Collect MD 462*/AM 557

I Vespers of the Sacred Heart, MD 432*/AM 560 ff

Friday 8 June – Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Class I

Matins: All of the feast, with three Nocturns, LR 333 ff

Lauds: Antiphons and other texts of the feast with festal psalms, MD 439*/AM 565 ff

Prime to None: Antiphons etc of the feast, MD 442*/AM 568 ff

Vespers: Antiphons of Lauds (MD 443-4*/AM 565) with psalms of I Vespers of Corpus Christi, MD 419*; rest for the Sacred Heart, MD 444*/AM 569 ff

Saturday 9 June – Saturday of Our Lady, Class IV; SS Primus and Felician, memorial [**in some places, St Columba; Immaculate Heart of Mary]

Matins to None: Office of Our Lady, MD (129)/AM 714 ff; at Matins, reading for Saturday 2 in June; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [153]/AM 915

I Vespers of Third Sunday after Pentecost, MD 445*/AM 571

Ordo for the first week after Pentecost (May 27- June 2)

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).

Time after Pentecost

The Ordinary of the Office for time throughout the year is set out in the psalter section of the Diurnal.

Note that the collect for the week (used at all of the hours except Prime and Compline, except when displaced by a feast such as Corpus Christi) is of the First Sunday after Pentecost, not that of Trinity Sunday.

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.
LH=Liber Hymnarius, 1983
SupAM=Supplement to the Antiphonale Monasticum published by Clear Creek.

THE ORDO

Sunday 27 May – Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Class I

[St Bede is not celebrated in the Office this year]

Matins: All of the feast, with three Nocturns (Invitatory antiphon and hymn, LR 440-1; psalms, canticles, antiphons, Gospel, twelve readings and responsories of the feast)

Lauds: Festal psalms, of the feast, MD 409/AM 535 ff

Prime: Antiphon of the feast, after the psalms, the Athanasian Creed is said, MD 411*/AM 539 ff

Terce to None: Antiphons, chapters and versicle of the feast, MD 416*/AM 541 ff

Vespers: As for I Vespers except for Magnificat antiphon, MD 418*/AM 541 (no commemoration of the Sunday)

Monday 28 May - Class IV [EF: St Augustine OSB, Class III; Australia and NZ: Our Lady Help of Christians, transferred]

All as in the psalter for time throughout the year (at Matins, short reading of the day of the week), collect of the first Sunday after Pentecost, MD 418*/AM 535 (Deus in te sperantium)

Australia: Our Lady Help of Christians, MD 28** (for Matins, Common of the BVM)

Tuesday 29 May - Class IV [EF: St Mary Magdalen of Pazzi]

Matins to Compline: All as set out in the psalter – At Matins one reading of the day for summer; collect, MD 418*/AM 535

Wednesday 30 May – Class IV [EF: Commemoration of St Felix]

Matins to None: All as in the psalter for time throughout the year, collect, MD 418*/AM 535

I Vespers of Corpus Christi: Psalms and antiphons, etc of the feast, MD 419*/AM 543 ff

Thursday 31 May – Corpus Christi, Class I

Matins: All of the feast, with three Nocturns/twelve readings and responsories, LR 119 ff

Lauds: Festal psalms of Sunday with antiphons etc of the feast, MD 427*/550 ff

Prime to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle, MD 430-1*/AM 554

Vespers: As for I Vespers, MD 419* ff except for the Magnificat antiphon, MD 431*/AM 555

Friday 1 June – Class IV [EF: St Angela Merici]

All as in the psalter for time throughout the year, collect, MD 418*/AM 535

Saturday 2 June – Our Lady on Saturday, Class IV; SS Marcellinus and Peter, memorial [EF: and St Erasmus]

Matins to None: Office of Our Lady; at Matins, reading for Saturday 1 in June; MD (129)/714 ff; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [151]/AM 914

I Vespers of the Second Sunday after Pentecost, MD 432*/AM 556

Ordo for the Octave of Pentecost (May 19-26)

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.
LH=Liber Hymnarius, 1983
SupAM=Supplement to the Antiphonale Monasticum published by Clear Creek.

THE ORDO

Sunday 20 May - Pentecost Sunday, Class I with Class I Octave

Matins: Invitatory antiphon, hymn, antiphons, psalms, Gospel and twelve readings and responsories of the feast, LR 107 ff

Lauds: Antiphons etc of the feast, MD 396*/AM 520 ff; festal psalms of Sunday

Prime to None: Antiphons etc of the feast, MD 400*/AM 523; at Terce, hymn Veni Creator

Vespers: All as for I Vespers except for the Magnificat antiphon, MD 402-3*/AM 524-5

Monday 21 May – Whit Monday, Class I

Matins: Two nocturns, with invitatory antiphon, hymn, psalms and antiphons as for Nocturns I &II of Sunday with three readings of the day are of the day OR Invitatory and hymn of the feast with psalms of the day

Lauds to Vespers: As for Pentecost Sunday, including the psalms, except the Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 403*/AM 525-6; at Terce, hymn Veni Creator

Tuesday 22 May – Whit Tuesday, Class I

Matins: As for Sunday omitting Nocturn III, with three readings OR Invitatory and hymn of the feast with psalms of the day

Lauds to Vespers: As for Pentecost Sunday except the Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 403-4*/AM 527

Wednesday 23 May – Ember Wednesday, Class I

Matins: Invitatory and hymn of the feast; psalms of the Wednesday under one antiphon of the feast; readings of the day

Lauds to Vespers: As for Pentecost Sunday except the Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 404-5*/.AM 528

Thursday 24 May - Whit Thursday, Class I [Note in Australia, Our Lady Help of Christians is transferred to next Monday in the traditional calendar]

Matins: Invitatory and hymn of the feast; psalms of the Thursday under one antiphon of the feast; readings of the day

Lauds to Vespers: As for Pentecost Sunday except the Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 405*/AM 529-30

Friday 25 May – Ember Friday, Class I

[St Gregory VII is not celebrated in the Office this year]

Matins: Invitatory and hymn of the feast; psalms of the Friday under one antiphon of the feast; readings of the day

Lauds to Vespers: As for Pentecost Sunday except the Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 405-6*/AM 530

Saturday 26 May – Ember Saturday, Class I

[St Augustine is not celebrated in the Office this year]

Matins: Invitatory and hymn of the feast; psalms of the Saturday under one antiphon of the feast; readings of the day

Lauds to None: As for Pentecost Sunday except the Benedictus antiphon and collect, MD 406-7*/AM 531

TIME AFTER PENTECOST (THROUGHOUT THE YEAR)

I Vespers of the Most Holy Trinity, MD 407*/AM 532 ff (Sunday psalms with antiphons and rest of the feast; no commemoration of the Sunday)

**Compline: Marian Antiphon Salve Regina from henceforward

Ordo notes for the week after the Ascension (May 13-19, 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.

Ascensiontide

In the pre-1962 calendar there was an 'octave' of the Ascension; the remnants of the octave can be found in the 'Ordinary' of Ascensiontide, the rubrics of which you can read up on 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.
LH=Liber Hymnarius, 1983
SupAM=Supplement to the Antiphonale Monasticum published by Clear Creek.

THE ORDO

Sunday 13 May – Sunday after the Ascension, Class II

[Note: The feast of St Robert Bellarmine is not marked in the Office this year]

Matins: Invitatory antiphon, hymn, antiphons, Gospel and readings for the Sunday

Lauds: Festal psalms with three antiphons (alleluia - canticle - alleluia); chapter etc from MD 389*/AM 513 ff

Prime to None: Antiphons, etc from MD 391*/AM 514 ff

Vespers: Psalms of Sunday under one antiphon; chapter and hymn of Lauds; responsory and Magnificat antiphon, MD 393*/AM 515

Monday 14 May – Class IV, St Pachomius, Memorial [EF: Commemoration of St Boniface]

Matins:  Ordinary of Ascensiontide, viz Invitatory Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; hymn Aeterne Rex altissime (LH 82); versicles, short reading (Heb 6:18-20), short responsory (Dominus in caelo) and chapter (Eph 2:6-7) of the season

Lauds to Vespers: Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 386*, that is:

Lauds and Vespers: chapter, Conresuscitavit (Eph 2:6-7) with short responsory, hymn, versicle and canticle antiphons of Ascension, AM 510&512

Terce to None: versicles of the Ascension with chapters Eph 2:6-7 at Terce; Eph 1:20-21 at Sext; and Eph 1:22-3 at None

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [147-8]; SupAnt 74

Tuesday 15 May – Class IV [EF: St John Baptist de la Salle; Ben Confed: St. Pacomius, abbot - Optional Memorial

Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 386* ff

Wednesday 16 May – Class IV [EF: St Ubald]

Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 386* ff

Thursday 17 May - Class IV [EF: St Pascal Baylon, Class III]

Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 386* ff

Friday 18 May - Class IV [EF: St Venantius]

Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 386* ff

Saturday 19 May - Whitsun Eve (Vigil of the Pentecost), Class I

Matins: Ordinary of Ascensiontide but with three readings and responsories of the day

Lauds to None: Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 386*

PENTECOST

I Vespers of Pentecost, MD 393*/AM 517 ff (Sunday psalms with antiphons and rest of the feast)

Rogation days in the lead up to the feast of the Ascension

Monday to Wednesday this week are 'rogation', or 'asking' days.

Rogation days in history

Traditionally these are days of prayer (particularly in the form of a procession accompanied by a sung litany of the saints), and fasting.

The three 'minor' rogation days before Ascension date back to the fifth century, instituted originally by Bishop Mammertus of Vienne (c470).  The practice quickly spread throughout Gaul and Burgundy - the Council of Orleans in 510 ordered their use for example.  Rogation days were not adopted in Rome, though, until the early ninth century.

Their key purpose is to appease God's anger at man's transgressions, to ask protection in calamities, and to obtain a good and bountiful harvest.

Rogation days in the Office

You can find the litany and prayers appropriately used with them in the Monastic Diurnal at pg (200) and the full chants in the Processionale Monasticum.  If said privately, it is usually done after Lauds.

In earlier versions of the Monastic Office, the Rogations were marked as follows:

• On Monday  there were three readings at Matins (from St Ambrose on the value of prayer at set times, and always) and a collect specific to the rogation day (set out below), I Vespers was of the votive office of St Benedict;
• On Tuesday the Votive Office of St Benedict was said; and
• On Wednesday the Office had three readings (from St Augustine) and a special collect.

In the 1962 monastic version, though, only the Wednesday readings and collect have survived (under the rubric of the Vigil of the Ascension).  I can only presume that this is one of several unfortunate early manifestations in the Office of the modern resurgence of the heresies of presumed universal salvation (we all go to heaven; there is no-one hell) and rejection of the value of intercessory prayer.

The Monday readings in particular though, are rather lovely and important ones, and so I have put up them up on the Lectio Divina Notes Blog for your consideration.

Orémus Praesta quaesumus omnipotens Deus: ut qui in afflictione nostra de tua pietate confidimus; contra adversa omnia tua semper protectione muniamur. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R. Amen.

24 Let us pray. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who in our tribulation are yet of good cheer because of thy loving-kindness, may find thee mighty to save from all dangers. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.