Ordo 21: Eleventh week after Pentecost

The season is currently time after Pentecost in the 1962 rubrics and calendar for the Benedictine Office.  Page references given below are to the Farnborough editions of the Monastic Diurnal (MD) and  1934 Antiphonale Monasticum (AM).

Note that from the first Sunday of August onwards, the Matins readings in Nocturns I&II are of the calendar month, rather than continuing the readings from the books of Kings, while those for Nocturn III are of the Sunday. The Magnificat antiphon for Saturday Vespers follows the Matins reading cycle, hence is found in a separate section of the ‘temporale’ to the collect for the relevant Sunday.

Keep in mind also that the notes below assume you are familiar with the ferial (default) Office, and refer to the changes and additions to it: but if you need help on how to use your book and how each of the individual hours are structured, do take a look at the Learn to say the Office page on the blog.

And if you would like a hardcopy or PDF of the Ordo, including more detailed notes for each day, you can purchase them through  Lulu.

 THE ORDO 

Sunday 8 August – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost/Second Sunday of August, Class II; In Australia: St Mary of the Cross (McKillop), Patronal feast

 [The feast of St Cyriacus is not marked in the Office this year.] For St Mary of the Cross, Common of virgins.

 Matins: All as in the psalter with responsories and Nocturn I&II readings of the Second Sunday of August; Nocturn III readings, Gospel and collect of the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. 

Lauds to Vespers: All as in the psalter with canticle antiphons and collect MD 470-1*/AM 602. 

Monday 9 August – Vigil of St Lawrence, Class III [OF in Europe/Optional Class III: St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)] 

Matins: Two nocturns with three readings of the feast; responsories of Nocturn I of the preceding Sunday. 

Lauds to Vespers: All as in the psalter for the day except for the collect, of the Vigil (other than at Prime), MD [220]. 

Tuesday 10 August – St Lawrence, Class II 

Matins: Three Nocturns, all of the feast. 

Lauds: Antiphons of the feast with festal psalms; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [221] ff. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the feast, MD [221]. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD [223] ff. 

2 Vespers: Psalms of 2 Vespers of a martyr (Ps 109, 111, 112, 115) with antiphons of Lauds; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [225] ff. 

Wednesday 11 August – Class IV; St Tiburtius, Memorial [EF: and St Susanna] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 471*; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [227-8]. 

Thursday 12 August – Class IV; S. Clare, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 471*; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [228]. 

Friday 13 August – Class IV; SS Pontianus and Hippolytus, Memorial [EF: SS Hippolytus and Cassian] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 471*; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [228-9]. 

Saturday 14 August – Vigil of the Assumption, Class II 

Matins: Two Nocturns, all as in the psalter, except for three readings and collect of the Vigil; responsories 1-3 of the third nocturn of the Second Sunday of August. 

Lauds to None: All as in the psalter with collect of the Vigil (other than at Prime), MD [229] 

1 Vespers of the Assumption: Psalms of the Common of the BVM (109, 112, 121, 126), MD (119) ff/AM 702; antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [230] ff; commemoration of the Sunday, versicle and Magnificat antiphon, MD 451* and collect, MD 472*.

Ordo 21: Tenth week after Pentecost

The season is currently time after Pentecost in the 1962 rubrics and calendar for the Benedictine Office.  Page references given below are to the Farnborough editions of the Monastic Diurnal (MD) and  1934 Antiphonale Monasticum (AM).

Note that from the first Sunday of August onwards, the Matins readings in Nocturns I&II are of the calendar month, rather than continuing the readings from the books of Kings, while those for Nocturn III are of the Sunday. The Magnificat antiphon for Saturday Vespers follows the Matins reading cycle, hence is found in a separate section of the ‘temporale’ to the collect for the relevant Sunday.

Keep in mind also that the notes below assume you are familiar with the ferial (default) Office, and refer to the changes and additions to it: but if you need help on how to use your book and how each of the individual hours are structured, do take a look at the Learn to say the Office page on the blog.

And if you would like a hardcopy or PDF of the Ordo, including more detailed notes for each day, you can purchase them through  Lulu.

THE ORDO

Sunday 1 August – Tenth Sunday after Pentecost/First Sunday of August, Class II

 [The feast of the Holy Maccabees is not marked in the Office this year.] 

Matins: All as in the psalter with responsories and Nocturn I&II readings of the First Sunday of August; Nocturn III readings, Gospel and collect of the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. 

Lauds to Vespers: All as in the psalter with canticle antiphons and collect, MD 469-70*/AM 601. 

Monday 2 August – Class IV; St Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, Memorial  

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 470*; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [210].  

Tuesday 3 August – Class IV 

Wednesday 4 August – St Dominic, Class III 

Matins: Invitatory antiphon, hymn and chapter of a confessor; reading, responsory and collect of the feast.

Lauds: Antiphons and psalms of the day; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Benedictus antiphon of the Common of a confessor, MD (78) ff; collect of the feast, MD [211]. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common, MD (78). 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle of the Common, MD (82-3); collect of the feast, MD [211]. 

Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of the day; chapter, responsory and hymn of 1 Vespers of a confessor, MD (75) ff; versicle and Magnificat antiphon of 2 Vespers, MD (83); collect of the feast, MD [211].

Thursday 5 August – Class IV; Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, Memorial  

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 470*; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [211-2]. 

Friday 6 August – Transfiguration of Our Lord, Class II 

Matins: Three nocturns, all of the feast. 

Lauds: Festal psalms (of Sunday) with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [212] ff. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the feast, MD [212]. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD [214] ff. 

Vespers: Psalms of Sunday with antiphons of the feast, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [216] ff. 

Saturday 7 August – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady; SS Sixtus II, Felicissimus and Agapitus, Memorial 

Matins: Invitatory antiphon, hymn, versicles, absolution, blessings, responsory, chapter and collect of the Office of Our Lady on Saturday; reading of Saturday 1 of August. 

Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Office of Our Lady, MD (129) ff; for the commemoration, MD [219]. 

Prime: Antiphon of the Office of Our Lady, MD (131). 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the Office of Our Lady, MD (132-3). 

1 Vespers of the Second Sunday of August: Magnificat antiphon, MD 451*; collect of the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, MD 471*. 

Ordo 2022 = feedback and help wanted!

For those who use the PDF or book forms of the Ordo in particular, I am currently working on next year's edition, and would appreciate some feedback and help.

Feedback please

In terms of feedback, three questions.  

(1) Is there anything you would like me to consider changing about it in terms of format, size of book, etc?

(2) In terms of content, anything you would like added or removed either to the individual entries or front material? Did you like the listings of new saints for example, or does it require more information?

(3) Are there any mistakes or possible errors you detected that I haven't corrected?

Any other more general feedback on it is also appreciated.

Help wanted!

In terms of help, I will shortly be looking for anyone prepared to do some serious proofreading.

All levels of expertise and none can be useful. 

At this point I'm particularly interested in any one who feels reasonably confident in using the 'two tables' (Occurrence and concurrence) in the Diurnal (or breviary) as I've compiled a list of conflicts between feasts/days and how I think they should be treated, and would be glad of someone willing to do a cross-check for me.

But I am also looking for people who can do checks that nothing is missing or in the wrong place, formatting is consistent and so forth.

And there is a free Ordo in it for those who help (as well as treasure in heaven hopefully!).

Please do contact me via the comments option or email.

Ordo for the Ninth week after Pentecost, 2021

 Apologies - an earlier version of this post provided next week's post instead of this week's.

Notes on the Ordo for this week

The default collect for the week (the Ninth after Pentecost) can be found on pages 469* of the Monastic Diurnal.

Next Saturday's Vespers marks the start of a calendar month cycle in the Office for the Matins Scriptural readings.  As the Magnificat antiphon for Saturday Vespers follows the Matins reading cycle, it is found in a separate section of the ‘temporale’ to the collect for the relevant Sunday (which is linked to the Gospel cycle of the Mass).  You can find a more complete explanation of the reasons for this in my series on how the calendar works.

This year the feast of St James is reduced to a commemoration at Lauds.

There are two third class feasts this week SS Joachim and Anne on Monday, which has its own proper antiphons and so uses festal psalms at lauds and Vespers, and St Ignatius of Loyola.

THE ORDO

Sunday 25 July – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost; Commemoration of St James

Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 468-9*/AM 599-600; for the commemoration at Lauds, Benedictus antiphon and versicle, MD (11)/AM 624-5 and collect, MD [201]/AM 979. 

Monday 26 July – SS Joachim and Anne, Class III [EF: St Anne only]

Matins: Two nocturns with invitatory antiphon, hymn, reading, responsory, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Benedictus antiphon of the feast, MD [202]/AM 980 ff. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD [202]/AM 980. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD [204] ff/AM 983. 

Vespers: Antiphons of Lauds with psalms of Sunday; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [206-7]/AM 984. 

Tuesday 27 July – Class IV 

Wednesday 28 July – Class IV 

Thursday 29 July – Class IV; SS Felix, Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrice, Memorial 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [207-8]. 

Friday 30 July – Class IV; SS Abdon and Sennen, Memorial 

For the commemoration at Lauds MD [208]. 

Saturday 31 July – St Ignatius of Loyola, Class III 

Matins: Two nocturns with invitatory antiphon, hymn, chapter and versicle of a confessor; reading, responsory and collect of the feast. 

Lauds: Antiphons and psalms of the day, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Benedictus antiphon of the Common of a confessor, MD (78) ff; collect, MD [209]. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common, MD (78). 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle of the Common, MD (82-3); collect of the feast, MD [209]. 

1 Vespers of the First Sunday of August: Magnificat antiphon, MD 451*; collect of the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 470*.

On the Extraordinary Form Mass, the Benedictine Office, and enduring hardship

We woke up today to the purported abrogation of the right to freely say (for priests) or attend the Traditional Latin Mass, the ending of the rights clarified by Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae.

Does it apply to the Office?

For what it is worth though, the new Motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes, does not explicitly refer to the Office, and so it can be argued I think, that, consistent with the canonical principle that restrictions should be read narrowly, permissions broadly, these changes do not apply to the Divine Office.

But even if it does, for those who use the Benedictine office, my understanding is that the 1962 books remain the only actually approved official books of the Benedictine order. The 1975 Thesaurus and Offices developed from it by individual communities are based on the ad experimendum permissions granted to religious orders post Vatican II. So there is no official Benedictine Office of Pope Paul VI...

This means, I would suggest, that monasteries can continue to say the traditional Benedictine Office, and so too can oblates.

Assuming I am correct , that will be cold comfort if we are then denied access to the Traditional Mass that is so integrally linked with the Office.

What possible justification can there be for this action?

It is hard to understand what possible justification this attempted suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass (EF) could have.

In my own diocese, as in many, the Traditional Mass community is the most vibrant parish in the diocese, with the youngest demographic, and a wide range of charitable, catechetical and social activities.  

In my country (Australia) it is our two traditional monasteries that are attracting young people to test their vocations, while older monasteries with an ageing population of monks and nuns are either struggling to survive or actively winding down and turning over their apostolates to lay people.

So is the aim to see the collapse of Catholic practice altogether?

And how can there be an issue with 'church unity' around having different forms of the Mass in use?  

The Mass of Paul VI, after all, provides for multiple options, and is said in many languages; and what about the Eastern Rite churches, such as Maronite, Melkite, Ukrainian, Chaldean and Syro-Malabar?  Or will these too, next be required to say the mass only in English or perhaps Italian, and in the form of the Missal of Paul VI?

As for the claim that Traditional Mass attendees might reject the Second Vatican Council, again I call bullshit.  Many do of course legitimately debate the level of authority it has and even its relevance some fifty years on: it was after all, proclaimed to be a pastoral council, and the last decades have seen the world transformed.  But that is hardly a ground for suppressing a legitimate form of the Mass that has nourished so many saints down the ages!

On the face of it this legislation marks one last deaththrow of that ageing generation of 60s clericalists trying desperately in cement in a destructive cult that has done so much to harm the Church.

Practical problems

But regardless of its claimed rationale, the Motu Proprio does not seem to be very tightly drafted and it has some serious practical problems.  

If a bishop were to deign to give permission for the Extraordinary Form Mass to be said, for example, apparently it can't be done in a parish church.  

So just where is it to be said?!  

In some places I suppose cathedrals, monasteries and shrines may be an option, but are the rest of us to be banished to house Masses?  

Could that in itself not have perverse outcomes, diametrically opposed to what is surely intended!

And in other places, where bishops are not generous, this move will surely drive some into open schism.

Perhaps it is time. 

I for one am sick of going, as I occasionally or even regularly have had to do in the past, to a local Novus Ordo parish (since any Mass is better than none and for health and other reasons can't always get across to the other side of town for the TLM) and being shocked at the outright heretical things preached in sermons, and the liturgical abuses that continue to be perpetrated, often, it seems at the direct direction of the diocesan authorities.

In the early centuries of the Church, Catholics refused to attend Arian parishes, perhaps we should too?

The call to obedience?

I think we all need to think and pray through this, and let some time pass before we decide decisively how to react.

But as followers of St Benedict, I would suggest that our first instinct should still be to obedience, even  - perhaps especially - if it brings with it hardship and suffering.  

St Benedict's instructions on humility, after all, urge us to meet obedience even when we face difficulties and contradictions, and even injustice.  He tells us to hold to obedience, and neither tire or run away but endure all things, however contrary.

Rather than being dejected, we should be pleased that God is putting us to the test, for it he who fights and endures who will reap the reward.  As St Ambrose puts it in his commentary on Psalm 118:

"Victory is the ornament not of soft and pleasure-loving people, but of those who are toughened by hard toil and diligent exercise...[he who]  accepts sufferings for sins.  He is neither overcome by weariness nor broken by fear.  He does not faint from labour.  He is not ungrateful nor is he downhearted."

Let us remember those years St Benedict spent in the wilderness of Subiaco, not even knowing, until God sent a priest to him, that it was Easter Sunday: with the aid of our patron saint we can ensure.

But we must pray hard and work for this appalling legislation to be ignored by our bishops, and quickly overturned.

Ordo 21: Eighth week after Pentecost

 The notes below are intended to assist those wishing to say the Benedictine office according to the 1962 rubrics and calendar.  Note that the antiphons and other texts are currently of 'time throughout the year' (except where displaced by feasts as noted below).  The default collect for hours except Prime and Compline is that of the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.  

Sunday 18 July – Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

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

Lauds to Vespers: All as in the psalter with canticle antiphons and collect, MD 467-8*/AM 598-9. 

Monday 19 July – Class IV; St Vincent de Paul, Memorial 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467-8*/AM 598; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [195]/AM 973. 

Tuesday 20 July – Class IV; SS Jerome Aemiliani, Joseph Calanctius and John Baptist de la Salle, Memorial 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467-8*/AM 598; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [195-6]/AM 973. 

Wednesday 21 July – Class IV 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467-8*/AM 598. 

Thursday 22 July – St Mary Magdalen, Class III 

Matins: Two nocturns with invitatory antiphon, hymn, chapter and versicle of a Holy Woman; reading, responsory and collect of the feast. 

Lauds: Antiphons and psalms of the day; chapter and responsory of the Common of a holy woman, MD (100)/AM 684-5; hymn, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [196] ff/AM 976-7. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common, MD (100)/AM 684. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle of the Common of a holy woman, MD (103)/AM 689 ff; collect, MD [198]/AM 977. 

Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of the day; chapter and responsory of 1 Vespers of the Common of a holy woman, MD (97)/AM 684-5; hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [198] ff/AM 975&978. 

Friday 23 July – Class IV; St Apollinaris, Memorial  

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467-8*/AM 598; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [200]/AM 978. 

In some monasteries: Vespers of Our Lady. 

Saturday 24 July – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady

Matins: Invitatory antiphon, hymn, versicles, absolution, blessings, responsory, chapter and collect of the Office of Our Lady on Saturday; reading of Saturday 4&5 of July. 

Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Office of Our Lady, MD (129) /AM 714 ff. 

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 the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Magnificat antiphon and collect, MD 449*/AM 578&600.

Ordo: Seventh week after Pentecost

  The liturgical season, in the 1962 Benedictine calendar, is time throughout the year (after Pentecost).

Page references below are to the Farnborough editions of the Monastic Diurnal (MD), the 1934 Antiphonale Monasticum (AM), and Liber Responsorialis (LR). 

The key feast this week is that of St Benedict, which is reduced to a commemoration where it is a Class II feast.

Sunday 11 July – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Class II; Commemoration of the translation of the relics of St Benedict OR St Benedict, Class I (In Europe and many monasteries)

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

Lauds to Vespers: All as in the psalter with collect and canticle antiphons, MD 466-7*/AM 596-7; for the commemoration at Lauds only, MD [187-8]/AM 967. 

If the feast of St Benedict is Class I: 

Matins: Three nocturns with invitatory antiphon and hymn (LR 443), antiphons, versicles, readings and responsories and collect of the feast with psalms of the Common of a confessor. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect, MD [185]/AM 964 ff; commemoration of the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, MD 466-7*/AM 596-7. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the feast, MD [185]/AM 964. 

Terce to None: Antiphons, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD [188-9]/AM 967-8. 

2 Vespers of St Benedict: Psalms of Sunday (Ps 109 - 112) with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn and collect of 1 Vespers, MD [189]/AM 960 ff; versicle and Magnificat antiphon of 2 Vespers, MD [192-3]/AM 968-9; commemoration of the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, MD 466-7*/AM 596-7. 

Monday 12 July – Class IV, St John Gualbert OSB, Memorial 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467*/AM 597; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [193]/AM 969. 

Tuesday 13 July – Class IV 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 467*/AM 597. 

Wednesday 14 July – St Bonaventure, Class III 

Matins: Two nocturns, with invitatory antiphon and hymn from Common of a confessor bishop, LR 190; antiphons and psalms of the day; reading, responsory and collect of the feast; chapter and versicle of a confessor bishop. 

Lauds: Antiphons and psalms of the day; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Benedictus antiphon of the Common of a confessor bishop, MD (64)/AM 659 ff; collect of the feast, MD [193-4]/AM 970. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common, MD (64)/AM 657. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle of the Common, MD (67-8)/AM 662-3; collect of the feast, MD [193-4]/AM 970. 

Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of the day; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle of the Common of a confessor bishop, MD (62)/AM 654 ff; Magnificat antiphon of a doctor, MD (74)/AM 665-6; collect of the feast, MD [193-4]/AM 970. 

Thursday 15 July – Class IV [EF/Optional Class III: St Henry, Patron Saint of Benedictine Oblates] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467*/AM 597. 

Friday 16 July – Class IV 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467*/AM 597. 

In some monasteries: Vespers of Our Lady. 

Saturday 17 July – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady; St Leo IV OSB, Memorial 

Matins: Invitatory antiphon, hymn, versicles, absolution, blessings, responsory, chapter and collect of the Office of Our Lady on Saturday; reading of Saturday 3 of July. 

Lauds: 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 [194]/AM 972. 

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 the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Magnificat antiphon and collect, MD 467-8*/AM 578 & 598.