This week in the Office....

The coming week is the second of Advent, and you can find Ordo notes for it here.

And don't forget that if you would like more detailed notes  on how to say the Benedictine Office for each day of the liturgical year, you can purchase the Ordo from Lulu.

This week features a number of important feasts, including:

• St Nicolas (Dec 6);
  
• St Ambrose (Dec 7);
  
• the Immaculate Conception (Dec 8); and
  
• St Damasus (Dec 11).
  

Note that for a third class feast of a saint, as for St Ambrose, the default rubrics are that at Lauds and Vespers the antiphons and psalms are of the day of the week, but all the other texts are taken from the relevant Common.  At Prime to None, however, the antiphons are also taken from the Common.

In addition, when the Advent day is displaced by a feast, a commemoration of the day is made at both Lauds and Vespers, using the relevant canticle antiphon, versicle and collect.

Accordingly, the full notes in the printed Ordo for Tuesday December 7 this year are as follows:

Tuesday 7 December – St Ambrose, Class III 

Matins: Two nocturns, with invitatory, hymn, chapter and versicle of a Confessor Bishop; readings 1&2 of the Advent day (combine readings 2&3, omit responsory 2); reading 3, responsory and collect of the feast. 

Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Benedictus antiphon of the Common of a Confessor Bishop, MD (64)/AM 659 ff; collect of the feast, MD [10]/AM 760; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200, versicle and collect, MD 11*/AM 198. 

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 [10]/AM 760. 

1 Vespers of the Immaculate Conception: Festal psalms of the BVM (Ps 109, 112, 121 & 126), MD (119); antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect, MD [11]/AM 761 ff; for the commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200, versicle, MD 17*/AM 183; and collect, MD 11*/AM 198.