Just a quick reminder that this week marks the start of Lent, so it is time to start preparing if you haven't already!
The Office from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before the first Sunday of Lent
Although Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, this period was something of a later add-on to Lent to make up the correct number of days (given that Sundays are not counted for fasting and other purposes).
The Office continues to be said as during the season of Septuagesima, with the following modifications:
- there are Patristic readings at Matins;
- there are canticle antiphons for Lauds and Vespers each day of the week; and
- two collects are provided for each day, the first used from Matins to None (omitting Prime), the second at Vespers only.
Under the 1960 rubrics, Class III feasts are reduced to a commemoration at Lauds only. However, permission has since been given to say them as Class III feasts on an optional basis, and so the notes below generally provide the Class III option as the default.
This is also a good time, I think, to reread Chapter 49 of the Rule of St Benedict, on the observance of Lent (take a look also at chapters 41 and 48).
I've also written a couple of posts drawing out its application which you can find here:
- on sacred reading during Lent (read a book right through);
- refrain from sin and apply ourselves to prayer;
- fasting and abstinence.
Praying the Psalms in Lent
If you are looking for something extra by way of prayer for Lent, I plan to provide a series of notes on the psalms over at Psallam Domino blog, focusing mainly on Psalms 141 and 147.
You could also look at some of my past Lent series on:
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