As promised a few notes on how to say Benedictine Matins.
Today, a quick overview of the differences to the Roman Office version of Matins, and then a quick look at the two basic forms of Benedictine Matins. In the next post I will provide a quick start guide to the moving parts that you need to keep an eye out for, particularly for feasts and special days.
1953 vs 1963
I am of course providing notes in the context of 1963 breviary’s calendar and rubrics.
But, with two exceptions (relating to the opening of the hour and the commemoration of feasts displaced by another three Nocturn Office), as far as I am aware Benedictine Matins did not actually change in structure over the twentieth century.
The only substantive content changes, as far as I am aware, are very minor (to a few readings).
The changes that did affect it relate primarily to additions and omissions from the calendar, changes to the rankings of some feasts, and rules of precedence.
Accordingly, if you want to add back feasts, or give them a higher ranking than their 1960 one using the supplement in the new reprint of the Monastic Breviary, you should find these instructions will still work for this purpose.
How you approach learning Matins basically depends on your starting point.
If you have been using
the day hours of the monastic Office using the Diurnal, focus on the components
of the hour that aren’t common to the other hours, as well as on how feasts of
various levels impact on Matins.
If you are familiar with the Roman (1911 - 1962) Office, you have a huge head-start on everyone else, so just focus on the differences between the two.
Swapping from Roman 1962?
That said, Benedictine Matins has long puzzled commentators, because it looks quite different, in many respects to the Roman version of the hour. Over time, some of those differences have been erased, but they do still look quite different.
I’ll come back to the historical differences and possible reasons for them in a later post, but for now, if you are used to the 1962 Roman Office, be warned that overall, the Benedictine Office is much longer than the Roman (post 1910), and that is especially true on feast days.
There are three main reasons for the extra length.
First, the psalmody is longer. The Roman Office of Pius X divides a lot more psalms, and into smaller chunks. Psalm 77 in the Roman Office for example is split into six sections, but in the Benedictine, it is only divided in two.
Secondly, on Sundays, there are twelve readings and responsories, not three (or if you have been using an earlier version of the Roman Office, eight). Sundays also have an extra Nocturn of canticles, on top of the usual twelve psalms, as well as several other extra components.
Some of the other key differences you may notice are that:
- there is an extra invitatory psalm, Psalm 3;
- where the Roman hour starts on Psalm 1, St Benedict starts at Psalm 20;
- during ‘summer’ Benedictine Matins has only a short reading and responsory of the day of the week, while the Roman has three readings and responsories throughout the year; and
- on Sundays the Gospel of the Sunday or feast is read at the end of Matins.
As the table below shows, Benedictine Matins basically comes in two forms: the three Nocturn Office used on Sundays and major feasts; and the two nocturn version said on weekdays throughout the year, as well as on Class III feasts.
Both forms of Matins have an identical opening section (in earlier breviaries, an Ave, Pater and Credo are also said, as is the Deus in adjutorium), which is then followed by twelve psalms spread between two Nocturns.
There are three key differences between the two forms, relating to the number of readings, the number of Nocturns, and the concluding section used on Sundays and major feasts.
First, on weekdays, there is only either one reading (from Easter to November) or three readings (the rest of the year) in Nocturn I, plus a short chapter appropriate to the season or feast at the end of Nocturn II. On Sundays and major feasts, by contrast, each Nocturn has four readings and responsories.
Secondly, on Sundays an extra Nocturn consisting of canticles )for the season or feast) is added.
And thirdly, Sundays and major feasts have a much longer concluding section, including two hymns and the recitation of the Gospel for the Sunday or feast.
|
SECTION OF THE HOUR |
WEEKDAYS/CLASS III FEASTS |
SUNDAYS AND FEASTS |
|
OPENING SECTION |
Domine mea labia aperies…*3 Ps 3 Invitatory antiphon with Psalm
94 Hymn |
|
|
NOCTURN I |
6 psalms with 1 or 3 antiphons Versicle Our Father Absolution |
6 psalms with 1, 3 or 6
antiphons Versicle Our Father Absolution |
|
READINGS FOR NOCTURN I |
Blessings with 1 or 3 readings
and responsories |
Blessings with 4 readings and
responsories |
|
NOCTURN 2 |
6 psalms with 1 or 3 antiphons |
6 psalms with 1, 3 or 6
antiphons Versicle Our Father Absolution |
|
READINGS WITH NOCTURN 2 |
Short chapter and versicle for
season or feast |
Blessings with 4 readings and
responsories |
|
NOCTURN 3 |
NA |
Antiphon and three canticles Versicle Our Father Absolution |
|
READINGS FOR NOCTURN 3 |
na |
Blessings with 4 readings and
responsories |
|
CONCLUDING SECTION |
As per days hours, Kyrie,
Pater, collect, concluding blessing |
Te Deum Gospel Te decet laus Collect Concluding formula if separated
from Lauds |
If you are familiar with the day hours of the Benedictine Office, a lot of this will already familiar. But Matins does have several components that will be new to you, such as Psalm 94 which is said responsorially (with a repeated refrain) rather than antiphonally, the use of blessings, the use of responsories with the readings, and more.
So if you are planning on saying the hour, I’d urge you to take a look at my more detailed notes on the hour which you can find here.
But if you just want to cut to the chase, in my next post I’ll provide a quick guide to the moving parts, and what to look out for.
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