New to the Monastic Diurnal?

 

This just a quick reference post for those just starting out with the Monastic Diurnal.

Start simple - Prime and Compline

First, if you are new to the Benedictine Office, I'd strongly recommend starting with the hours of Prime (said in the morning, before work) and Compline (said in the evening, before bed) as these are the simplest of the hours, work well as morning and evening prayer, and are a great way to become familiar with how the Office works.

Lauds and Vespers are more complex, so unless you are already familiar with them, I'd suggest leaving them for later.

Learn how the books work

Secondly, it is worth investing some time upfront and make sure you know:

• where to find things in the book;
• the shorthand the diurnal uses - the book doesn't always write things out in full, so be aware of some of the tricks and traps!

If you are completely new to the Office, start with my Office basics series.

Otherwise, take a look at the notes for each hour, and read the notes on the individual components of each hour if you want or need to.

Use an Ordo

Thirdly, even if you are expert, use an Ordo to make sure you know which Sunday of the year it is, and feasts or days you should (or could) be marking in the Office each day.

There are a few choices around.  Particularly if you an absolute beginner, I'd suggest taking a look at the one I produce, which is available from Lulu in PDF, Epub and book form (next liturgical year's should be available in early November) as it provides detailed instructions for each day of the year, including page numbers.

Alternatively, if you can read Latin, you can use the Ordo on the Divinum Officium website (choose the Monastic 1963 option).  It doesn't provide detailed instructions, but you can cross-check with its presentations of the relevant hours.  Note though that it does occasionally contain errors and/or follow pre-1963 rubrics/texts.

If you are an oblate of a monastery you should also check out if they make an Ordo available  - Le Barroux publishes its on its website.

Read St Benedict's instructions on the Office in the Rule

I would also strongly recommend reading the chapters in the Rule that describe the Benedictine Office (chapters 8 - 19) - its good to know how much continuity there is, but also to get a sense of what Benedictines regard as pretty much fixed (viz the basic structure of the hours and the ferial psalms said at them), and what has developed over time.

Ask questions

If you get struck, you can either ask questions through the comments section on the blog, or by joining the Traditional Benedictine Office group (note though that this is not for Benedictine spirituality more generally, it is strictly for the Office), or the more general Breviary and Divine Office Discussion Group on facebook.

More to come

For those who want a bit more guidance, I will post a few notes on each hour focusing on tips and traps, and with links to more detailed notes, over the next week or so.