A quick guide to Terce to None

Continuing my series of summary notes on the hours, this time aimed at helping you say the hours of Terce, Sext and None of the Benedictine Office with confidence using the Monastic Diurnal.

What are Terce, Sext and None?

The names of these hours refer to the third hour of the day (ie mid-morning), the sixth hour (noon) and ninth hour (mid-afternoon).

These hours are very ancient indeed, mentioned several times in the Old Testament, making the decision to require only one of the three to be said in the 'Liturgy of the Hours' very difficult to understand indeed.

And in the Benedictine Office, they are structured around the theme of ascent, with each of the these hours from Sunday to Tuesday broadly corresponding to one of the degrees of humility in St Benedict's schema (the missing two steps are represented by the Gradual Psalm(s) said at Monday and Tuesday Vespers).

Where to find the hours in your book

Sunday Terce is located in the Diurnal after Sunday Prime (which comes after Saturday Lauds in the psalter section) and the sequence continues from there.

Sunday and Monday have their own 'psalms' (section of Psalm 118), from Tuesday to Saturday the first nine of the Gradual Psalms are said at these hours.

Structure and page numbers for Terce, Sext and None

The basic structure of these three hours is very similar to Prime - a hymn (the same each day of the week), followed by three psalms said under one antiphon, then a chapter (short reading), versicle and the standard closing section (starting Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison).

The key difference is that not only the antiphon, but also the chapter, versicle and collect can change.

 

TERCE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn (Nunc Sancte)	MD 151	MD 162	MD 183
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast (on feasts, usually antiphon 2 of Lauds).
Psalms	MD 152	MD 164	MD 184
Antiphon	Of the day, season or feast.
Chapter
Versicle
Closing prayers	MD 154-5 with of the week, day or feast (see weekly Ordo).

SEXT	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn (Rector Potens)	MD 155-6	MD 169-70	MD 183
Antiphon	Of the season, day or feast (on feasts, usually antiphon 3 of Lauds).
Psalms	MD 156	MD 171	MD 191
Antiphon	Of the day, season or feast.
Chapter
Versicle
Closing prayers	MD 154-5 with collect of the week, day or feast.

 

NONE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn (Rerum Deus)	MD 159	MD 176	MD 196
Antiphon	Of the day, season or feast (on feasts, usually antiphon 5 of Lauds).
Psalms	MD 160	MD 178	MD 198
Antiphon	Of the day, season or feast.
Chapter
Versicle
Closing prayers	MD 154-5 with collect of the week, day or feast.

You can find more detailed notes on how to say these hours here. 

Tips and traps for Terce, Sext and None

On feasts, the antiphons for these hours are usually those of the second antiphon of Lauds for Terce, the third for sext and the fifth (not the fourth) for None.

The chapter for Terce is usually also said at Lauds and Vespers, but with a versicle instead of the short responsory.

The 'default' collect (unless displaced by a feast or other special day) is that of the previous Sunday.