In the last part of this mini-series on Matins, I suggested starting focusing first on what you will find in the psalter section/ book you are using, rather than worrying about feasts and readings, and gave some starting points on the opening section of the hour and the daily psalmody.
In this post though, I want to focus primarily on the parts of Matins that differ in structure from the other hours, most particularly the readings.
Our Father, absolution, blessing(s)
The first significant difference is that immediately after the versicle of the day or season in each Nocturn of Sunday, and Nocturn I on weekdays, the Our Father is said followed by an absolution formula, which is set out in the psalter section for each day of the week (and usually summarised elsewhere in the book as well ).
There are also three absolution formulas (and an additional one for Saturdays of Our Lady) said immediately after the Pater Noster in each Nocturn on Sundays, and then rotated through during the week at Nocturn I.
The blessings for the readings
Each nocturn on Sundays, and Nocturn I on weekdays then has one or more readings, each of which repeats exactly the same structure, used whether in choir or said alone, exactly as written:
- a request for a blessing (Jube, domne, benedicere/Pray Lord give a blessing);
- the blessing;
- the reading, concluding with the formula Tu autem Domine, miserere nobis. Deo gratias;
- a responsory.
Most of these can generally be found in the psalter section of your Office book, but note that the Gower book places the absolutions and blessings used for days with three or twelve readings towards the end of the book on pages 191 (for Sundays and Class I&II feasts) and pages 192-3 for days with three readings.
The readings and responsories
The key 'new' element of Matins though, compared to the other hours is the readings and responsories.
On weekdays in Eastertide these are just one fixed short reading and short responsory; from Pentecost the short readings and short responsories are for the day of the week (or for Saturday of Our Lady).
On Sundays and 'winter' weekdays however, Matins basically follows a Scriptural reading cycle that can be found in the 'temporale' section of the breviary (or the separate books for different parts of the year in the case of the Gower books).
The reading cycle is is arranged (loosely) around salvation history, starting with Genesis (from Septuagesima Sunday), and ending with the Pauline letters in Epiphanytide.
Each book of the Bible (or group of books) also has one (or more sets in the case of Lent when Genesis is read, and Advent, for the Prophets) of responsories that are used in conjunction with the readings of the day.
Finding the readings and responsories...
On Sundays:
- the first Nocturn readings are typically from Scripture;
- Nocturn II are patristic commentaries related to the Nocturn I readings; and
- Nocturn III are homilies related to the Gospel of that Sunday (ie the Gospel said at the Extraordinary Form Mass).
From Advent until Pentecost, the readings for all three Nocturns are associated with the relevant Sunday of the year, and so can be found in one place in the 'temporale' section of your book (or separate book for the time of the year).
Between August and November, however, the Nocturn I&II readings are of the calendar month, so are in a separate section of the temporale.
The responsories for all three Nocturns, though, relate to the Nocturn I Scriptural book being read, so the same set may be reused over several Sundays.
Accordingly, some books don't repeat all of the responsories each time they are used. Instead, they either place them:
- with the Ordinary of the season; and/or
- from August to November (when the readings are of the calendar month rather than fixed to the Sunday after Pentecost), immediately after the readings and responsories for Nocturn II (in the case of the breviary and Le Barroux Nocturnale); or
- in a separate section to the readings (in the Gower books).
Note also that the responsories follow a different pattern to the short responsories of the day hours, so make sure you can decrypt them from the abbreviated form used in most Office books.
The conclusion of the hour
At the other end of the hour, immediately after the last antiphon on weekdays, a chapter and verse is said, usually of the season. The concluding prayers are said in exactly the same way as the other hours, with the collect for the week or day inserted (both the Gower book and Brignoles Psalter include all of the Sunday collects to save you having to look in another book for them).
In most books, the various chapters for seasons and saints' feasts are placed under each day of the week before the concluding prayers. In the Gower books, only that for time Throughout the year is placed there; those for seasons and feasts can be found from page 141 (for feasts of types of saints) and seasons (from page 149).
On Sundays however, the concluding structure is completely different, with the Te Deum, Gospel (of the Sunday), Te decet laus and collect, so worth studying carefully.
And you can find more detailed notes on all of these topics here.
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