Ordo for December 2023

The notes below provide a liturgical calendar and brief notes for the day hours of the Benedictine office according to the 1960 rubrics and general calendar.   More detailed notes, including Matins, and cross-references to the EF calendar and those of selected monasteries can be purchased in PDF or paperback form from Lulu.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 

 

AM                               Antiphonale Monasticum, Solesmes, 1934. 

Canticle antiphons         In reference to Lauds and Vespers, refers to the Benedictus and Magnificat respectively.  At Matins, it refers to the third nocturn canticles of Matins used for Sundays and feasts. 

EF                                Extraordinary Form (1962 Roman Calendar) 

Festal psalms               a) At Lauds: Psalm 66, 92, 99, 62, Sunday or festal canticle of the day of the week, Psalms 148-150; 

(b) At Vespers: The psalms of Sunday or of a particular types of saints/feast (ie of one of the ‘Commons’), or specific to the feast; and

(c) At Matins: For the type of saint/feast (ie of the Commons) or specific to the feast. 

ff                                  And following pages. 

LH                                Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983. 

LR                                Liber Responsorialis, Solesmes, 1895. 

MB                               Breviarium Monasticum Summorum Pontificum Cura Recognitum Pro Omnibus Sub Regula S. P. Benedicti Militantibus, 2 vols, Marietti, Rome, 1963. 

MD                               Monastic Diurnal, Farnborough, 2005 and later editions. 

NM                               Nocturnale Monasticum, Le Barroux, 2022. 

OF                                Ordinary Form (Roman 2002). 

SupAnt                         Supplement to the Antiphonale Monasticum, Fontgombault (Clear Creek). 

**                              Indicates a feast celebrated in some places only, for which texts for feast available in supplement at the back of the Monastic Diurnal (page numbers with **).

The Office during Advent, up to December 16

 Tomus Prior of the Monastic Breviary (MB) 1963 is used from I Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent. 

The season of Advent falls into two parts, the first of which extends from the First Sunday of Advent up to December 16. 

The ordinary days of Advent are of the third class (Class III). The default collects (for hours other than Prime and Compline) are from the previous Sunday. 

On Sundays: 

·         There are ‘proper’ texts for all hours, set out in the Proper of the Season (temporale) section of the Farnborough edition of the Monastic Diurnal (MD) or Breviary (MB) for the relevant Sunday; and

·         At Matins, the antiphons and Nocturn III canticles are of Advent, set out in the psalter section of the MB and NM. 

On weekdays: 

·         At Matins the Invitatory antiphon, hymn, versicles and chapter are of the Ordinary of Advent, MB 14/NM 14-5 ff;

·         At Matins the (three) readings are of the Advent day (ie Monday in the first week of Advent, etc);

·         At Lauds and Vespers the chapter, hymn, responsory and versicle are of the Ordinary of Advent (MB 15 ff/MD 9* ff), which can be found in the temporale section of your Office book (note: ignore the ‘throughout the year’ texts in the psalter section of your Office book);

·         Lauds and Vespers have Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons for each day of the relevant week of Advent;

·         At Prime to None the antiphons are taken from the relevant Sunday of Advent (MB 16 ff/ MD 13*ff); and

·         At Terce to None, the chapter and versicle are of Advent (set out in the psalter section of your Office book). 

On feast days, a commemoration of Advent, consisting of (in order) the canticle antiphon (of the Advent day) and versicle (of the season) for the relevant hour, as well as the collect of the Advent week or Ember Day, is made at both Lauds and Vespers. 

 THE ORDO

 

Friday 1 December – Class IV (Week of the Twenty--fourth Sunday after Pentecost/Fifth Sunday of November) 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 487*/AM 618; Matins readings of the fifth week of November, NM 589. 

2 December – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady; St Peter Chrysologus, Memorial 

Office of Our Lady on Saturday, MD (129) /AM 714 ff; for the commemoration, MD [8-9]/AM 759. 

START OF ADVENT 

1 Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent: MD 1*/AM 186 ff.

Compline: Marian antiphon Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265-6/AM 173-4 or 178-9 henceforward. 

3 December – First Sunday of Advent, Class I

 [The feast of St Francis Xavier is not marked in the Office this year.] 

All of the First Sunday of Advent, MD 4*/AM 187 ff. 

4 December – Monday in the first week of Advent, Class III 

Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 183 ff; antiphons for Prime to None of week I; canticle antiphons for Lauds and Vespers of Monday in the first week of Advent, MD 17*/AM 191; collect (of Sunday), MD 11*/AM 189. 

5 December – Tuesday in the first week of Advent, Class III 

Ordinary of Advent; antiphons at Prime to None of week 1; canticle antiphons at Lauds and Vespers, MD 18*/AM 191-2; collect, MD 11*/AM 189. 

6 December – Wednesday in the first week of Advent, Class III; St Nicholas, Memorial 

Canticle antiphons at Lauds and Vespers, MD 18*/AM 192-3; collect, MD 11*/AM 189; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [9-10]/AM 760. 

Thursday 7 December – St Ambrose, Class III 

Lauds: Psalms and antiphons of the day, rest from the Common of a Confessor Bishop, MD (64)/AM 659 ff; collect of the feast, MD [10]/AM 760; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 18*/AM 193, versicle and collect, MD 11*/AM 189.

 Prime to None: Antiphons etc from the Common, MD (67-8)/AM 662-3. 

1 Vespers of the Immaculate Conception, MD [11]/AM 761 ff, with a commemoration of the Advent day. 

Friday 8 December – The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Class 

All of the feast with a commemoration of the Advent day at lauds and Vespers, MD [13]/AM 763 ff. 

9 December – Saturday in the first week of Advent, Class III 

Ordinary of Advent; Matins readings of Saturday in the first week of Advent, NM 24-5; antiphons at Prime to None of week 1; collect (Sunday I), MD 11*/AM 189; at Lauds, Benedictus antiphon, MD 19*/AM 194. 

I Vespers of the Second Sunday of Advent: Psalms of Saturday; antiphons, chapter and collect of Sunday Advent 2; hymn and short responsory of the Ordinary of Advent, MD 19*/AM 194 ff. 

10 December – Second Sunday of Advent, Class I

 All as for the Second Sunday of Advent, MD 22*/AM 195 ff. 

11 December – Monday in the second week of Advent, Class III; St Damasus, Memorial 

Lauds: Chapter etc of Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 183 ff; Benedictus antiphon, MD 26-7*/AM 199; collect, MD 11*/AM 198; for the commemoration, MD [17-8]/AM 768. 

Prime: Antiphon for Advent week 2 (Antiphon I of Sunday Lauds), MD 13*/AM 195. 

Terce to None: Antiphon of Advent week 2 (AM 195-7); chapter and versicle for Advent, as in the psalter or MD 13* ff; collect, MD 11*/AM 198. 

Vespers: Chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle of the Ordinary of Advent, MD 15*/AM 181 ff; Magnificat antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200; collect of the Sunday, MD 11*/AM 198.  

12 December – Tuesday in the second week of Advent, Class III 

Ordinary of Advent; antiphons at Prime to None of week 2; canticle antiphons at Lauds and Vespers, MD 27*/AM 200; collect (Sunday 2 of Advent), MD 11*/AM 198. 

Wednesday 13 December – St Lucy, Class III 

All of the feast, with commemoration of the Advent day at Lauds and Vespers, MD [18]/AM 769 ff. 

14 December – Thursday in the second week of Advent, Class III 

15 December – Friday in the second week of Advent, Class III 

16 December – Saturday in the second week of Advent, Class III 

Lauds to None: Ordinary of Advent; antiphons at Prime to None of week 2; canticle antiphon at Lauds, MD 28*/AM 203; collect (Sunday II), MD 11*/AM 198. 

1 Vespers of Third Sunday in Advent: Antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and collect, MD 28*/AM 203 ff.

 The Office in Advent between December 17 and 23

The days between December 17 and 23 are Class II days, and reflecting this, the liturgy intensifies. 

At Matins there is a proper Invitatory antiphon for the season (Prope est, NM 14). 

At Lauds to Vespers a set of antiphons for the psalms for each day of the week are used, set out at MD 37*/AM 212 ff. 

At Lauds the Benedictus antiphons are normally of the relevant Advent day, but there are specific antiphons said on December 21 and 23. 

At Vespers, the 'O Antiphons' (MD 35-6*/AM 208 ff) are sung with the Magnificat, displacing the Magnificat antiphon of the Advent day. 

17 December – Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday), Class I

All as for the Third Sunday of Advent, MD 31*/AM 204 ff; at Vespers, Magnificat antiphon O Sapientia, MD 35*/AM 208. 

18 December – Monday in the third week of Advent, Class II 

Lauds to Vespers:

• Antiphons for the psalms (Monday in the period Dec 17-23), MD 37*/AM 212-3;
• Chapter, hymn, responsory and versicle as for the Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 181 ff;
• Canticle antiphons: Benedictus antiphon, MD 41-2*/AM 220; Magnificat, O Adonai, MD 35*/AM 209; and
• Collect (for hours other than Prime and Compline) of Sunday, MD 11*/AM 221.

 19 December – Tuesday in the Third Week of Advent, Class II 

Lauds to Vespers:

• Antiphons: MD 37-8*/AM 213-4;
• Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle as for the Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 181 ff;
• Canticle antiphons: Benedictus, MD 42*/AM 221; Magnificat antiphon, O radix Iesse, MD 36*/AM 209; and
• Collect: MD 11*/AM 221. 

20 December – Ember Wednesday in the third week of Advent, Class II 

Lauds to Vespers:

• Antiphons for the psalms (Wednesday in the period Dec 17-23), MD 38-9*/AM 215-6;
• Chapter, hymn, responsory and versicle as for the Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 181 ff;
• Canticle antiphons: Benedictus antiphon, MD 42*/AM 222; Magnificat, O Clavis David, MD 36*/AM 210; and
• Collect (for hours other than Prime and Compline) of the Ember Day, MD 12* or 42-3*/AM 223. 

Thursday 21 December – St Thomas, Class II 

All of the feast, see MD [22-3]/AM 774..  At Lauds, for the commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon (Nolite timere), MD 43*/AM 219, versicle, MD 11*/AM 185; and collect, MD 11*/AM 221; at Vespers,

antiphon, O Oriens, MD 36*/AM 210, versicle, MD 17*/AM 183, and collect, MD 11*/AM 223. 

22 December – Ember Friday in the third week of Advent, Class II 

Lauds to Vespers:

• Antiphons for the psalms: MD 39-40*/AM 217-8;
• Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle as for the Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 181 ff;
• Canticle antiphons: Benedictus, MD 44*/AM 224; Magnificat antiphon, O Rex Gentium, MD 36*/AM 211; and
• Collect of the Ember Day: MD 12* or 44*/AM 224. 

23 December – Ember Saturday in the third week of Advent, Class II 

Lauds to None:

• Antiphons for the psalms: MD 40*/AM 1* ff (omitting the third);
• Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle as for the Ordinary of Advent, MD 9*/AM 181 ff; and
• Benedictus antiphon Ecce completa, MD 45*/AM 220; collect of the Ember Day, MD 44-5*/AM 225. 

1 Vespers for the Fourth Sunday of Advent: Psalms of Saturday, MD 45*/AM 226 ff; Magnificat antiphon, O Emmanuel, MD 36*/AM 211. 

Sunday 24 December – Vigil of the Nativity, Class I

 Lauds to None: All of the Vigil, of the Vigil, MD 54*/AM 232 ff. 

1 Vespers of the Nativity of Our Lord, MD 58*/AM 236 ff. 

Compline: Marian antiphon Alma Redemptoris Mater and versicle with collect for December 24 (Post partum), MD 265-6/AM 174-5 henceforward. 

The Office during Nativitytide

The season of the Nativity lasts from 1 Vespers of Christmas Day until January 13, and falls into four parts: the Vigil and feast of the Nativity; the Octave of the Nativity; the days from January 2 to 5; and the season of Epiphanytide. The texts for the Vigil and feast are proper to it. 

Monday 25 December – The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas), Class I 

All of the feast, MD 61*/AM 240 ff. 

Tuesday 26 December – St Stephen, Protomartyr, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity 

MD 83*/AM 250 ff. 

Wednesday 27 December – St John the Evangelist, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity 

MD 90*/AM 255 ff. 

Thursday 28 December – Holy Innocents, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity 

MD 97*/AM 260 ff 

Friday 29 December – Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II 

MD 103* 

Saturday 30 December – Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II 

Lauds to None: MD 103* 

Vespers: MD 75*/AM 265 ff. 

31 December –– Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II

 [The feast of St Sylvester is not marked in the Office this year.] 

Lauds to None: MD 77* ff/AM 266. 

1 Vespers of the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord, MD 104*/AM 270 ff; no commemoration of the Sunday.