Quick start guide to the Monastic Diurnal

This page provides a 'quick start' guide to the Monastic Diurnal. More detailed notes on how to say the Benedictine Office can be found here.


Using the Monastic Diurnal 


TOPIC

KEY POINT

 

Layout of the Diurnal

 

Page numbering

 

Each section of the Diurnal is page numbered separately, so you need to pay attention to  [], *, etc to know which section you are in. 

 

Order of Psalter section

 

In order (broadly) of psalm numbers, not hours

 

Sunday Prime, Sunday and Monday Terce-None 

 

Located after Saturday Lauds

 

Versions of prayers for use by laypeople/Office vs with priests

 

At Compline, use second version of Confiteor (no repetition) unless you are saying it with a priest.

Use Domine exaudi orationem meam, not Dominus vobiscum

(for example in closing prayers of each hour)

 

‘Opening’ prayers

 

Said at all hours, even where book does not note this (but in middle of Compline).

Seasonal variation for Septuagint and Lent (Laus tibi…instead of Alleluia)

(Deus in adjutorium…/Gloria Patri.../Alleluia)

Written out in full at beginning of psalter section (MD 1), but abbreviated thereafter

 

Antiphon(s)

 

Said in full before and after a psalm, group of psalms or canticle

 

Psalms

 

Gloria Patri…is added to the end of all psalms unless otherwise indicated

 

Hymns

 

Always end in amen (with alleluia added during Eastertide)

 

Chapters

 

Always end in (response) ‘Deo Gratias’

 

Responsory (Lauds and Vespers)

 

Abbreviated form in Diurnal needs to be filled out; note no ‘sicut erat…’

 

Concluding prayers

Litany (Kyrie eleison) one repetition of each set of words only, not triple as at Mass

Note: do not use Dominus vobiscum, as above

Need to add correct conclusion to collect (see conclusions to the collects in front matter)


 Key rubrics 


Commemorations

Commemorations are made immediately after the collect of the day or feast, and normally consist of the canticle antiphon that would have been said at the relevant hour; the versicle of the feast, season or day; and the collect of the feast, season or day being commemorated.  Where a Memorial (commemoration) falls on a Sunday, it is not marked in the Office that year. 

Our Lady on Saturday 

The Office of Our Lady is said on all Saturdays not displaced by Class III or higher days or feasts.  The Ordinary texts for the Office of Our Lady on Saturday can be found at MD (129) ff. 

The Lauds festal and ferial canticles 

The canticles traditionally used at Lauds are the ancient set labelled ‘ferial’ in the psalter, together with the Benedicite for Sundays and higher level feasts.  The use of the daily Lauds festal canticles is entirely optional. 


Quick reference guides to the hours


LAUDS


 LAUDS
 Sunday (except seasons when festal psalms used)
Weekdays/minor feasts
Festal (Class III feasts with proper antiphons, Class I&II feasts, Sundays in certain seasons)
Opening prayers
                                
                                 As for all the hours

Invitatory psalm
                                   Psalm 66
Antiphon 1


of the day, season or feast

of the feast or from the Common

                                    Psalm 50
Psalm 92 (MD 44/AM 28)

Antiphon1/Antiphon 2
none
of the day, season or feast
of the feast or from the Common
Psalm
of the day of the week
Ps 99 (MD 44/AM 28)

Antiphon 2/Antiphon3
none
of the day, season or feast
of the feast or from the Common
Psalm
of the day of the week
Ps 62 (MD 44/AM 28)

Antiphon 3/Antiphon 4

of the day, season or feastof the feast or from the Common
OT Canticle
Canticle of the three young men (Benedicite)
Ferial or festal canticle of the day of the week 
Canticle of the three young men

Antiphon 4/Antiphon 5

of the day, season or feastof the feast or from the Common
Laudate psalms
Psalm 148+Psalm 149+Psalm 150+Gloria

Antiphon 5

of the day, season or feastof the feast or from the Common

PRIME

KEY WORDS
OFFICE COMPONENT (with links to rubrics notes)
NOTES
PAGE NUMBERS
Deus in adjutorium/O Lord come to my aid

Opening prayers
Stand, +, bow for first half of doxology; note that the Alleluia is not said from Septuagesima til the end of Lent
MD/AM 1

Note: Said each day, even though the books do not explicitly indicate this.

Iam lucis orto sidere/Now that the daylight fills the sky

Hymn
Chants used vary depending on day, season or feast
MD/AM 1-2;
MD 146-7, AM 81-2
[Antiphon of the day, season or feast]
Antiphon

 [It depends]

Psalms of the day of the week

Start of psalms:

Sunday: MD 146/AM 83

Monday: MD/AM 3

Tuesday: MD 10/AM 12

Wednesday: MD 16/AM 15

Thursday: MD 21/AM 17

Friday: MD 25/AM 19

Saturday: MD 32/AM 22

[Repeat antiphon]
Antiphon
Stand until the end of the hour.
 [It depends]

Regi saeculorum/To the King

Chapter


AM provides an alternative verse for use on some occasions, but this is not used in the 1962 Office

Note that Deo Gratias is added to the end.

 MD 7/AM 6
Exsurge Christe/Arise O Christ

Versicle 

 MD 7/AM 6
Kyrie eleison/Christ have mercy
Closing prayers, including fixed collect
If using Antiphonale omit preces, jump to bottom of AM 8 and end on that page).

Bow for Pater Noster and collect.

Said kneeling during Lent.
 MD 8-9/AM 6 , 8

TERCE

            TERCE
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday to Saturday
                            MD 1
                            AM 1
Hymn (Nunc Sancte)
MD 151
AM 84
MD 162
AM 93
MD 183
AM 108

Antiphon
Of the season, day, date or feast

MD 152
AM 86
MD 164
AM 95
MD 184
AM 110

Antiphon
 Of the season, day, date or feast


 MD 154-5 - as per Prime and the other hours, but with the Collect of the season, day, date or feast



            SEXT
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday to Saturday
                            MD 1/AM 1

Hymn (Rector Potens)
MD 155
AM 87
MD 169
AM 98
MD 183
AM 113

Antiphon
Of the season, day, date or feast

MD 156
AM 89
MD 171
AM 100
MD 191
AM 115

Antiphon
 Of the season, day, date or feast


 MD 154-5 with collect of the season, day, date or feast




            NONE
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers
                            MD 1

Hymn (Rerum Deus)
MD 159
AM 90
MD 176
AM 103
MD 196
AM 118

Antiphon
Of the season, day, date or feast

Psalms
MD 160
AM 91
MD 178
AM 105
MD 198
AM 120

Antiphon
 Of the season, day, date or feast


Chapter
Versicle 
Closing prayers
 MD 154-5 with collect of the season, day, date or feast



 Office component
‘Default’ texts
Rubrics and other notes
MD 1/AM 1
Stand, +

Sunday, MD 203/AM 125
Monday - MD 212/AM 132
Tuesday - MD 220/AM 138
Wednesday – MD 226/AM 143
Thursday – MD 235/AM 149
Friday - MD 243/AM 154
Saturday - MD 249/AM 159

Antiphon is said in full at beginning and end of each psalm.

Each psalm has a doxology (Gloria Patri...).

Stand for antiphon, (first half of) first verse, and doxology of each psalm; sit for rest.

Sunday to Friday; Saturday texts
Stand to the end of the hour.

Note Deo Gratias added to end of the chapter

[Saturday&Sunday]/rest of the week texts

Text provided in abbreviated form - check the notes on how to expand out the cues provided.

Of the day of the week,
see page numbers above

Bow on last verse doxology
Sunday to Friday/Saturday texts


Antiphon for the Magnificat
Of the day of the week:

Monday to Friday, fixed to the day.

On Saturdays and Sundays, of the week of the liturgical year - see Ordo.

+

In choir, antiphon intoned by abbot/abbess (or presiding priest), and incense offered here.
MD 209/AM 129


Antiphon for the Magnificat
 As above


Closing prayers, including collect
 MD 210
Stand, bow for Pater Noster and collects; during Advent and Lent, kneel

Of the week of the liturgical year - see Ordo


KEY WORDS
OFFICE COMPONENT

(with links to rubrics notes)

NOTES
PAGE
Jube Domne/Pray father, a blessing

Kneel for the blessing, stand for the reading.
MD 256
AM 167
Adjutorium nostrum/Our help…


+
MD 257
AM 167

Confiteor/I confess
Examen and confession (or Pater Noster in silence)
Use formula for éxta chorum’/out of choir.  Bow.

MD 258-9
AM 167-9
Converte nos Deus (Convert us O Lord)

+

Stand
MD 259
AM 169

Deus in adjutorium/O Lord come to my aid

Stand

Cum invocarem/When I cried (Ps 4)

Sit after the half of the first verse has been sung; stand for the doxology ‘Gloria Patri...’ which is added to the end of each psalm.
MD 260
AM 169
Qui habitat/He that dwelleth (Ps 90)

MD261
AM 169

Ecce Nunc/Come now, bless the Lord (Ps 133)

MD 262
AM 170

Te Lucis ante Terminum/To Thee before the close of day

Stand.

Hymn tones varies with season, feast and day
MD 263
AM 170-172

Tu autem Domine
MD 263
AM 1762

Custodi nos Domine
MD 263
AM  172

Kyrie eleison
Closing prayers including the collect and final blessing
Note that the litany is not doubled (or trebled).

Stand or knell (in Lent and Advent)

Bow for Pater Noster, collect and blessing.

MD 264-5
AM 172 (omit the section labelled ‘Preces’, not used in the 1962 Office)

[Antiphon of the season]
Marion antiphon, versicle and collect
Simple tones used weekdays; solemn for Saturdays, Sundays and feasts.

Said kneeling except Saturdays,
Sundays and Eastertide.
MD 265-69
AM 173-180




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