Brush up your rubrics - Getting ready for Advent: commemorations (of the feria)

I have yet to look at Lauds and Vespers in this series on getting ready for Advent, but there is one issue common to both of them that I thought I would deal with first, namely commemorations (aka) memorials.

What is a commemoration of the feria?

If you look at the instructions in the Diurnal for feasts of saints during Advent you will come across instructions to make a commemoration of the feria.

Feria just means day, and so it is telling you to make a remembrance of the Advent day that would have been said had they not been displaced by a feast.

During Advent the feria is commemorated at both Lauds and Vespers.

The way this is done is exactly the same as for a normal memorial of a saint: after the collect (of the feast), you say (or sing) the canticle antiphon that would have been said at Lauds or Vespers if not for the feast, the versicle (of the season) and the collect (of the Advent week or day).

Finding the texts: a Diurnal trap

The Diurnal, however, does not make it easy for you in this case, because for each Advent day, in order to save space, it usually only sets out the canticle antiphons.

That means you need to go find the versicle and the collect for the appropriate day or week in the Ordinary.  The Ordo will give you the page numbers in the Diurnal for this purpose, but those using older editions will need to hunt down the correct pages for themselves.

SUMMARY - COMMEMORATIONS IN ADVENT

Commemorations of the feria - Lauds

Benedictus antiphon	Of the Advent day
Versicle (of the season)	V. Vox clamantis in desérto: Parate viam Dómini. R. Rectas fácite sémitas eius.
Collect	Of the Advent week or day

Commemoration of the feria - Vespers

Magnificat antiphon	Of the Advent day
Versicle (of the season)	V. Rorate cæli désuper, et nubes pluant iustum. R. Aperiatur terra et gérminet Salvatórem.
Collect	Of the Advent week or day

Brush up your rubrics - getting ready for Advent 3 - Terce to None

So far in this series I've posted some notes, videos and links to chants for Prime and Compline and Matins.  Today, Terce to None.

The Ordinary of Advent

The key changes to the 'little hours' during Advent are:

• if you are singing it, the hymn has a proper tone for the season;
• there is an antiphon to be used for each hour every day for each week up to December 16, and then each day; 
• the chapter and versicle is of the season; and
• the closing prayers are said kneeling.

The hymn

The text of the hymns at each of the hours is unchanged  - so Nunc Sancte Nobis for Terce, Rector Potens for Sext, and Rerum Deus for None.

The hymn tune though - which is the same for Prime, Terce, Sext and None - is of the season (except on major feasts such as the Immaculate Conception).  Note that it is not the same as the one used in Roman Office.

I haven't been able to locate a video or nice recording of it, so the best approach to learning it is probably to listen to one of the archived Le Barroux recordings of Sext.

Antiphons

The antiphons used at the little hours are from Sunday Lauds.

For the first three weeks, as well as Sunday Lauds, the antiphons are also set out in the Ordinary of Advent section at the front of the Diurnal', on pages 13*-15*.  Between December 17 and December 23 there is a set of antiphons to be used for the day of the week (pages 37* and following in the Diurnal).

The default rule (for all purposes) is to use:

• the first antiphon of Lauds for Prime;
• the second antiphon of Lauds for Terce;
• the third antiphon of Lauds for Sext; and
• the fifth antiphon for None.

There are exceptions, though, and if you look at Saturday in this period, the Diurnal only has four antiphons for Lauds (because of the divided canticle), and so supplies an additional one for Sext.

Chapter and versicle

The chapter and versicle for each of these hours is of Advent, and is the same throughout the season on weekdays, and so can be found in the psalter section of the Diurnal, as well in the 'Ordinary of Advent' section.  There are separate texts for each Sunday.

Collect

As usual, the collect is of Sunday of the week, except for the Ember Days in the third week of Advent (and of course on feasts).

The closing prayers are said kneeling during Advent.

Feasts

On feasts, the variable texts of these hours (ie antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect) are replaced by those of the feast.

Summary: Terce, Sext and None during Advent days that are not feasts

PART OF THE HOUR	ADVENT
Opening prayers (Deus in adjutorium/Gloria patri/Alleluia)	Same as for all of the day hours (MD 1); stand, make sign of cross
Hymn	As for throughout the year, same each day for that hour; Advent psalm tone.
Antiphon	Of the Advent week or day (from Dec 17)
Psalm+Gloria Patri Psalm+Gloria Patri Psalm+Gloria+Gloria Patri	As for throughout the year, psalms for Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday to Saturday.
Antiphon	Repeat earlier antiphon
Chapter	Of Advent
Versicle	Of Advent
Closing Prayers (Kyrie/Pater noster/…Benedicamus Domino…Fidelium animae)	As throughout the year but said kneeling.
-          Collect	Of the week or day.

Brush up your rubrics: Getting ready for Advent - Matins

Continuing this little series on getting ready for Advent, today a quick look at Matins during Advent.

Matins during Advent

Matins during Advent is actually fairly straightforward - although there are some seasonal texts, unlike the day hours, Matins doesn't become more complicated in the second half of Advent!

The key changes are that:

• instead of the daily invitatory verses that are normally used with Psalm 94, there are two seasonal ones; 
• the hymn  (Verbum supernum) is of the season rather than the day of the week; 
• on Sundays there are antiphons for the season;
• the versicles at the end of the first Nocturn are of the season; 
• there are three readings each day, generally from Isaiah; 
• the final chapter is of the season; and 
• on Sundays the third Nocturn canticles are of the season.

If you are using a breviary to say Matins, all of this is set out in the Ordinary (pgs 14-15 of Volume 1 for the 1963 edition of the breviary).  It is also nicely set out in the new Nocturnal Monasticum at page 14.

If you are using the Clear Creek booklet, however, not all of these texts are included, so I'll point you to sources for the missing parts.

Invitatory and hymn

The invitatory verse up until the third Sunday of Advent is the same as the Roman Office, viz:

 Regem venturum Dominum * Venite adoremus.

The Lord, the King who is to come * O come, let us adore Him.

Note though that there are a couple of different versions of the chant around; the monastic one can be found in the Liber Hymnarius (pg 146).  

From the third Sunday, the invitatory becomes:

Prope est iam Dominus * Venite adoremus.
The Lord is now near * O come, let us adore Him.

The hymn is also the same as the Roman Office, and so the text can be found at Divinum Officium.

Nocturns

The antiphons, versicles and so forth needed are generally listed in psalters, so it is just a matter of making sure you use the ones noted for Advent. Note that on week days the antiphons are as for throughout the year.  

Brush up your rubrics: Getting ready for Advent Part I - Prime and Compline in Advent

I want to offer a short series of notes and links on the Office of Advent to encourage you to start preparing now.

Advent is easily the most complex period when it comes to saying the Office, due to the mix of texts that need to be juggled for the season, week of Advent, day of the week and date.  But on the positive side, Advent also includes some of the most beautiful texts and chants in the repertoire, which are well worth learning.

Accordingly, today a look at Compline and Prime, which are relatively straightforward.

Compline

At Compline, apart from chant tones, the only change is in the Marian antiphon, which becomes Alma Redemptoris Mater.

For the psalms, the most commonly utilised chant tone is actually the one (in directum) that appears in most chant books (I haven't been able to find the other seasonal tones in a printed book - do let me know if you know of a good source for these!).  You can get a feel for it by listening to one of the archived podcasts from Le Barroux).

For the hymn tone, you can listen to Te lucis ante terminum sung to the Advent tone (page 183 in the Antiphonale Monasticum) over at Liber Hynarius.

For the Marian antiphon, on weekdays use the simple tone:



On Saturdays, Sundays and major feasts, the Solemn tone.  Here it is sung by the nuns of Argentan:

Prime

The key change to Prime is that instead of the normal antiphons for each day of the week, there are antiphons for each week of Advent (up to December 16), and then each day of the week (December 17-23).

Up to and including December 16

Up until December 16, the antiphon for Prime (except where displaced by feasts) is the first antiphon of Lauds on Sunday.

So for week I of Advent, the antiphon is In illa die; in week 2 of Advent, Ecce in nubibus caeli.

As well as under Sundays in Advent, you can also find them in the section that sets out the Ordinary of Advent, on MD 13* (right at the front of the Diurnal).

The psalms (of each day of the week), chapter, versicles and collect all stay as usual.

The text of the hymn remains unchanged (Iam lucis), but there is an Advent hymn tone to use - the tone is the same for all of the hymns from Prime to None, and you can find it in the Antiphonale Monasticum. 

December 17-23

Between December 17 and 23, there is a different antiphon for each day of the week, and you can find these on pages 37*-40*.

The antiphon for Prime is, as usual, the first antiphon of Lauds.

O Emmanuel (December 23)

Today the last of the great O Antiphons for the Magnificat:

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Antiphon for the Magnificat: O Rex Gentium (Dec 22)

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

December 21: St Thomas, Apostle

Caravaggio: The incredulity of St Thomas

Today is the feast of the apostle Thomas. Pope Benedict devoted a General Audience to the Apostle in 2006:

"Continuing our encounters with the Twelve Apostles chosen directly by Jesus, today we will focus our attention on Thomas. Ever present in the four lists compiled by the New Testament, in the first three Gospels he is placed next to Matthew (cf. Mt 10: 3; Mk 3: 18; Lk 6: 15), whereas in Acts, he is found after Philip (cf. Acts 1: 13).

His name derives from a Hebrew root, ta'am, which means "paired, twin". In fact, John's Gospel several times calls him "Dydimus" (cf. Jn 11: 16; 20: 24; 21: 2), a Greek nickname for, precisely, "twin". The reason for this nickname is unclear.

It is above all the Fourth Gospel that gives us information that outlines some important traits of his personality.

The first concerns his exhortation to the other Apostles when Jesus, at a critical moment in his life, decided to go to Bethany to raise Lazarus, thus coming dangerously close to Jerusalem (Mk 10: 32).

On that occasion Thomas said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11: 16). His determination to follow his Master is truly exemplary and offers us a valuable lesson: it reveals his total readiness to stand by Jesus, to the point of identifying his own destiny with that of Jesus and of desiring to share with him the supreme trial of death.

In fact, the most important thing is never to distance oneself from Jesus.

Moreover, when the Gospels use the verb "to follow", it means that where he goes, his disciple must also go.

Thus, Christian life is defined as a life with Jesus Christ, a life to spend together with him. St Paul writes something similar when he assures the Christians of Corinth: "You are in our hearts, to die together and to live together" (II Cor 7: 3). What takes place between the Apostle and his Christians must obviously apply first of all to the relationship between Christians and Jesus himself: dying together, living together, being in his Heart as he is in ours.

A second intervention by Thomas is recorded at the Last Supper. On that occasion, predicting his own imminent departure, Jesus announced that he was going to prepare a place for his disciples so that they could be where he is found; and he explains to them: "Where [I] am going you know the way" (Jn 14: 4). It is then that Thomas intervenes, saying: "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" (Jn 14: 5).

In fact, with this remark he places himself at a rather low level of understanding; but his words provide Jesus with the opportunity to pronounce his famous definition: "I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14: 6).

Thus, it is primarily to Thomas that he makes this revelation, but it is valid for all of us and for every age. Every time we hear or read these words, we can stand beside Thomas in spirit and imagine that the Lord is also speaking to us, just as he spoke to him.

At the same time, his question also confers upon us the right, so to speak, to ask Jesus for explanations. We often do not understand him. Let us be brave enough to say: "I do not understand you, Lord; listen to me, help me to understand". In such a way, with this frankness which is the true way of praying, of speaking to Jesus, we express our meagre capacity to understand and at the same time place ourselves in the trusting attitude of someone who expects light and strength from the One able to provide them.

Then, the proverbial scene of the doubting Thomas that occurred eight days after Easter is very well known. At first he did not believe that Jesus had appeared in his absence and said: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe" (Jn 20: 25).

Basically, from these words emerges the conviction that Jesus can now be recognized by his wounds rather than by his face. Thomas holds that the signs that confirm Jesus' identity are now above all his wounds, in which he reveals to us how much he loved us. In this the Apostle is not mistaken.

As we know, Jesus reappeared among his disciples eight days later and this time Thomas was present. Jesus summons him: "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing" (Jn 20: 27).

Thomas reacts with the most splendid profession of faith in the whole of the New Testament: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20: 28). St Augustine comments on this: Thomas "saw and touched the man, and acknowledged the God whom he neither saw nor touched; but by the means of what he saw and touched, he now put far away from him every doubt, and believed the other" (In ev. Jo. 121, 5).

The Evangelist continues with Jesus' last words to Thomas: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (Jn 20: 29). This sentence can also be put into the present: "Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe".

In any case, here Jesus spells out a fundamental principle for Christians who will come after Thomas, hence, for all of us.

It is interesting to note that another Thomas, the great Medieval theologian of Aquinas, juxtaposed this formula of blessedness with the apparently opposite one recorded by Luke: "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!" (Lk 10: 23). However, Aquinas comments: "Those who believe without seeing are more meritorious than those who, seeing, believe" (In Johann. XX lectio VI 2566).

In fact, the Letter to the Hebrews, recalling the whole series of the ancient biblical Patriarchs who believed in God without seeing the fulfilment of his promises, defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11: 1).

The Apostle Thomas' case is important to us for at least three reasons: first, because it comforts us in our insecurity; second, because it shows us that every doubt can lead to an outcome brighter than any uncertainty; and, lastly, because the words that Jesus addressed to him remind us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere, despite the difficulty, along our journey of adhesion to him.

A final point concerning Thomas is preserved for us in the Fourth Gospel, which presents him as a witness of the Risen One in the subsequent event of the miraculous catch in the Sea of Tiberias (cf. Jn 21: 2ff.).

On that occasion, Thomas is even mentioned immediately after Simon Peter: an evident sign of the considerable importance that he enjoyed in the context of the early Christian communities.

Indeed, the Acts and the Gospel of Thomas, both apocryphal works but in any case important for the study of Christian origins, were written in his name.

Lastly, let us remember that an ancient tradition claims that Thomas first evangelized Syria and Persia (mentioned by Origen, according to Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History 3, 1) then went on to Western India (cf. Acts of Thomas 1-2 and 17ff.), from where also he finally reached Southern India.

Let us end our reflection in this missionary perspective, expressing the hope that Thomas' example will never fail to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Our God."

The O Antiphons: O Key of David (Clavis David) - December 20

Today's O antiphon is O clavis David:

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death

O Come, O Come Emmanuel...

This week, the Magificat antiphons, the O antiphons, are the verses often sung as part of the hymn O come, O Come Emmanuel.

So here is the modern setting in Latin that you may be more familiar with.

Advent antiphons for the Magnificat: O radix Jesse (Dec 19)

The series of the the great O Antiphons continues today with O Radix Jesse.

Today's antiphon is, in English:

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

December 17: the start of the great O antiphons

The liturgy enters a new level of intensity from today, with antiphons for Lauds to Vespers for each day of the week, and the singing of the wonderful 'O' antiphons with the Magnificat at Vespers.

Today's antiphon is O Sapientia, the translation of which is:

O Wisdom,who proceeds from the mouth of the Most High, reaching out mightily from end to end, and sweetly arranging all things: come to teach us the way of prudence.

Feasting and fasting: Advent Ember Days

The Church has always advocated that we prepare for our feasting first by fasting, and so the third week of Advent (and week of the feast of St Lucy) traditionally includes the Advent Ember Days.

The days are Class II, with a rather more elaborate mass.

For Advent the focus is particularly on Our Lady. Wednesday's Mass is about the Annunciation. It starts with the beautiful Introit Rorate Caeli (Drop down dew ye heavens) and includes the famous prophesy from Isaiah (Behold a virgin shall conceive) as well as the Gospel from St Luke with the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary.

Friday's Gospel is about the Visitation.

Saturday's ancient and complex Mass is a more general message about the preparation for the coming of Our Lord, with the Gospel on St John the Baptist.

So do try and get to a Mass on these days if there is one that celebrates the Ember Days in your area (they are optional in the Novus Ordo calendar).

And remember that they are also traditionally days of fasting and abstinence.

November 27: First Sunday of Advent

Once more, it is the start of a new liturgical year, and time to swap breviary volumes!  You can find an overview of the changes to the Office for Advent here.

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that "During this time the faithful are admonished:

•to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,
•thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and
•thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.

At Matins the readings start on the Book of Isaiah, but all of the texts for I Vespers and Sunday are proper for the day, and draw out the nature of the new liturgical season.

December 23: Class II

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

December 22: Class II

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

The Office in Advent

This post deals with some of the peculiarities of the Office in Advent.

The role of Advent

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the liturgical season of Advent is a time for the faithful to:

• prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,
• thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and
• thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.

The start date for Advent varies every year, so you need to consult either an Ordo or the table of moveable feasts at the beginning of the Monastic Diurnal.  The end date, however, is always fixed: Advent officially ends at None on the December 24.

The Office in Advent

You can find detailed notes on how the Office operates during Advent compared to throughout the year via the following links:

• Antiphons for the psalms Part I;; Antiphons Part II;
• Canticle antiphons and collects Part I; Canticle antiphons and collects for Advent

Ribbons

The Office in Advent is quite complex, and a time when ribbons need to be deployed, no matter how familiar you might be with the Office.

My suggestion would be to place your ribbons as follows:

• to the relevant parts of the 'Ordinary of Advent', MD 9*ff;
• on the day of the week in Advent;
• as well as the relevant hour of the psalter.

And then from December 17 onwards you'll need a few extras...but on that see below.

Sundays

Sundays in Advent are all first class, with their own proper antiphons and proper texts (chapter, hymn etc).  In general, the Lauds antiphons are used for all of the hours (ie from I Vespers on Saturday until II Vespers), using the normal principles (that is, the fourth antiphon is omitted at Vespers; the first antiphon is used at Prime, the second at Terce, etc, skipping the fourth as usual). These antiphons are then used for the minor hours throughout that week (MD 13*ff puts them together to make it easier to find the right antiphon for the relevant hour).

Weekdays up to 17 December/fourth week of Advent

The ordinary days of Advent are of the third class. As usual, the collects are from the previous Sunday (with the exception of the Ember days in week three of Advent, which have their own particular collects).

A few key things to particularly take note of:

• at Lauds and Vespers: use the correct chapter, hymn, responsory etc from the Ordinary of Advent (MD9*;15*) NOT from the psalter for the day;
• at Lauds and Vespers use the Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons prescribed for the day and week;
• at the minor hours, use the antiphon set for that hour for the relevant week (MD 13*ff) and from Terce to None, the chapter and versicle for Advent (set out in the psalter).

Feast days

The other key point to note is that on days when a feast is celebrated (such as the Immaculate Conception) a commemoration of Advent is always made at both Lauds and Vespers.

The Monastic Diurnal is rather unhelpful on this, as, presumably in the interests of space, it doesn't include the versicles and collect on the same pages as the relevant canticle antiphons, but the principle is to use the Benedictus or Magnficat antiphon that would otherwise have been said on that day, followed by the versicle from the relevant Advent Office, followed by the collect of the week or day), all said immediately after the collect of the feast.

From 17 December....

In the last part of of Advent the liturgy intensifies, adding a little complexity.

First, at Vespers, the beautiful 'O Antiphons' (MD 35*), one for each day, are sung with the Magnificat. These displace the Magnificat antiphon that would otherwise be said on these days (in the third week of Advent). There are numerous recordings of these wonderful pieces of chant available online, do listen.

Secondly, whereas previously Lauds and Vespers used the 'throughout the year' antiphons, there is now a set used at these hours (and the rest as per the normal rules) for the psalms for each day of the week (MD 37*ff).

Thirdly, a couple of the Benedictus antiphons are said on specific dates (see MD 41*).

In all cases, following the Ordo provided here should be of assistance!

Compline

Throughout this season, the Marian antiphon at the end of Compline is Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265, with the accompanying prayers that immediately follow (labelled for use up until 24 December).

A cheat sheet for the hours

Here is a summary of the effects of the Ordinary of Advent on each hour (Monday to Saturday, no feasts or memorials), up until 16 December.

Matins

Opening as usual (Domine labia mea aperies…)
Psalm 3
Invitatory antiphon for Advent (MB 14), Regem venturum Dominum with Ps 94
Hymn for Advent: Verbum supernum prodiens
Nocturn I: psalms and antiphons of the day
Versicles for Advent, MB 14
3 readings and responsories (for the particular day and week of Advent)
Nocturn II: psalms and antiphons of the day
Chapter and versicle for Advent
Closing prayers

Lauds

Opening prayers and invitatory psalms as usual
Psalms and antiphons of the day (up until 17 December)
Chapter, responsory and hymn for Advent, MD 9*
Canticle antiphon for the day and week of Advent
Collect of the previous Sunday, MD 11*

Prime

Opening prayers
Antiphon for week of Advent: Week I (Iucundare/Be glad), MD 13*
Psalms of day
Chapter, versicle and closing prayers as usual

Terce

Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Urbs/Sion), MD 13*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 14* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*

Sext

Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Ecce/Behold), MD 14*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 14* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*

None

Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Ecce/Behold), MD 15*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 15* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*

Vespers

Opening prayers as usual
Psalms and antiphons of the psalter
Chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle of Advent, MD 15*- 17*
Magnificat antiphon for the day and week of Advent/Magnficat

Compline

Starts MD 256
Marian Antiphon: Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265