Frequently asked questions about the Benedictine Office - Part I

 

Let nothing be put before the Work of God.

Rule of St Benedict, ch 43

I recently had some correspondence with someone attempting to use my Ordo to say the Roman 1962 Office instead of the Benedictine - something of a challenge, I would have thought, given that there are significant differences between the two forms of the Office!

Accordingly, I thought it might be timely to revise some of my Learn the Benedictine Office notes and seek comments on them with a view to putting them in book form for those that want them in hard copy format.

And I thought it might be good to start with some basics about the Benedictine Office itself, in the form of some frequently asked questions.  

Part I is about the Office itself and how it differs from the Roman; Part II is about the structure of the Benedictine Office; and Part III about the books used for it.

If you have other questions you would like answered, or comments/suggestions on my answers, please do post a comment!

1.  How old is the Benedictine Office?

The traditional form of the Benedictine Office, still followed by some monasteries today, was described by St Benedict in his Rule which was written in the first half of the sixth century (probably in the 520s).

But many of the elements of it go back much further, reflecting ancient Jewish and Apostolic traditions, early monastic practice, and many other influences, including those of the Roman Church of the time.

The rubrics for the Office have developed over time, for example to take account of new feasts, but the basic structure of the 'hours', including the psalms said at each hour and day, remains unchanged from the prescriptions in St Benedict's Rule. 

2. Do all Benedictine Monasteries use the Benedictine Office as described in the Rule?

No.  After Vatican II, permission was granted for Benedictines to experiment with different forms of the Office, and that 'ad experimendum' period has not been formally concluded.  

As a result, most modern Benedictine monasteries use different distributions of the psalter to that set out in the Rule, consistent with the guidance on the limits to this, most particularly the 1977 Thesaurus Liturgiae Horarum Monasticae. 

The 1962 Monastic Breviary remains the official form of the Office for the Order however.

3.  How similar are the Benedictine and Roman Offices?

Although there are similarities between them, there are significant differences between the calendar, rubrics, organisation of the psalter, and structure and content of the individual hours between the Benedictine and Roman 1962 Offices.

While the Roman Office has been revised several times down the centuries (including two significant changes to the organisation of the psalter in the twentieth century), the Benedictine Office, at least until our own time, has always been guided by the prescriptions for it set out in the Rule.

As a result, the Benedictine office has always used a different (one week) distribution of the psalms to the Roman, and there are differences in the structure of the individual hours.

Similarly, while the Benedictine Office has adopted many of the rubrical changes of the Roman Office over time, there are some important differences between them.

4. What calendar and rubrics does the Monastic Diurnal use?

The Monastic Diurnal largely (but not entirely) follows the weekly liturgical cycle of the (1962) Extraordinary Form Mass.

The 1962 Monastic Breviary for the Benedictine Congregation, though, has its own approved calendar.

Many feasts celebrated in the Roman calendar are not included in the Monastic, and some monastic feasts are not celebrated in the Roman.  In some cases, feasts common to both are celebrated with different levels of solemnity. 

5.  Is the Benedictine Office according to the 1962-3 rubrics (and approved variants used by individual monasteries) an approved form of the Liturgy of the Hours, the official prayer of the Church?

The Benedictine Office is a form of the Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church, approved for use by the Benedictine Confederation.

While many modern Benedictine monasteries use different versions of the Office, consistent with the permissions to experiment granted after Vatican II, and subsequent guidance on the limits to this, most particularly the 1977 Thesaurus Liturgiae Horarum Monasticae, the 1962 Monastic Breviary remains the official form of the Office for the Order.

Quick reference guide - Advent week days to December 16

 

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/Magnificat

 

Compline

 

Starts MD 25

Marian Antiphon: Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265

Quick Reference Guide for the daily Office - Sundays in Advent up to the Third Sunday

 For those wanting the page numbers for the 'Ordinary' texts...

Sunday Matins

Not found in the Diurnal, refer to the Monastic Breviary.

Note:

Invitatory antiphon: from Sunday I to Sunday III Regem venturum

                                From Sunday III to 23 December, Prope est

Hymn: Verbum supernum

Nocturns I&II: Antiphons of Advent, readings and responsories of the Sunday of Advent

Nocturn III: Canticles of Advent

Sunday Lauds (at first light)

• Starts MD 37;
• Psalm schema 1: Psalms 50, 117, (jump over 92, 99), 62, then canticle, Psalms 148-150;
• Antiphons, chapter, hymn (Vox clara), versicle and Benedictus antiphon and collect of [the Sunday of] Advent

Sunday Prime (early morning)

• Starts  MD 146;
• Antiphon is the first antiphon of Lauds of the Sunday
• Concluding prayers MD 8;
• Note that the ‘Capitular Office’ said in monasteries (including the reading of the Rule and the Martyrology) is not included in the Diurnal.

Sunday Terce (mid-morning)

• Opening prayers MD 151;
• Hymn Nunc Sancte MD 151;
• Antiphon (said before and after psalms) is the second antiphon of Lauds;
• Psalms MD 152-154;
• Chapter from Lauds
• Versicle for the Sunday; 
• Closing prayers as at MD 154 (from Kyrie);
• Collect for the particular Sunday.

Sunday Sext (noon)

• Starts  MD 155;
• Antiphon 3 of Lauds
• Chapter and versicle of the particular Sunday
• Collect set for the particular Sunday.

Sunday None (mid-afternoon)

• Starts MD 159;
• Antiphon 5 of Lauds
• Chapter and versicle of the Sunday
• Collect set for the particular Sunday.

Sunday Vespers (evening)

• Starts MD 203 (opening prayer as on MD 1);
• Antiphons as for I Vespers of the particular Sunday;
• Sunday psalms
• Chapter, responsory and hymn as for I Vespers
• Antiphon for the Magnificat (MD 209) for II Vespers of the Sunday
• Concluding prayers MD 210-11 with collect of the Sunday (or feast)

Sunday Compline (before bed)

• Starts MD 257;
• Marian antiphon: Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265

Notes on the Office: Advent up to December 16

Advent starts this coming week, and is a particularly challenging time in the Office.

Where to put your ribbons....

the first thing to do to prepare is make sure you have your ribbons properly positioned!

In particular, you need to keep one ribbon on:

• the Ordinary of Advent (in the Proper of the Season section at the front of the Diurnal) for the relevant hour;
• the collect of the week (unless displaced by a saints feast or Ember Day); 
• the page for the canticle antiphons of the day of the Advent week at Lauds and Vespers;
• the saints section of your book; and
• the relevant parts of the psalter section of your book for the particular hour you are saying.

Key things to remember

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.

Remember that at Lauds and Vespers, the chapters, hymns and other texts in the psalter section of your book are replaced by those for the season.  

And at Prime to None, the antiphons are of the week of Advent (ie the first, second, third and fifth antiphons of the previous Sunday's Lauds).

On feast days, a commemoration of Advent, consisting of the canticle antiphon (of the Advent day), versicle (of the season) and collect of the Advent week (in that order), is normally made at both Lauds and Vespers.

Ordo 21: 28 November to 31 December 2021

Below find notes on the Ordo for the Benedictine Office according to the 1962 rubrics from the first Sunday of Advent to the end of December.  You can also find these notes via the Current month's Ordo page on the blog.

Page references are to the St Michael's Abbey editions of the Monastic Diurnal (MD).

For more detailed instructions on how to say the Benedictine Office, please go here.

And you can obtain more detailed Ordo notes here. 

28 Nov – First Sunday of Advent, Cl I

 MD 4* ff.

Mon 29 Nov – Class III; St Saturninus, Memorial 

Ordinary of Advent, MD 9* ff; canticle antiphons, MD 17*; collect, MD 11*; for the com., MD [385]. 

Tues 30 November – St Andrew, Class II 

MD [2] 

Wed 1 Dec - Class III 

Canticle antiphons, MD 18*. 

Thurs 2 Dec – Class III; St Peter Chrysologus, Memorial 

Canticle ants, MD 18*; commem. at Lauds, MD [8-9]. 

Fri 3 Dec – Class III; St Francis Xavier, Memorial 

Canticle ants, MD 19*; commmem. at Lauds, MD [9]. 

Sat 4 Dec – Class III 

Canticle ant, MD 19*;Vespers of the following, MD 19* ff.

 5 Dec – Second Sunday of Advent, Class I

 MD 22* ff. 

6 Dec – Monday Advent wk 2, Class III; St Nicholas, Memorial 

Cant ants, MD 26-7*; commem.at Lauds, MD [9-10]. 

Tues 7 Dec – St Ambrose, Class III 

MD [10] with commem. of the feria, MD 27*. 

Wed 8 Dec – Im. Conception of the BVM, Cl I 

MD [13] ff; commem. of the feria, MD 27*. 

9 Dec – Thurs Advent wk 2, Class III 

Canticle antiphons, MD 27-8*. 

10 Dec – Fri Advent wk 2, Class III 

Canticle antiphons, MD 28*. 

Sat 11 Dec – Sat Advent wk 2, Cl III; St Damasus, Memorial 

MD 28*, and commem. at Lauds, MD [17-8]; 1 Vespers of following, MD 28* ff.

12 December – Third Sunday of Advent, Cl I

 MD 31* ff. 

Mon 13 Dec – St Lucy, Class III 

MD [18] ff; commem. of the feria, MD 41-2*. 

14 Dec – Tues in Advent wk 3, Class III 

Canticle antiphons, MD 42*/AM 221-2. 

Wed 15 Dec – Ember Wednesday, Class II 

MD 42-3*. 

16 Dec – Thurs in Advent wk 3, Class III 

Canticle antiphons, MD 43*. 

17 Dec – Ember Friday, Class II 

Ants: MD 39-40*; Benedictus and collect,MD 44*; Magnificat, O Sapientia, MD 35*. 

Sat 18 Dec – Ember Saturday, Class II 

Ants for the psalms: MD 40-1*; Benedictus antiphon and collect, MD 44*; Vespers of the following with Magnificat antiphon, O Adonai, MD 35*.

Sun 19 Dec – Fourth Sunday of Advent, Class I

 MD 48* ff. 

Mon 20 Dec – Monday in the fourth week of Advent, Class II 

Antiphons for the psalms, MD 37*; Benedictus antiphon, MD 52*; Magnificat, O Clavis David, MD 36*. 

Tues 21 Dec – St Thomas, Class II 

MD [22-3]; commem. of the Advent day at Lauds and Vespers (Benedictus antiphon, Nolite timere, MD 43*; Magnificat antiphon, O Oriens, MD 36*). 

Wed 22 Dec – Wednesday in the fourth week of Advent, Class II 

Antiphons for the psalms: MD 38-9*; Benedictus antiphon, MD 53*; Magnificat, O Rex gentium, MD 36*. 

Thursday 23 Dec – Thursday in fourth week of Advent, Class II 

Antiphons for the psalms: MD 39*; Benedictus antiphon, Ecce completa sunt, MD 41*; Magnificat antiphon, O Emmanuel, MD 36*.  

Friday 24 Dec – Vigil of the Nativity, Class I 

MD 54* ff. 

END OF ADVENT/START OF THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS (NATIVITYTIDE) 

1 Vespers of the following, MD 58 ff. 

Compline: Marian antiphon Alma redemptoris henceforward. 

Sat 25 Dec – The Nativity of Our Lord, Class I with a Class II Octave

MD 61* ff.

Sun 26 Dec – Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II; Commemoration of St Stephen, Protomartyr [OF: Holy Family]

 MD 77* ff. 

Mon 27 Dec – St John the Evangelist, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity

 MD 90* ff. 

Tues 28 Dec – Holy Innocents, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity

 MD 97* ff. 

Wed 29 Dec – Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II [In some places, St Thomas Becket, Class I or Commemoration] 

MD 103*. 

Thursday 30 Dec – Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II 

MD 103*. 

Fri 31 Dec – Seventh Day within the Octave, Class II; Commemoration of St Sylvester 

MD 103-4*. 

Benedictine Office Ordo FAQs

 I have had a few queries in various forums, around the Ordo for the coming liturgical year, so I thought it might be useful to bring together my answers  here by way of a reminder to get your order in for a copy so it arrives before the new liturgical years starts.

1.  What does the Ordo provide?

For each day of the liturgical year the Ordo sets out the level of day/feast according to the Benedictine 1962 calendar, provides cross-references to the EF and Benedictine Confederation calendar, as well as to older feasts celebrated by the traditional Benedictine monasteries. It also includes cross-references to selected optional Class III feasts, and some specific to individual traditional monasteries.

For each day it includes detailed instructions with page references to the Farnborough editions of the Monastic Diurnal, as well as the Antiphonale Monasticum of 1934.

Here is a sample entry:

Wednesday 8 December – The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Class I [Patronal feast of the USA and Solesmes Congregation]

Matins: Three Nocturns, with invitatory, hymn, antiphons, versicles, readings, responsories and collect of the feast, LR 259/MB [16] ff; psalms and canticles of the Common of the BVM.

Lauds: Festal psalms of Sunday with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, MD [13]/AM 763 ff; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 201, versicle, MD 11*/AM 185 and collect (Sunday II), MD 11*/AM 198.

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD [13]/AM 763.

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD [16-7]/AM 766.

2 Vespers: Psalms, antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn and collect of the feast as for I Vespers, MD [11]/AM 760 ff; versicle and Magnificat antiphon of 2 Vespers, MD [17]/AM 767; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 201, versicle, MD 17*/AM 183, and collect (Sunday II), MD 11*/AM 198.

2.  How does this compare to what is provided on the Saints Will Arise blog/emails from it?

This year I plan to provide an abbreviated guide to to the Benedictine office on the blog that assumes you are familiar with the rubrics for Sundays and feasts..

Rather than the full details to variations/necessary supplements to the ferial texts provide above, by way of comparison, for December 8 it will look as follows:

Wed 8 Dec – Im. Conception of the BVM, Cl I 

MD [13] ff; commem. of the feria, MD 27*. 

I also plan to post this monthly rather than weekly, in order to reduce the workload on me! Unfortunately I have fairly intensive family care commitments at the moment that leave me with very little time to devote to other things.  I'd also like to devote what time I have to other tasks (such as putting the how to say the Office notes in book form) and other topics, some of which I hope will ultimately be of interest to readers of the blog. If my family circumstances change, I will review this.

3. How can I learn the rubrics so I can get by with the shorter notes on the blog?

There are detailed notes on how to say the Benedictine Office on the Learn the Benedictine Office blog. You can also cross-check you use of the Diurnal against the monastic office version on the Divinum Officium website.

I plan to revise and update the notes next year, and hopefully add some videos for those who prefer hearing/seeing over reading.

4. Does the Ordo change each year?

Yes.  The Ordo changes each year to give you what dates feasts and Sundays fall on, which varies each year to reflect both the calendar year cycle, and the various liturgical cycles.

Some feasts, such as those of the saints, have fixed dates.  But whether and how they are celebrated is affected by first the calendar year cycle (eg whether the date is a Sunday), and the liturgical cycle (seasons and their days that override feasts).

In addition, the two pivots of the liturgical cycle are the start of Advent and the date of Easter, with the rest of the Sunday cycle flowing from those dates.

There are some other cycles that vary each year as well - how many Sundays there are for the calendar months from August to November for example, which determines the Saturday Magnificat antiphon at Vespers and the first and second Nocturn matins readings during those months on Sunday.

5.  How significant are the changes each year?

There are a few key things that change in the Sunday cycle each year, such as:

• how many days there are of  Advent (since the first Sunday can vary from 27 November to December 3, but always ends on December 23);
• how many Sundays there are after Epiphany, ie before Septuagesima Sunday and the start of the Lent/Easter cycle;
• how many Sundays there are after Pentecost before the calendar month cycle cuts in;
• how many Sundays and what they are for each month from August to November; and
• how many Sundays there are after Pentecost and before the start of Advent, and so how many texts are slotted in from those 'remaining' after Epiphany.

The biggest changes each year, though, relates to 'clashes' between two potential feasts or a feast and Sunday.

Each year, for example, the Sunday cycle normally overrides or otherwise affects whatever feasts would normally be celebrated on that date, so last year's Sundays have to have their proper feasts added back into the Ordo, and account taken of any clashes between days/feasts. 

For this coming year, for example, there are 46 instances of concurrence/occurrence of days and feasts (excluding feasts that occur on Class IV days).

Some of these are pretty simple changes (Memorials that fall on Sundays are simply not observed); most though involve changes such as commemorating one or the other of the days involved, or even transferring a feast.

There are also a few other changes each year, as I review things like the feasts celebrated by the major traditional monasteries, feasts permitted by Cum Sanctissima, and so forth.  

This year I have made one major change, suggesting use of the psalms of the day for the minor hours during the Easter and Pentecost octaves, in line with the practice of some of the traditional monasteries.

6. Where can I ask questions about rubrics/how to say the Office/make suggestions?

There is a Traditional Benedictine Office facebook group for those using the 1962 Office and looking for help on these type of issues (note that it is not a general Benedictine spirituality group).

You can also ask questions through the comments section on the blogs. 

Suggestions on the contents or design of the Ordo or notes on the Saints Will Arise blog, feasts that you think should be considered for inclusion in the Ordo, and corrections can either be sent to me via the comments section of the blog or email.

7. Where can I get a copy of the Ordo?

You can buy a copy of the Ordo in either paperback or ebook form from Lulu - either search their bookshop under Katrina Edwards, or Benedictine Ordo, or click the link on the blog. 

If you are a Catholic monk, nun or monastery, please contact me by email to arrange a copy.

Ordo 2021 - 22

The Ordo for the next liturgical year is now available in PDF and paperback for purchase from Lulu.

A big thanks to David, Matthew, William, Vicki and Brian for their efforts in helping to proofread the text.

If you do find errors I haven't picked up though, please do let me know.