August 2023

The 'ordinary' texts for the Office in August are for time throughout the year (after the Octave of Pentecost). 

At Matins on ordinary weekdays, the readings follow the summer pattern of one short reading and short responsory only.

On Sundays, the Matins readings for Nocturns I&II and responsories are of the relevant week of August rather than the Sunday after Pentecost (except where displaced by a feast).

At Saturday Vespers, the Magnificat antiphon refers to the Matins readings of the Sunday, and so are of the relevant Sunday of August (except where displaced by a feast, such as on the first Sunday, with the Transfiguration). 

If you would like more detailed notes, you can purchase the full ordo through Lulu in hardcopy or PDF form.

You can also find notes on how to say the Benedictine Office according to the 1962 calendar and rubrics here.  

AUGUST 2023

 Tuesday 1 August – Class IV; The Holy Maccabees, Memorial [In some places: St Peter in Chains] 

For St Peter, see AM 987 ff. 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 469*/AM 600; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [209-10]/AM 988. 

Wednesday 2 August – Class IV; St Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [210]/AM 993. 

Thursday 3 August – Class IV 

Friday 4 August – St Dominic, Class III 

MD [211]/AM 994. 

Saturday 5 August – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady; Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [211-2]/AM 994; 1 Vespers of the Transfiguration: MD [212]/AM 997 ff; no commemoration of the Sunday. 

Sunday 6 August – Transfiguration of Our Lord, Class I

 MD [212]/AM 998 ff; no commemoration of the Sunday. 

Monday 7 August – Class IV; SS Sixtus II, Felicissimus and Agapitus, Memorial [EF: St Cajetan, Class III] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect of the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 470*/AM 601; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [219]/AM 1001. 

Tuesday 8 August – Class IV; St Cyriacus, Memorial [EF/Gower: St John Mary Vianney, Class III; Australia and NZ: St Mary of the Cross, Class I] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [219-20]/AM 1004. 

Wednesday 9 August – Vigil of St Lawrence, Class III [OF/ in Europe/Optional Class III: St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)] 

MD [220]/AM 1004. 

Thursday 10 August – St Lawrence, Class II 

MD [221]/AM 1005 ff. 

Friday 11 August – Class IV; St Tiburtius, Memorial [EF: and St Susanna; Gower: SS Tiburtius, Susanna and Philomena, Memorials] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [227-8]/AM 1009-10. 

Saturday 12 August – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady; St Clare, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [228]/AM 1010; 1 Vespers of the Second Sunday of August, Magnificat antiphon, MD 451*/AM 580-1; collect of the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, MD 471*/AM 602. 

Sunday 13 August – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost/Second Sunday of August, Class II

 MD 470-1*/AM 602. 

Monday 14 August – Vigil of the Assumption, Class II 

MD [229]/AM 1011; 1 Vespers of the Assumption, MD [230]/AM 1011 ff. 

Tuesday 15 August – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Class I [Previously: with a Common Octave] 

MD [233]/AM 1013 ff. 

Wednesday 16 August – Class IV [EF: St Joachim, Class III] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 471*/AM 602. 

Thursday 17 August – Class IV [EF: St Hyacinth, Class III] 

Friday 18 August – Class IV; St Agapitus, Memorial 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [245]/AM 1019.

Saturday 19 August – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [EF: St John Eudes, Class III; Benedictine Confederation: St Bernard Tolomei, Optional Memorial] 

1 Vespers of the Third Sunday of August: Magnificat antiphon, MD 451*/AM 581; collect of the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 472*/AM 603. 

Sunday 20 August – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost/Third Sunday of August, Class II

 MD 471-2*/AM 602-3. 

Monday 21 August – Class IV; St Bernard Ptolemy, Memorial [EF: St Jane Frances de Chantal, Class III] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 472*/AM 603; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [249]/AM 1022. 

Tuesday 22 August – Class IV; St Timothy, Memorial [EF: Immaculate Heart of the BVM, Class II/ Gower: Class I] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [250]/AM 1023. 

Wednesday 23 August – Class IV [EF: St Philip Benizi, Class III; Previously: Vigil of St Bartholomew] 

Thursday 24 August – St Bartholomew, Class II 

MD [250]/AM 1024. 

Friday 25 August – Class IV [**In some places/EF: St Louis, Class III/Gower: Memorial] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 472*/AM 603. 

Saturday 26 August – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [EF: St Zepherinus, Memorial] 

1 Vespers of the Fourth Sunday of August: Magnificat antiphon, MD 452*/AM 581-2; collect of the Thirteenth Sunday, MD 472-3*/AM 604. 

Sunday 27 August – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost/Fourth Sunday of August, Class II

 MD 472-3*/AM 604-5. 

Monday 28 August – St Augustine of Hippo, Class III; St Hermes, Memorial 

MD [251]/AM 1024. 

Tuesday 29 August – Beheading of St John the Baptist, Class III 

MD [252]/AM 1026 ff. 

Wednesday 30 August – Class IV; SS Felix and Adauctus, Memorial [Gower: and St Rose of Lima, Memorials; EF/**In some places, St Rose of Lima, Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [257]/AM 1029. 

Thursday 31 August – Class IV [EF: St Raymond Nonnatus, Class III] 

July 2023

The 'ordinary' texts for the Office in July are for time throughout the year (after the Octave of Pentecost). 

At Matins on ordinary weekdays, the readings follow the summer pattern of one short reading and short responsory only.

If you would like more detailed notes, you can purchase the full ordo through Lulu in hardcopy or PDF form.

You can also find notes on how to say the Benedictine Office according to the 1962 calendar and rubrics here. 

JULY 2023

Saturday 1 July – Class IV; Our Lady on Saturday [EF/In some monasteries: The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Class I] 

1 Vespers of the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 446*/AM 576-7 & 594. 

Sunday 2 July – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II; Commemoration of the Visitation of the BVM

Matins: All as in the psalter with readings and responsories of the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. 

MD 464-5*/AM 594-5; for the commemoration at Lauds, Benedictus antiphon, versicle, and collect of the Visitation MD [182]/AM 955-6. 

Monday 3 July – Class IV; SS Processus and Martinian, Memorial [EF: St Irenaeus, Class III] 

For notes on how to say the Octave of SS Peter and Paul see AM 958. 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year, collect MD 464-5*/AM 594; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [184]/AM 956. 

Tuesday 4 July – Class IV [**In some places: St Procopius] 

Wednesday 5 July – Class IV [EF: St Anthony Mary Zacharia, Class III] 

Thursday 6 July – Class IV [St Maria Goretti, Optional Class III; Gower, Class III; Previously: Octave Day of SS Peter and Paul] 

Friday 7 July – Class IV [EF: SS Cyril and Methodius, Class III] 

Saturday 8 July – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [EF: St Elizabeth of Portugal, Class III] 

1 Vespers of the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 447*/AM 577 & 596. 

Sunday 9 July – Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Class II

MD 465-6*/AM 595-6. 

Monday 10 July – Class IV [EF: Seven Holy Brothers and SS Rufina and Secunda, Class III] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect, MD 466*/AM 596. 

Tuesday 11 July – Translation of the Relics of St Benedict, Class II [Previously: with a Common Octave; EF: Class IV; Pius I, Memorial; OF: St Benedict] 

MD [185]/AM 964 ff. 

Wednesday 12 July – Class IV, St John Gualbert, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [193]/AM 969. 

Thursday 13 July – Class IV 

Friday 14 July – St Bonaventure, Class III [USA/optional: St Kateri Tekakwitha, Class III] MD [193-4]/AM 970.

Saturday 15 July – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [Optional Class III/EF: St Henry, Patron Saint of Benedictine Oblates] 

1 Vespers of the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, MD 447-8*/AM 577&597. 

Sunday 16 July – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

MD 466-7*/AM 596-7. 

Monday 17 July – Class IV; St Leo IV, Memorial [**In some places, SS Andrew Svoradi and Benedict; EF: St Alexius, Memorial] 

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 467*/AM 597; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [194]/AM 972. 

Tuesday 18 July – Class IV [Gower: SS Symphorosa and Seven Sons, Memorial; EF: St Camillus de Lellis, Class III] 

Wednesday 19 July – Class IV; St Vincent de Paul, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [195]/AM 973. 

Thursday 20 July – Class IV; SS Jerome Aemiliani [EF: Class III], Joseph Calanctius and John Baptist de la Salle, Memorial 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [195-6]/AM 973. 

Friday 21 July – Class IV [Gower: St Praxedes, Memorial; EF: St Lawrence Brindisi, Class III; St Praxedes, Memorial] 

Saturday 22 July – St Mary Magdalen, Class III [OF: Feast; Le Barroux, Class I] 

MD [196] ff/AM 976-7; 1 Vespers of the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 467-8/AM 598. 

Sunday 23 July – Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

MD 467-8*/AM 598-9. 

Monday 24 July – Class IV [EF: St Christina, Memorial; Previously: Vigil of St James] 

Tuesday 25 July – St James, Class II 

MD [201]/AM 979. 

Wednesday 26 July – SS Joachim and Anne, Class III [EF: St Anne, Class II; in Quebec: Class I] 

MD [202]/AM 980 ff. 

Thursday 27 July – Class IV [EF: St Pantaleon, Memorial] 

Friday 28 July – Class IV [EF: SS Nazarius and Celsus, Victor I& Innocent I, Class III] 

Saturday 29 July – Class IV; Our Lady on Saturday; SS Felix, Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrice, Memorial [EF: St Martha, Class III; Benedictine Confederation: SS Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Memorial] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [207-8]/AM 986; 1 Vespers of the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Magnificat antiphon and versicle, MD 448-9*/AM 578; collect, MD 449*/AM 600. 

Sunday 30 July – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II [Previously: First Sunday of August]

MD 468-9*/AM 599-600. 

Monday 31 July – St Ignatius, Class III 

MD [209]/AM 986.

 

June 2023

Notes on the Office for June. 

From 1 Vespers of Trinity Sunday, the Office returns to the 'throughout the year' texts for the Ordinary of the Office.

If you would like more detailed notes, you can purchase the full ordo through Lulu in hardcopy or PDF form.

You can also find notes on how to say the Benedictine Office according to the 1962 calendar and rubrics here.

June 2023

Thursday 1 June – Pentecost Thursday, Class I 

Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 405*/AM 529-30. 

Friday 2 June – Ember Friday of Pentecost, Class I 

Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 405-6*/AM 530-1. 

Saturday 3 June – Ember Saturday of Pentecost, Class I 

Lauds to None: As for Pentecost Sunday, with festal psalms at Lauds and Vespers, except the Benedictus antiphon and collect, MD 406-7*/AM 531; 1 Vespers of the Most Holy Trinity: Sunday psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD 407*/AM 532 ff (no commemoration of the Sunday); Compline: Marian Antiphon Salve Regina, MD 268-9/AM 176 or 180, henceforward. 

Sunday 4 June – Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Class I

MD 409*/AM 535 ff (no commemoration of the Sunday). 

Monday 5 June – St Boniface, Class III 

MD [152]/AM 914. 

Tuesday 6 June – St Norbert, Class III 

MD [152]/AM 915. 

Wednesday 7 June – Class IV 

Collect of the First Sunday after Pentecost, MD 418*/AM 535; 1 Vespers of Corpus Christi, MD 419*/AM 543 ff. 

Thursday 8 June – Corpus Christi, Class I [Previously: with a Privileged Octave of the second order] 

MD 427*/AM 550 ff. 

Friday 9 June – Class IV; SS Primus and Felician, Memorial [**In some places, St Columba] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [153]/AM 915. 

Saturday 10 June – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [EF: St Margaret of Scotland, Class III] 

1 Vespers of the Second Sunday after Pentecost, MD 432*/AM 556-7. 

Sunday 11 June – Second Sunday after Pentecost (Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi), Class II

 MD 461-2*/AM 557-8. 

Monday 12 June – Class IV [EF: St John of Facundo; SS Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius, Memorial]

All as in the psalter for throughout the year with collect MD 462*/AM 557. 

Tuesday 13 June – Class IV; St Anthony of Padua, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [154]/AM 916. 

Wednesday 14 June – St Basil the Great, Class III 

MD [155]/AM 917. 

Thursday 15 June – Class IV; St Vitus, Memorial [EF/Gower: also SS Modestus and Crescentia, Memorial] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [155]/AM 917; 1 Vespers of the Sacred Heart, MD 432*/AM 560 ff. 

Friday 16 June – Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Class I [Previously: with a Privileged Octave of the third order] 

MD 439*/AM 565 ff. 

Saturday 17 June – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [EF: St Gregory Barbarigo, Class III] 

1 Vespers of the Third Sunday after Pentecost, MD 445*/AM 571. 

Sunday 18 June – Third Sunday after Pentecost (Sunday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), Class II

MD 462-3*/AM 571 ff. 

Monday 19 June – Class IV; St Gervase and Protase, Memorial [EF: St Juliana Falcionieri, Class III] 

All as in the psalter for time throughout the year with collect, MD 463*/AM 572; for the commemorations at Lauds, MD [157]/AM 918. 

Tuesday 20 June – Class IV [EF: St Silverius, Memorial] 

Wednesday 21 June – Class IV; St Aloysius Gonzaga, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [157-8]/AM 918. 

Thursday 22 June – Class IV [EF/Gower: St Paulinus, Memorial; in England and Wales, SS John Fisher and Thomas More] 

Friday 23 June – Vigil of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, Class II 

MD [158]/AM 919; 1 Vespers of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, MD [159]/AM 920 ff. 

Saturday 24 June – Nativity of St John the Baptist, Class I [Previously: with a Common Octave] 

MD [161]/AM 924 ff; 2 Vespers of the feast with commemoration of the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, MD 445*/AM 575-6 & 593. 

Sunday 25 June – Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Class II

 MD 463-4*/AM 593. 

Monday 26 June – Class IV; SS John and Paul, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

For the commemoration at Lauds, MD [166]/AM 929. 

Tuesday 27 June – Class IV 

Wednesday 28 June – Vigil of SS Peter and Paul, Class II 

MD [166-7]/AM 930; 1 Vespers of SS Peter and Paul, MD [167]/AM 931 ff. 

Thursday 29 June – SS Peter and Paul, Class I [Previously: with a Common Octave] 

MD [169]/AM 934 ff. 

Friday 30 June – Commemoration of St Paul, Class III 

MD [173]/AM 941 ff.

 

The feast of the finding of Holy Cross (May 3)

 

St Helena finding the true cross, Italian MSS c825, Source: Wikicommons.

 For those who use the traditional Benedictine Office and follow one of the monasteries that have revived this feast, I've put together the texts for both Matins and the day hours of the feast of Finding of Holy Cross arranged as for the Benedictine Office, and you can find them over at my Lectio Divina Notes Blog.

The feasts of the sign of the Cross

This feast was suppressed in the 1962 Benedictine and General Roman calendars, but is being revived in many places.  

Most of the texts are the same as for the feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross (September 14), save for the addition of alleluias because of the season.  

But there are a few differences, reflecting the fact that while both celebrate the sign of the Cross (rather than the Passion per se), they celebrate two different events.  

The feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross celebrates the recovery of the true Cross in AD 629 by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, after it had fallen into the hands of the Persian Emperor Chosroes II in the AD 614 Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem.

The feast of the finding of Holy Cross on May 3, by contrast, celebrates its initial recovery by St Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine the Great, in 327.

The finding of Holy Cross

The Matins (Nocturn II) readings describing the events celebrated in the feast of the finding of Holy Cross read as follows:

After that famous victory which the Emperor Constantine gained over Maxentius, in the year 312, on the eve of which the banner of the Cross of the Lord had been given to him from heaven, Helen, the mother of Constantine, being warned in a dream, came to Jerusalem, in 326, to seek for the Cross. There it was her care to cause to be overthrown the marble statue of Venus, which had stood on Calvary for about one hundred and eighty years, and which had originally been put there to desecrate and destroy the memorial of the sufferings of the Lord Christ. The like work Helen did at Bethlehem, by cleansing from an image of Adonis the stable where the Saviour was born, and from an idol of Jupiter, the place where he had arisen from the dead. 

When she had thus cleansed the place where the Cross had stood, Helen caused deep excavations to be made, which resulted in the discovery of three crosses, and, apart from them, the writing which had been nailed on that of the Lord. But which of the crosses had been His was unknown, and was only manifested by a miracle. Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, after offering solemn prayers to God, touched with each of the three a woman who was afflicted with a grievous disease. The two first had no effect, but at the touch of the third she was immediately healed. 

Helen, after she had found the life-giving Cross, built over the site of the Passion a Church of extraordinary splendour, wherein she deposited part of the Cross, shut up in a silver case. Another part which she gave to her son, Constantine, was laid up in the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, which he built at Rome on the site of the Sessorian Palace. 

She also gave to her son the nails with which the Most Holy Body of Jesus Christ had been pierced. Constantine established a law abolishing the punishment of crucifixion for all time coming and thenceforth what had hitherto been a hissing and a curse among men, began to be esteemed worshipful and glorious.

May 2023

The Ordo notes for May for the Benedictine Office according to the 1962  monastic calendar and rubrics are set out below.

Note that you can obtain more detailed notes by purchasing the full Ordo from Lulu.

You can also find detailed instructions on how to say the Benedictine Office using the Monastic Diurnal published by St Michael's Abbey Press (or the Antiphonale Monasticum or Breviarium Monasticum) here.

The Office this month

Texts of the season

The season is currently Eastertide, and the Ordinary texts for the season are set out in the 'of time section of your Office book.  After the feast of the Ascension on May 18 the Ordinary changes to those for Ascensiontide.

May 1 and the feast of St Joseph

May 1 is designated as the feast of St Joseph the Worker in the 1962 calendar, however as this feast now looks very outdated, many monasteries have adopted the option to say instead the Office of the former Solemnity of St Joseph (previously said on the Wednesday of the second week after the Octave of Easter).  

The texts for the Solemnity of St Joseph can be found at page [130] and following in the Monastic Diurnal; page 883 in the Antiphonale; and page 992 and following in the new Nocturnale Monasticum.

The former Solemnity also had an octave, with three patristic readings each day at Matins.

May 3: Finding of Holy Cross

A number of monasteries have also revived the Feast of the finding of Holy Cross, on May 3, for which see page 896 of the Antiphonale and 998 in the Nocturnale.

The texts for the day hours are the same as for the feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross on September 14, which can be found at page [265] and following in the Monastic Diurnal, with the exception of the canticle antiphons and collect (which you can find on Divinum Officium).

May 6: St John before the Lateran Gate

The feast of St Joh is another secondary feast suppressed in the 1962 calendar, but being revived in a number of places.  The necessary texts and chants for it can be found in the Antiphonale from page 904.

Octave of the Ascension

The most important twentieth century calendar change affecting this period was the suppression of the Octave of the Ascension.  

The texts previously used are mostly preserved as the 'Ordinary of Ascensiontide' however where the former Octave is celebrated, on weekdays up until Wednesday: at Matins, there are three Patristic readings of the Octave; and at Lauds to Vespers, all is as for the feast. 

On the Friday after the Octave, the Office is said as for the Sunday within the Octave (ie as per the ‘Office in Ascensiontide’ 1962 rubrics) unless displaced by a Class I or II feast (in which case the Octave is commemorated).

MAY 2023

Monday 1 May – St Joseph the Worker, Class I [Previously: SS Philip and James] 

MD [126] ff or MD [133] ff. 

Tuesday 2 May – St Athanasius, Class III 

MD [138]/AM 896. 

Wednesday 3 May – Class IV; SS Alexander, Eventius and Theodolus, Memorial [Previously: Finding of Holy Cross] 

Canticle antiphons, MD 366*/AM 491; collect, MD 362*/AM 488; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [138-9]/AM 902.

Thursday 4 May – Class IV; St Monica, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

Canticle antiphons, MD 366*/AM 492; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [139-40]/AM 903. 

Friday 5 May – Class IV; St Pius V, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

Canticle antiphons, MD 366-7*/AM 492&489; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [140]/AM 903. 

Saturday 6 May – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [Previously: St John before the Latin Gate; Canada: St François de Laval, Class III]

Office of Our Lady in Eastertide, MD (135)/AM 718-9; 1 Vespers of the Fourth Sunday in Eastertide, MD 367*/AM 493 ff. 

Sunday 7 May – Fourth Sunday after Easter, Class II

MD 368*/AM 493 ff. 

Monday 8 May – Class IV 

Ordinary of Eastertide, MD 346*/AM 466 ff; canticle antiphons for Lauds and Vespers, MD 370*/AM 495-6; collect, MD 368*/AM 494. 

Tuesday 9 May – St Gregory Nazianzen, Class III 

MD [141]/AM 905. 

Wednesday 10 May – Class IV; SS Gordian and Epimachis, Memorial [EF: St Antonius, Class III] 

Canticle antiphons, MD 371*/AM 497. 

Thursday 11 May – SS Philip and James, Class II [Benedictine Confederation: SS Odo, Maiolus, Odilo, Hugh and Blessed Peter the Venerable, Memorial] 

MD [142]/AM 893 ff. 

Friday 12 May – Class IV; SS Nereus, Archilleus and Pancras, Memorial [EF: Class III] 

Canticle antiphons, MD 371-2*/AM 498/495; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [146]/AM 905. 

Saturday 13 May – Class IV; Our Lady on Saturday; St Robert Bellarmine, Memorial [EF: Class III; Previously: Commemoration of Martyrs and Other Saints whose relics are in churches of the Benedictine Order] 

Office of Our Lady in Eastertide, MD (135)/AM 718-9; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [147]/AM 909; 1 Vespers of the Fifth Sunday after Easter, MD 372*/AM 499 ff. 

Sunday 14 May – Fifth Sunday after Easter, Class II

MD 373*/AM 499 ff. 

Monday 15 May – Class IV; Rogation Day [EF: St John Baptist de la Salle, Class III; Benedictine Confederation: St Pacomius, Optional Memorial] 

Ordinary of Eastertide, MD 346*/AM 466 ff; canticle antiphons for Lauds and Vespers (Monday in the fifth week after Easter), MD 375*/AM 501-2; collect, MD 373-4*/AM 500. 

Tuesday 16 May – Class IV; Rogation Day [EF: St Ubald, Class III] 

Canticle antiphons, MD 375-6*/AM 503. 

Wednesday 17 May – Vigil of the Ascension, Class II; Rogation Day [EF: St Pascal Baylon, Memorial] 

MD 376*/AM 503-4; 1 Vespers of the Ascension, MD 376*/AM 505 ff. 

Thursday 18 May – The Ascension of Our Lord, Class I [Previously: with a Privileged Octave of the third order] 

MD 379*/AM 508 ff. 

Friday 19 May – Class IV; St Peter Celestine, Memorial [EF: Class III; Benedictine Confederation, St Celestine, Optional Memorial; **In some places: St Dunstan, Class III] 

MD 383*/AM 509 ff; for the commemoration at Lauds, MD [148-9]/AM 911. 

In some monasteries: Vespers of Our Lady on Saturday. 

Saturday 20 May – Class IV; Saturday of Our Lady [EF: St Bernardine of Siena, Class III; Gower: Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, Class I] 

Office of Our Lady on Saturday, MD (130-1)/AM 714; 1 Vespers of the Sunday after the Ascension, MD 388-9*/AM 513-4. 

Sunday 21 May – Sunday after the Ascension (Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension), Class II

 MD 389*/AM 513 ff. 

Monday 22 May – Class IV 

Ordinary of the Ascension, MD 383*/AM 509 ff with collect, MD 386*/AM 514. 

Tuesday 23 May – Class IV 

Wednesday 24 May – Class IV [In Australia and New Zealand and other places: **Our Lady Help of Christians, Class I] 

Thursday 25 May – St Gregory VII, Class III [Previously: Octave Day of the Ascension] 

MD [149]/AM 912. 

Friday 26 May – St Augustine OSB, Class III [EF: St Philip Neri, Class III] 

MD [150]/AM 913. 

Saturday 27 May – Vigil of the Pentecost, Class I 

MD 386*/AM 514; 1 Vespers of Pentecost, MD 393*/AM 517 ff. 

Sunday 28 May – Pentecost Sunday, Class I with Class I Octave

 MD 396*/AM 520 ff. 

Monday 29 May – Pentecost Monday, Class I [OF: Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church] 

Lauds to Vespers: As for Pentecost Sunday, with festal psalms at Lauds and Vespers, except the canticle antiphons and collect, MD 403*/AM 525-6; at Terce, hymn Veni Creator. 

Tuesday 30 May – Pentecost Tuesday, Class I 

Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 403-4*/AM 527. 

Wednesday 31 May – Ember Wednesday of Pentecost, Class I 

Canticle antiphons and collect, MD 404-5*/AM 528.

 

St Mellitus (d. 624) and the early cult of St Benedict

April 24 is the feast of St Mellitus, first bishop of London, and third Archbishop of Canterbury, on whom I've written previously.  

Although (probably) not a Benedictine himself, he has some particular interest from a Benedictine perspective for his promotion of the cult of St Benedict in the 'Chronicon Melliti', a version of the Chronicle compiled by Isidore of Seville (d 636).

St Mellitus

St Mellitus was part of the group of clergy sent by St Gregory the Great to augment the mission to Anglo-Saxon England in 601.  

He was initially appointed as bishop of London, but regime change there lead to his exile to Merovingian Gaul, and although he eventually returned to England, he did not return to London, but instead worked in the kingdom of Kent, where he eventually succeeded Archbishop Lawrence as Archbishop of Canterbury.  

He is best known, though, as the recipient of a letter from St Gregory the Great on missionary strategy that was preserved in St Bede's Ecclesiastical History. 

According to St Bede, St Mellitus was of noble birth.  A papal register described him as an abbot of Frankia; various letters describe him as an abbot, but modern historians have suggested that this designation may have been just a courtesy title, conferred to make him the leader of the missionary group. 

He was credited with one miracle in his life time, diverting a fire, and thus saving the Church building at Canterbury in 623.  His cult was established early but was only ever local.  Nonetheless, his feast is still celebrated on this date in a number of English dioceses.

The Chronicle

St Mellitus' particular interest from a Benedictine perspective though, lies in the edits and additions he made to Isidore of Seville's Chronicle, in particular, his addition of entries on St Gregory the Great and St Benedict to its lists of illustrious people.

The (on the face of it convincing) identification of bishop Mellitus as the author of the edits to Isidore's chronicle is fairly recent, coming in a paper by Luciano Cuppo (originally given at a 2010 conference, and since published in John S. Ott and Trpimir Vedriš, eds., Saintly Bishops and Bishops' Saints. (Series Colloquia 2.) Zagreb: Hagiotheca, 2012). 

And that means that the comments made in it on St Benedict must date from between 615 (when the first edition of Isidore's Chronicle was completed) and St Mellitus' death in 624.

Accordingly, assuming the attribution is correct, the references to St Benedict in the Chronicle provide some of the earliest attestations to the importance of St Benedict outside of St Gregory's Dialogues, and are all the more important because they are clearly independent of St Gregory's work.

St Benedict as the illustrious father of monks

This particular edition of the Chronicle, according to Cuppo, provides two references to St Benedict. 

The first gives the date of his death as 526, a much earlier than the traditional date of c542, and incompatible with the timing of several of incidents recorded in St Gregory's Life of the saint. 

Cuppo is inclined to give Mellitus more weight than Gregory's account, but given recent work supporting the historicity of St Gregory's work, although attractive from some perspectives (it would settle the question of the priority of the Rule over that of the Master for one thing!) I'm inclined to disagree: for one thing, Gregory clearly cites his sources and clearly made deep inquiries about St Benedict's life and teaching.

The far more important and significant reference though is 'at that same time [565 - 578] Abbot Benedict, father of monks, was held in high esteem throughout Campania, Apulia, and the Roman province [ie Provence].'

Cuppo doesn't go into this, but St Gregory's Life mentions one other Italian foundation (Terracina) and also provides a possible link to Provence in the form of the friendship between St Benedict and Abbot Servandus, whose monastery had been founded by the then Governor of Provence, Liberius, who had in turn been saved by a miracle effected by St Caesarius of Arles (for more on this monastery Elizabeth Fentress et al, Walls and Memory. The Abbey of San Sabastiano at Alatri..., Brepols 2005).

Have we come full circle yet?

It has often been claimed, over the last several decades, that Benedictine monasticism was essentially a Carolingian invention.   

Benedictine monasticism, so the revisionist storyline went, essentially died with St Benedict; St Gregory was not a Benedictine, but rather, assuming he wrote the Life at all (which they doubted), concerned with promoting homegrown saints and a particular type of spirituality rather than the Benedictine Rule as such.

But the evidence for something closer to the older, more traditional account (though perhaps a more nuanced one) of the spread of Benedictinism is steadily accumulating, and every little piece helps add to the picture.