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

Office of the Dead

The Diurnal includes the texts for the Office of the Dead (starting from MD (135), and saying it on behalf of a particular soul, selected souls, or all souls in purgatory is a great spiritual work of mercy. For those with ambitions to say Matins but whose Latin (or stamina) is not yet up to the task, saying Matins of the Dead each day might be a good and worthy way to work up to the full thing. It is also a particularly beautiful and haunting Office.

What is the Office of the Dead?

The Office of the Dead consists of first Vespers (ie said the night before), Matins and Lauds, and is said for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. It can be said for one person, or for many.

It is a very ancient Office, and probably took on its current form around the seventh century. It became very popular in the middle ages, with many monasteries earning considerable income by saying it on behalf of laypeople.

It can be said any day, but traditionally it was not said on the equivalent of second and first class feasts, but was said:

• on the day of burial, and third and seventh day after the funeral;
• on the anniversary of the death;
• Pius V recommended it be said on the the first free day in the month, the Mondays of Advent and Lent, on some vigils, and ember days; and
• All Soul's Day.

How to say it.

The Office can of course be said instead of the normal Office (unless you are a priest or religious bound to the recitation of the Office). But if you want to say it as well, say the normal Office of Vespers first, then Vespers for the Dead; Matins and Lauds of the day, then Matins and Lauds of the Dead. You might also choose just to say one of these hours, not all three.

The Office for the Dead has no introductory texts, you just launch into the antiphons and psalms as written. There are though two things you need to decide in advance:

• if you are saying Matins, whether to say all three 'Nocturns" or choose the one appropriate for the day of the week (you will find Sunday, Monday and Thursday on MD (137); Tuesday and Friday on MD (145); and Wednesday and Saturday on MD (154);
• which collect to use - there is a selection from MD (174) onwards, make your choice depending on who you are saying it for and when. Mark your selection with a ribbon.

The only other thing to remember is that instead of the normal Gloria (Glory be) at the end of each psalm, you say "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis" - have a look at MD (137).

Vespers of the Dead

Vespers of the Dead can be found on MD (181). It consists of:

• five psalms each with an antiphon;
• a versicle - MD (185);
• Magnificat with antiphon, MD (185-6);
• the Our Father, said kneeling, intercessory prayers and the selected collect - MD (187)
• conclusion - MD (187).

Matins of the Dead

Can be found on MD (136)ff.

It consists of:

• the invitatory psalm (94) with antiphon said responsorially (follow the text as set out);
• one or three nocturns. Each nocturn consists of three psalms each with an antiphon, and three readings each followed by a responsory.
• the collect and conclusion - MD (163).

Note that there are instruction on what to do if Lauds is not said, or Lauds is separated from Matins on MD (163).

Lauds of the Dead

Lauds of the Dead can be found on MD (163). Apart from stripping out the introductory sections of normal Lauds, it follows the same basic pattern for the psalms and canticles. The concluding prayers for the hour are on MD (173).

On Ordos!

I gather there are a few people searching around for an Ordo to use with the Office, and some confusion about which Ordo is what. So I thought I'd just try and summarise the key differences between the various Ordos I know of, or have been told about, as a bit of an aid to those searching.

This is also a chance for those who are using the Ordo I produce each week to let me know what additional details they would like me to include (no guarantees on delivery though!).

What is an Ordo?

An Ordo is essentially a calendar for use in conjunction with the Mass and/or Office that tells you which feasts are celebrated on a particular date so that you can ensure you use the appropriate texts for the day. At a minimum, it simply lists the feast of the day and tells you the level of it (as in the summary in the sidebar to the right on this blog page). But it often provides a few more details of the particulars of the day (see for example the more detailed weekly notes on this site).

An Ordo is pretty essential - some feast days (such as Easter) change their date every year, and everything else flows from that. And there are inevitably clashes between possible feasts on particular dates, so you need to know what the rules determine should be celebrated on a particular date, and an Ordo should do that.

Some Ordos are extremely detailed - but this is the exception not the norm! In general, unless you live in a monastery where someone else is working it all out for you, you will need to become sufficiently familiar with the structure of the Office to be able to work out that if it is a third class feast, the things that change are....

The choices

The most commonly referred to Ordos are as follows:

• the Novus Ordo calendar used by the Catholic Church post 1970 - you can find a version of it here. This is the calendar most people will see used at Mass, and works well with the Liturgy of the Hours. It talks about feasts being solemnities or memorials. It is pretty hard to use it, however, in conjunction with one of the traditional forms of the Office (see below);
• the 1962 Roman Calendar, which you can find here, used for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and fits easily with the Roman Breviary. It talks about feasts being Class I, II or III, memorials or commemorations;
• the 1962-3 Benedictine Calendar, which is what I am providing on this site, is very similar to the 1962 Roman Calendar, differing only in terms of a few saints' feasts in the main. It can readily be used (or adapted) by anyone attending the EF mass, and using any of the traditional forms of the Benedictine Office (ie 1962 or earlier);
• a pre-1962 Benedictine or Roman calendar, used I gather in the Anglican Breviary and older forms of the Breviary - if your calendar talks about 'doubles' or 'duplexes' and such like terms then it is using one of these calendar variants. If your breviary uses this terminology it is actually pretty easy to superimpose the 1962 calendar onto it (it means dropping a few octaves and other changes though);
• Anglican or Anglican Use Ordos - Anglican Ordos will not include all feasts used in the Catholic Church, and may include some additional saints' feasts. Anglican Use ordos will presumably be something of a hybrid;
• the Western Rite Orthodox Ordo - uses the Orthodox calendar which dates Easter differently to the Western Church;
• Ordos for other religious orders such as the Dominicans, Carmelites, etc. These may come in either Novus Ordo, 1962 or pre-1962 forms.

Note also that most individual Benedictine monasteries (such as Le Barroux) produce their own Ordos for internal use, and by their Oblates, which are likely to differ in some respects from the Universal calendar.

Choosing and Ordo to use

Most people will instinctively want to use the Ordo that goes with whichever form of the Office they have purchased in the interests of simplicity. Fair enough, especially when you are just starting off and struggling to learn the Office.

My own view though is that as far as possible you should work up to using the calendar that aligns most closely with the Mass you attend (particularly if you are a daily mass goer), but admitting of variants to reflect a particular spirituality, such as Benedictine or Dominican, to which you may be attached. So if you attend an EF Mass, by all means use the variants provided by the Benedictine Ordo, it will fit well enough.

The reason is simple: the Office takes the Mass as its starting point, and expands out from it. So on a Sunday, for example, the Gospel at Mass will often provide the antiphon for the Benedictus and Magnificat. At Matins, the Patristic readings will relate to that Gospel. And so forth.

Using the Mass as your starting point of course is harder than it sounds if you want to use one of the traditional forms of the Office, whether Roman, Monastic or some other in conjunction with the OF Mass. Essentially, if you attend a Novus Ordo Mass, you might be able to line up saints' feast days, but the normal passage of liturgical seasons is harder to make work (though technically possible if your Latin is good enough, at least in relation to the Benedictine Office - you need to purchase the new Antiphonale Monasticum from the Monastery of Solesmes).

You should also be aware that whatever Ordo you use, there are local feasts that you will need to add to it - feasts particular to your country, diocese and parish.

My Ordo notes

This site is primarily dedicated to the Benedictine Use. If you are using any of the breviaries or diurnals that are based around the monastic form of the Office (modelled on the provisions set out in the Rule of St Benedict), you should be able to use the Ordo and notes I provide here.

I normally provide page references to the Farnborough edition of the Monastic Diurnal, but if there is sufficient demand, I would be happy to either provide references to the 1962 Monastic Breviary as well. From some of the queries I'm receiving, I think I perhaps need to provide a few more details of the texts to be used in any case, and it may be that this would assist those using other editions of the Diurnal (such as the Lancelot Andrews Press version). I'd certainly be happy to add in Ordo notes for Matins if that would be of assistance to anyone (presumably references to the English of the Office would be preferred?). So let me know what information would be useful - no guarantees, but I'll see what I can do!

Further reading

To learn a bit more about Ordos and the issues associated with them, take a look at my series on learning the Office in the sidebar - parts II, III and XII are relevant.

The Ordinary of Ascensiontide

Now that the great feast of the Ascension is over, we move into 'Ascensiontide' for the next week and a bit. In the pre-1962 calendar this was an 'octave', and remnants of the octave can be found in the Office as it now stands.

You can find the rubrics for this period on page 383* of the Diurnal, and do make sure you know what changes!

The appropriate texts for the minor hours (except for the collects) are set out in the psalter. For the collects, Lauds and Vespers however, you need to keep your ribbon on the page for the Ordinary of Ascensiontide. The key points to note are set out below.

At Lauds

• the antiphons are as for Eastertide;
• the chapter is Conresuscitavit..., MD 384*
• the short responsory is Ascendit Deus, MD 384*
• the hymn is Iesu, nostra redemptio, MD 384-5* (written out in the Liber Hymnaius, pp 88-9)
• versicle Dominus in caelo, MD 385*
• Benedictus antiphon (note that this is used each day except where displaced by a feast, Sunday etc), Ascendo, MD 386*
• the collect for Friday is on MD 386, for Saturday is of the Little Office of Our Lady, for Sunday, of the Sunday, MD 391* (except in places where Our Lady Help of Christians or another feast is celebrated), for the week after, MD 386*

At Prime

• the antiphon is as noted in the psalter, Alleluia
• versicle has alleluia added to it (as for TP)

At Terce, Sext and None

• the antiphon is alleluia, as noted in the psalter
• note that the chapters and versicles are in the psalter for Ascensiontide (Tempore Ascensionis).

At Vespers

• the (single) antiphon is alleluia, as for Eastertide;
• the chapter is Conrescuscitavit, as for Lauds, MD 384*
• the responsory is Ascendens, MD 388*
• the hymn is Iesu, as for Lauds, 384-5*
• the versicle is Ascendit, MD 388*
• the antiphon for the Magnificat each day (unless displaced) is O Rex, MD 388*
• the collects are as for Lauds.

The Ascension

Le Barroux video

Fr Z has a nice spread on the monks of Le Barroux, with photos excerpted from a video on their life - a selection here, plus a teaser video.

Learning the Office: Hymns, chapters, versicles, responsories

This post reviews the rubrics for some key parts of the Office that are common to several of the hours.

All of these parts of the Office are properly said while standing.

The hymn

The hymn uses the same text each day at Prime (Iam Lucis), Terce (Nunc Sancte), Sext (Rector Potens), None (Rerum Deus) and Compline (Te Lucis).

At Lauds and Vespers (and Matins), the text (and chant tone) can vary according to the day of the week, season, feast or day.  

The last verse (doxology) is sung while bowing (medium).

The chant for the hymns can be found either in the Antiphonale Monasticum (which can be downloaded from CC Watershed or you can use the more recent versions of the chant provided in the Liber Hymnarius published by Solesmes.  Note however that the versions of the hymns used in the Antiphonale (and most traditional monasteries) differ from those used in the Roman Office in both text and chant tones.

Useful resources for learning the chant versions of the hymns (but check that they are the correct ones in the Antiphonale) include:

• Liber Hymnarius (sound files of hymns);
• youtube channel of Giovanni Vianini;
• Chant blogs resources page.              

The versicle

The versicle is a short statement and response.

In the Diurnal it is usually just marked V: and R:

You can find an example in the psalter section of the Diurnal on page 55, where the versicle for Sundays during the year is Dominus regnavit....Induit Dominus...During Eastertide, an alleluia is added to each line.

The versicle is always the same at Prime and Compline, but can vary depending on the day of the week, season, feast or day at the other hours.

At Lauds and Vespers a more elaborate chant tone is generally used.

Chapter (Capitulum) 

The chapter is really just a short Scriptural readings used at each Hour.

It is always rounded off with a 'Deo Gratias' (Thanks Be to God) - have a look for example at the chapter for Prime  on page 7 (of the Psalter).

The chapter is always the same at Prime and Compline, but can vary depending on the day of the week, season, feast or day at the other hours.

(Brief) responsory 

The responsory occurs at Lauds and Vespers. It is often labelled Short R or brief, because it stands in contrast to the 'Prolix' version that can be sung at first vespers of major feasts. You can find an example of the standard format for this on page 52, for Sunday Lauds, and it is important to spend a little while familiarising yourself with the structure because the Diurnal abbreviates these mostly, and you have to remember how to say it. And I'm afraid its one of those cases where it makes a lot more sense when you are singing it with someone leading and the rest responding!

So take a look at the example. The first line goes:Inclina cor meum, Deus, * In testimonia tua.

The whole line is then repeated. Let's call the first half of the line (Inclina..) x, and the second half after the asterix (In testimonia) y.

So the structure so far is:
x*y
x*y

Then the verse (and let's call this bit z) goes:

Averte oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem: in via tua vivifica me.

Then the second half of the first line is added on. So the structure so far is now:
x*y
x*y
z*y

Then a short doxology is added:

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.

Then the whole of the first line (Inclina cor meum...In testimonia..) is repeated again.

So the structure of the whole responsory is:

x*y
x*y
z*y
Gloria...
x*y

You can check your understanding by looking at the text for Lauds for Christmas in the Diurnal (MD 72*) (Verbum caro) and listening to the recording below.