Why pray in Latin? New book...

 

I wanted to alert readers to a new book that may be of interest, called Latin Prayer. Aspects of Language and Catholic Spirituality, by David Birch.

Here is the information from the flyer:*

Praying in Latin has been part of Catholic life for almost 2,000 years. Each Latin prayer, whether prayed in public worship, or in private contemplation, is saturated with the very rich history of the Catholic Church. The place of Latin prayer thus forms an intrinsic part of the deep and extensive patrimony that is Catholic Tradition. Latin Prayer. Aspects of Language and Catholic Spirituality offers a grammar of prayer, with a linguist's eye for language, and with a Catholic heart for the numinous, which, linguistically and spiritually, is steeped in this patrimony and Tradition.

Over 13 detailed chapters, exploring a wide range of grammatical, linguistic and stylistic features of Latin prayer, and including a very comprehensive bibliography of Liturgical Latin, this book seeks to offer a linguistic means to exploring, and articulating, some of the spiritual depths that lie at the heart of the Latin prayer of the Church.

This is not a ‘how to learn Latin’ book, nor is it a compendium of Latin prayers, but a sustained meditation on prayer, using both a linguistics and theological/scriptural vocabulary, and written by a now retired academic, who has spent a lifetime, as first medieval and then modern linguist, praying both public and increasingly now, private Latin prayer.

It is hoped that those who know no Latin will be inspired by this book to learn it, and those who know it, and perhaps some, or all, of the prayers included here, to revisit it, perhaps with renewed eyes and heart. Above all, it is hoped that everyone, regardless of linguistic skills, will, through these pages, acknowledge, and indeed marvel at, the depth of Catholic patrimony and Tradition in Latin prayer, and its power and potency as a still completely relevant way of prayer. 

This is not a call to traditionalist arms; nor a condemnation or critique of contemporary post-Vatican II vernacular Catholicism, but an embrace of the prayer of the Church across its entire history, regardless of how parts of that history may now be viewed.

Available in paperback and as an e-book at https://www.amazon.com; online bookstores or please support your local bookshop by ordering it with its ISBN- 978-0-6454193-0-6

All royalties from this book will be donated in full to the Monks of Notre Dame Priory, Colebrook, Tasmania, Australia: https://www.notredamemonastery.org/helpus

**Apologies to those waiting for my promised review - do hope to get to it soon, but I've been rather ill for the last few months, so haven't managed to complete it as yet. 

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love said to me, sorry that's the end of Christmas!

For those looking for the Ordo, just a reminder that you can find a short version of the notes on the page on the blog, or buy the ebook (or hardcopy) through Lulu for more detailed ones. 

By way of orientation, we are currently in a period of the office confected following the abolition of most of the octaves in the office: keep in mind that the Ordinary is of Nativitytide, and the Matins readings are of the date.

In earlier times, the Sunday (as it still is in the EF) would have been the Holy Name of Jesus, and indeed it is not clear that the 1962 'reformers' ever got around to actually constructing an actual Mass for the 'Second Sunday after the Nativity'. 

The other days in this period were the octave days of the various post Christmas feasts (Jan 2=St Stephen, unless displaced by the Sunday; Jan 3=St John; Jan 4=Holy Innocents; Jan 5=Vigil of the Epiphany).  The 2002 Novus Ordo calendar actually restored the Vigil of the Epiphany (where it is not celebrated on the Sunday).

You can find the instructions for the previous pattern in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 284.

In the Ordinary Form in many countries, we have the even greater weirdness that is 'Epiphany Sunday', so that instead of the twelve days of Christmas, this year there are only 7....

Happy Christmas and notes on the Office of the Octave...

 

Happy Christmas to all readers.

And by way of a Christmas present, detailed notes on the Office over the next week or so from the Ordo.

And if you would like to hear sung Matins of the Nativity, have a listen to monks of Notre Dame Priory, Australia.

The Ordo

Friday 24 December – Vigil of the Nativity, Class I 

Matins: Two Nocturns with invitatory antiphon, hymn, three readings and responsories, chapter and collect of the Vigil, MB 85 ff and psalms of the day. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Vigil, MD 54*/AM 232 ff. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD 54*/AM 232. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the Vigil, MD 57-8*/AM 235. 

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

1 Vespers of the Nativity of Our Lord: Psalms of Sunday with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD 58*/AM 236 ff. 

Compline: Marian antiphon Alma redemptoris, versicle and collect for December 24 (Post partum), MD 265-6/AM 174-5 henceforward. 

The Office during Nativitytide

 The season of the Nativity lasts from 1 Vespers of Christmas Day until January 13, and falls into four parts: the Vigil and feast of the Nativity; the Octave of the Nativity; the days from January 2 to 5; and the season of Epiphanytide. The texts for the Vigil and feast are proper to it. 

Saturday 25 December – The Nativity of Our Lord, Class I with a Class II Octave 

Matins: Three nocturns with invitatory, hymn, psalms, antiphons, twelve readings and responsories all of the feast, LR 54 ff. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, MD 61*/AM 240 ff. 

Prime: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon MD 64*/AM 244. 

Terce to None: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD 64-5*/AM 244-5. 

2 Vespers of the Nativity: Antiphons, psalms, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD 65*/AM 245 ff.

[Le Barroux and some other monasteries: with a commemoration of St Stephen, MD 74-5*]

The Office during the Octave of the Nativity

 During the Octave, the psalms are either of the relevant feast, or of the day of the week except at Vespers, which uses the psalms of the feast of the Nativity each day, but with an alternating fourth psalm. The variable texts (antiphons, chapters, versicle, collect, etc) are either of the feast (where there is one), of the Sunday, or as for the feast of the Nativity. 

Sunday 26 December – Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II; Commemoration of St Stephen, Protomartyr

 Matins: All as for the Nativity except for the readings, responsories and collect. 

Lauds: Festal psalms; antiphons, responsory and hymn of the Nativity (AM 240 ff); chapter, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Sunday within the Octave, MD 77* ff/AM 266; for the commemoration, Benedictus antiphon, versicle and collect, MD 85*/AM 252. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD 77*/AM 240. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the Sunday in the Octave, MD 81*/AM 266 ff. 

2 Vespers: Antiphons, psalms [4^th psalm = Ps 129], responsory and hymn of the Nativity, MD 65*/AM 245 ff; chapter, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the Sunday, MD 82*/AM 267. 

Monday 27 December – St John the Evangelist, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity 

Matins: Three nocturns, all as for the Common of Apostles (LR 134 ff) except for the readings, responsories, Gospel and collect (of the feast). 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, with a commemoration of the Octave, MD 90*/AM 255 ff. 

Prime: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD 90*/AM 255. 

Terce to None: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD 93-4*/AM 258. 

2 Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of Nativity, MD 65* [4th psalm = Ps 129]; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, with a commemoration of the Octave, MD 94*/AM 259 ff. 

Tuesday 28 December – Holy Innocents, Class II; Commemoration of the Octave of the Nativity 

Matins: Three Nocturns with antiphons and psalms of the Common of Several Martyrs, LR 175/MB 63* ff; invitatory antiphon, hymn, readings and responsories of the feast, LR 450 ff. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the feast, with a commemoration of the Octave, MD 97*/AM 260 ff. 

Prime: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD 97*/AM 260. 

Terce to None: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD 100*/AM 263 ff. 

2 Vespers: Antiphons and psalms of Nativity, MD 65* ff; chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the feast, MD 101*/AM 263 ff [4th psalm = Ps 131], with a commemoration of the Octave, MD 96-7*/AM 263. 

Wednesday 29 December – Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity, Class II [Le Barroux, Gower and other  places, St Thomas Becket, Class I or Commemoration] 

For St Thomas Becket, MD 2**; SupAnt 15**. 

Matins: Two Nocturns with invitatory, hymn, antiphons, versicle, chapter and collect of the Nativity; three (Patristic) readings and responsories of the day. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Nativity, MD 61*/AM 267 ff. 

Prime: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Nativity, MD 64*/AM 240. 

Terce to None: Psalms of the day of the week with antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the Nativity, MD 64-5*/AM 244-5. 

Vespers: Antiphons, psalms [4th psalm = Ps 129], chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the Nativity, MD 65*/AM 245 ff. 

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

Matins: Two Nocturns with invitatory, hymn, antiphons, versicle, chapter and collect of the Nativity; three (Patristic) readings and responsories of the day. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Nativity, MD 61*/AM 244. 

Prime: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Nativity, MD 64*/AM 240. 

Terce to None: Psalms of the day with chapter, versicle and collect of the Nativity, MD 64-5*/AM 244-5. 

Vespers: Antiphons and psalms [4th psalm = Ps 131], chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect of the Nativity, MD 65*/AM 245 ff. 

Friday 31 December – Seventh Day within the Octave, Class II; Commemoration of St Sylvester 

Matins: Two Nocturns with invitatory, hymn, antiphons, versicle, chapter and collect of the Nativity; three (Patristic) readings and responsories of the day. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Nativity, MD 61*/AM 244; commemoration of St Sylvester, MD 103-4*/AM 269. 

Prime: Psalms of the day of the week; antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Nativity, MD 64*/AM 240. 

Terce to None: Psalms of the day with chapter, versicle and collect of the Nativity, MD 64-5*/AM 244-5. 

1 Vespers of the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord: Psalms of the Common of Feasts of the BVM, MD (119) ff/AM 703; antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect, MD 104*/AM 270 ff. 

Saturday 1 January – Octave Day of the Nativity (Circumcision of the Lord), Class I 

Matins: Three nocturns with psalms of the Nativity, antiphons, psalms, versicles, readings, responsories and collect of the feast. 

Lauds: Festal psalms with antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect for the feast, MD 108*/AM 271 ff. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds, MD 108*/AM 271. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the feast, MD 111-2*/AM 274-5. 

2 Vespers of the Octave Day of the Nativity: Psalms of the Common of Feasts of the BVM, MD (119) ff/AM 703; antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn and collect as for 1 Vespers, MD 104*/AM 270 ff; versicle and Magnificat antiphon, MD 113*/AM 275. 

Note: Where the Holy Name of Jesus, Class II  is said instead of Second Sunday after the Nativity, it is not marked at Vespers today. 

Sunday 2 January – Second Sunday after the Nativity, Class II [EF/Le Barroux and some monasteries: Holy Name of Jesus]

 Note: Prior to 1962 this Sunday was celebrated as the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; accordingly the chants for the ‘Second Sunday’ do not appear in the Antiphonale Monasticum.  The Roman EF however has maintained the feast, and texts for it can be found at MD 3**/AM 276 ff. 

Matins: Invitatory, hymn and versicles of the ordinary of Nativitytide; Nocturn I readings of January 3; Nocturn II & III readings, responsories, Gospel and collect of the Second Sunday after the Nativity. 

Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Benedictus antiphon and collect of the Second Sunday, MD 116*. 

Prime: Antiphon, MD 118*. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter, versicle and collect of the Sunday, MD 118-119*. 

2 Vespers: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and collect as for I Vespers, MD 113* ff; Magnificat antiphon, MD 119*.

Notes on the Office in the fourth week of Advent

For the full Ordo for the week, either buy the detailed version of the Ordo from Lulu or look at the short version on the blog.

In the meantime, just a quick reminder that the day hours from 17 December to 23 December are the most complicated in the Office, so you need to keep your wits about you!

In particular, remember that on these days:

• the psalms are those of the day of the week (the exception being the feast of St Thomas on December 21);
• the antiphons for the psalms are of the day of the week in the period December 17-23 (except for Saturday Vespers to Sunday Vespers, which are of the Fourth Sunday of Advent);
• at Lauds, the Benedictus antiphon is of the day of the week of Advent except on December 21 (of the feast, with a commemoration using the antiphon of the date) and December 23;
• at Vespers, the Magnificat antiphon is O antiphon of the date; 
• the variable texts (hymn, chapter, responsory etc) are of the season (Ordinary of Advent);
• the collect is of the week of Advent (save for at Prime and Compline; on the Ember days; and on the feast of St Thomas).

And here's hoping you have a happy and holy Christmas!

Notes on the Office for the Third Week of Advent in 2021

 

This coming week is the third of Advent, and features the feast of St Lucy on Monday.

The liturgy intensifies this week, with the three Ember Days of Advent (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, traditionally days of fasting and abstinence), and from Friday, the start of the 'O' antiphons at Vespers.

All of the days between December 17 and 23 are Class II days: 

• At Matins there is a proper Invitatory antiphon for the season (Prope est, MB 14).
• At Lauds to Vespers a set of antiphons for the psalms for each day of the week are used, set out at MD 37*/AM 212 ff.
• At Lauds the Benedictus antiphons are normally of the relevant Advent day, but there are specific antiphons said on December 21 and 23.
• At Vespers, the 'O Antiphons' (MD 35-6*/AM 208ff) are sung with the Magnificat, displacing the Magnificat antiphon of the Advent day. 

You can find a summary Ordo for the full month on the blog.  Alternatively, you can purchase the more detailed version from Lulu.

Frequently asked questions about the Benedictine Office Part II

Continuing on my list of frequently asked questions about the Benedictine Office....this time about the shape of the Office itself.

1.  How many times of prayer are there in the traditional Benedictine Office?

St Benedict specified that he wanted his monks to pray seven times through the day, and again at night.

The seven day hours are known as Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; the Night Vigil is known as Matins.

Although these different prayer times are called 'hours', with the exception of the Night Vigil, their actual length is mostly much shorter than that, ranging from 5-10 minutes (for Terce, Sext and None) to around 45 minutes for sung Lauds.  

2. Why does the Benedictine Office still include Prime when this was abolished by Vatican II?

 Vatican II's prescriptions concerned the Roman Office, not the Benedictine.

While some Benedictine monasteries have eliminated Prime in order to stay in sync with the modern Roman Office, the traditional Benedictine Office legitimately retains the structure set out by the founder.

3.  What do the hours consist of?

The core of the Benedictine Office is the psalms. 

Each hour of the Benedictine Office includes a hymn, short verse of Scripture (called the 'chapter'), a prayer, and other texts. 

The main component of each of the hours, though, is the psalms.

St Benedict organised his Office to ensure that all of the psalms are said each week, but with some of the ones he regarded as more important are repeated each day.

4.  Do you have to say all of the 'hours'?

Unless you are a priest or religious you don't have to say all or indeed any of them each day: you can decide for yourself which hours to say.

A good way to start is Prime and Compline, as these provide a good morning and evening prayer and are the simplest to say.

5.  At what time are the hours said?

Traditionally, Lauds is said at first light, before dawn; Prime before work;  Terce, mid-morning; Sext at  noon; None in mid-afternoon; Vespers in the early evening before sunset; and Compline before bed. 

 

Matins (not in a Diurnal) is said in darkness (traditionally in the very early morning).

You can, however, be reasonably flexible about the times you say them at.  

Although St Benedict was pretty insistent on starting Lauds at first light, because the hour links the rising sun with the Resurrection, he was prepared to move most of the other hours around a bit to fit the needs of the particular monastery, and modern practice is more flexible still.

6.  Can the Benedictine Office be said silently?

The traditional Benedictine Office is meant to be sung in Latin, ideally in choir (although St Benedict does make provision for it to be performed alone when on a journey or too far from the chapel).  

Several monasteries provide podcasts of the main hours that you can listen to in order to get a flavour of its full effect.

Most monasteries do, however, sing at least some of the hours 'recto tono', or on one note, rather than with full chant, and this can be a good option for laypeople performing the Office alone.

But it is also permissible to say it silently (provided your mouth forms the words), or purely mentally as a devotional exercise.

Next up

Do let me know if you have other questions you would like answered.

The next post in this series covers Books for the Office.

This week in the Office....

The coming week is the second of Advent, and you can find Ordo notes for it here.

And don't forget that if you would like more detailed notes  on how to say the Benedictine Office for each day of the liturgical year, you can purchase the Ordo from Lulu.

This week features a number of important feasts, including:

• St Nicolas (Dec 6);
  
• St Ambrose (Dec 7);
  
• the Immaculate Conception (Dec 8); and
  
• St Damasus (Dec 11).
  

Note that for a third class feast of a saint, as for St Ambrose, the default rubrics are that at Lauds and Vespers the antiphons and psalms are of the day of the week, but all the other texts are taken from the relevant Common.  At Prime to None, however, the antiphons are also taken from the Common.

In addition, when the Advent day is displaced by a feast, a commemoration of the day is made at both Lauds and Vespers, using the relevant canticle antiphon, versicle and collect.

Accordingly, the full notes in the printed Ordo for Tuesday December 7 this year are as follows:

Tuesday 7 December – St Ambrose, Class III 

Matins: Two nocturns, with invitatory, hymn, chapter and versicle of a Confessor Bishop; readings 1&2 of the Advent day (combine readings 2&3, omit responsory 2); reading 3, responsory and collect of the feast. 

Lauds: Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Benedictus antiphon of the Common of a Confessor Bishop, MD (64)/AM 659 ff; collect of the feast, MD [10]/AM 760; commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200, versicle and collect, MD 11*/AM 198. 

Prime: Antiphon 1 of Lauds of the Common, MD (64)/AM 657. 

Terce to None: Antiphon, chapter and versicle of the Common, MD (67-8)/AM 662-3; collect of the feast, MD [10]/AM 760. 

1 Vespers of the Immaculate Conception: Festal psalms of the BVM (Ps 109, 112, 121 & 126), MD (119); antiphons, chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle, Magnificat antiphon and collect, MD [11]/AM 761 ff; for the commemoration of the Advent day, antiphon, MD 27*/AM 200, versicle, MD 17*/AM 183; and collect, MD 11*/AM 198.