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Jean Pichore, c1520

I know some people are already praying some or all of Matins, but for those who aren't the best way of learning, in my view, is by doing.

Accordingly, before we really get going properly, I invite you, if you aren't already, to try praying just the first section of Matins each day as we go along.

The opening section of Matins

The first section of Benedictine Matins always consists of an opening prayer (Domine labia mea aperies, said three times), Psalm 3, Psalm 94 said 'responsorially' with a verse, and a hymn.

Sunday Matins	Festal Matins	Weekdays
Opening prayer – Domine mea aperies
Psalm 3 (without antiphon)
Psalm 94 (with responsorial verse of day, season or feast)
Hymn (of day, season or feast)

The verse that goes with Psalm 94 (the invitatory) generally changes with each day of the week, as does the hymn.

Divinum officium  - First Sunday of Lent

To see how it is all said and get the texts, go to the Divinum Officium website (select Matutinum from the bottom of the pc page, and then select the 'pre-Tridentine monastic' option).

I've set out below (more or less) what you get if you look at Matins for this Sunday.  If you have the Clear Creek booklet, the key differences are the invitatory verse (Non sit vobis) and hymn, which are proper to the Sundays of Lent.

Incipit V. Dómine, lábia ✠ mea apéries. Et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam.V. Dómine, lábia ✠ mea apéries. Et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam. V. Dómine, lábia ✠ mea apéries. Et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam.	Start V. O Lord, ✠ open thou my lips. And my mouth shall declare thy praise.V. O Lord, ✠ open thou my lips. And my mouth shall declare thy praise. V. O Lord, ✠ open thou my lips. And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
Psalmus 3  3:1 Dómine, quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum me. 3:2 Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: * Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus. 3:3 Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória mea, et exáltans caput meum. 3:4 Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * et exaudívit me de monte sancto suo. 3:5 Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: * et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me. 3:6 Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: * exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus meus. 3:7 Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa: * dentes peccatórum contrivísti. 3:8 Dómini est salus: * et super pópulum tuum benedíctio tua. V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto. R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	Psalm 3 3:1 Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me? * many are they who rise up against me. 3:2 Many say to my soul: * There is no salvation for him in his God. 3:3 But thou, O Lord art my protector, * my glory, and the lifter up of my head. 3:4 I have cried to the Lord with my voice: * and he hath heard me from his holy hill. 3:5 I have slept and taken my rest: * and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me. 3:6 I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me: * arise, O Lord; save me, O my God. 3:7 For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: * thou hast broken the teeth of sinners. 3:8 Salvation is of the Lord: * and thy blessing is upon thy people. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Invitatorium  Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Veníte, exsultémus Dómino, iubilémus Deo, salutári nostro: præoccupémus fáciem eius in confessióne, et in psalmis iubilémus ei. Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Quóniam Deus magnus Dóminus, et Rex magnus super omnes deos, quóniam non repéllet Dóminus plebem suam: quia in manu eius sunt omnes fines terræ, et altitúdines móntium ipse cónspicit. Ant. Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Quóniam ipsíus est mare, et ipse fecit illud, et áridam fundavérunt manus eius (genuflectitur) veníte, adorémus, et procidámus ante Deum: plorémus coram Dómino, qui fecit nos, quia ipse est Dóminus, Deus noster; nos autem pópulus eius, et oves páscuæ eius. Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Hódie, si vocem eius audiéritis, nolíte obduráre corda vestra, sicut in exacerbatióne secúndum diem tentatiónis in desérto: ubi tentavérunt me patres vestri, probavérunt et vidérunt ópera mea. Ant. Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Quadragínta annis próximus fui generatióni huic, et dixi; Semper hi errant corde, ipsi vero non cognovérunt vias meas: quibus iurávi in ira mea; Si introíbunt in réquiem meam. Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto. R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen. Ant. Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus. Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus.	Invitatory  Ant. Let it not be vain for you to rise up early, before the light: * For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. Ant. Let it not be vain for you to rise up early, before the light: * For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms. Ant. Let it not be vain for you to rise up early, before the light: * For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For the Lord will not cast off his people: for in his hand are all the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are his. Ant. For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. (genuflect) Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us: For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Ant. Let it not be vain for you to rise up early, before the light: * For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts: As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works. Ant. For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said: These always err in heart. And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest. Ant. Let it not be vain for you to rise up early, before the light: * For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Ant. For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch. Ant. Let it not be vain for you to rise up early, before the light: * For the Lord hath promised a crown to them that watch.
Hymnus  Ex more docti mystico Servémus hoc ieiunium, Deno diérum circulo Ducto quater notíssimo. Lex et prophetæ primitus Hoc prætulérunt, postmodum Christus sacrávit, ómnium Rex atque factor témporum. Utámur ergo parcius Verbis, cibis et pótibus, Somno, iocis, et arctius Perstémus in custódia. Vitémus autem noxia, Quæ subruunt mentes vagas: Nullumque demus callidi Hostis locum tyrannidi. Flectámus iram vindicem, Plorémus ante Iudicem, Clamémus ore supplici, Dicámus omnes cernui: Nostris malis offendimus Tuam, Deus, cleméntiam: Effúnde nobis désuper, Remissor, indulgéntiam. Meménto quod sumus tui, Licet caduci, plásmatis: Ne des honórem nóminis Tui, precamur, alteri. Laxa malum, quod fécimus, Auge bonum, quod poscimus: Placere quo tandem tibi Possimus hic, et perpetim. Præsta, beáta Trinitas, Concede, simplex Unitas, Ut fructuosa sint tuis Ieiuniórum múnera. Amen.	Hymn  The fast, as taught by holy lore, We keep in solemn course once more: The fast to all men known, and bound In forty days of yearly round. The law and seers that were of old In divers ways this Lent foretold, Which Christ, all seasons’ King and Guide, In after ages sanctified. More sparing therefore let us make The words we speak, the food we take, Our sleep and mirth, —and closer barred Be every sense in holy guard. Avoid the evil thoughts that roll Like waters o’er the heedless soul; Nor let the foe occasion find Our souls in slavery to bind. In prayer together let us fall, And cry for mercy, one and all, And weep before the Judge’s feet, And his avenging wrath entreat. Thy grace have we offended sore, By sins, O God, which we deplore; But pour upon us from on high, O pardoning One, thy clemency. Remember thou, though frail we be, That yet thine handiwork are we; Nor let the honour of thy name Be by another put to shame. Forgive the sin that we have wrought; Increase the good that we have sought: That we at length, our wanderings o'er, May please thee here and evermore. Grant O thou Blessed Trinity, Grant, O Essential Unity, That this our fast of forty days May work our profit and thy praise. Amen.

Weekdays

The Benedictine Office (including on older breviaries) continues to use the normal weekday invitatory verses, though it does use the same hymn each day (Ex more docti mystico) during Lent.


Questions?

Feel free to ask questions on the blog, or else on the facebook group I've set up, where I'll be putting up links to all the material on my assorted blogs relevant to Matins.

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