Ordo notes on Matins for the feast of Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday

The key texts (other than the readings) for Benedictine Matins for the feast of Pentecost can be found in the Liber Responsorialis from page 107 (download from CC Watershed), viz:

• Invitatory: Alleluia, Spritus Domini (also in the Liber Hymnarius, pg 98 and Nocturnale Romanum, pg 484);
• hymn Jam Christus (written out in full in the Hymnarius, 101-2; the Nocturnale, pg 485-6 uses an alternative chant tone);
• one antiphon for each Nocturn (the three antiphons used in the Roman Office set out in the Nocturnale);
• twelve responsories (alternate sources for many of these can also be found by checking the Benedictine Responsory blog and searching under the label Pentecost).

For some reason the Liber Responsorialis doesn't provide the psalms numbers, but Divinum Officium does provide the correct ones.  Nonetheless, here they are for reference purposes:

Nocturn I: 1, 8, 18, 23, 26, 28

Nocturn II: 32, 45, 46, 47, 95, 97

Nocturn III: Isaiah 63:1-5; Hosea 6:1-6; Sophonias 3:8-13

The readings and responsories can, as usual be found as arranged for the Benedictine Office, at the Lectio Divina notes blog.

The Octave

Throughout the Octave the invitatory and hymn are of the feast, and there are three readings specific to the day of the Octave.

The 1962-3 rubrics provide two options for Monday and Tuesday for Matins during the Octave: Option 1 is to use the psalms and antiphons of the feast each day for Nocturns I&II, but with three readings only, of the day; Option 2 is to use the antiphons of the feast, but the normal daily psalms.

From Wednesday onwards, the breviary prescribes the normal psalms of the day under one antiphon.

So which option  should you adopt?

My 1892 English Congregation breviary doesn't follow either of these options.  Instead, for Monday and Tuesday there are three Nocturns, with (twelve) readings of the day.  From Wednesday however, the Office reverts to the normal daily psalms and three readings.

And there is an older history to this too, for in the oldest form of the Roman Office, the Octave has only three psalms and readings each day, and in Rome Pope Honorius (625-638) instructed Benedictines to adopt the Roman Office during this period, invoking Pope Gregory the Great's authority for the decision.

This practice seems to have continued even outside of Rome for some period, but under the Carolingians the full Benedictine Office on the feast seems to have been restored, and that is reflected in later breviaries.

Ordo notes for Matins in the week of the Sunday after Ascension

The notes below are intended to help in finding or adapting the texts and chants for Matins according to the 1962-3 rubrics.

Sunday after the Ascension

The invitatory, hymn and responsories are as for the feast of the Ascension, and so can be found in the Liber Responsorialis for the feast.

The antiphons (Alleluia) are as for Eastertide, and the versicles are of the Ascension (both can be found in the Standhofe Psalterium).

Note that the psalms are the normal ones for a Sunday (ie Psalms 20-31) - Divinum Officium provides  a festal set of psalms instead.

The readings and responsories can, as usual, be found on the Lectio Divina Notes blog.  Chant sources for the responsories are also listed here.

The 'Ordinary' of Ascensiontide

Once upon a time, the feast of the Ascension warranted an Octave.  This was, alas, abolished, so the psalms and antiphons each day are of the day of the week, but many of the other texts used are preserved in the 'Ordinary of Ascensiontide'.  For Matins:

• the invitatory antiphon is as for the rest of Eastertide, viz Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia;
• the hymn is Aeterne Rex Altissime (written out in full in the Liber Hymnarius, pp92-4;
• the versicles after the psalms in the first Nocturn are of Ascensiontide (in the psalter); 
• the one reading becomes Hebrews 6:18-30 with short responsory 'Dominus in caelo' (not on Divinum Officium); and
• the chapter verse is Revelation 5:12  with versicle 'Exaltare Domine'.

I will put the reading, responsory, chapter and versicle up on Lectio Divina Notes blog in time for their use.

Vigil of Pentecost

The Vigil is as for a day in Ascensiontide, but with three readings and a collect for the day.

Ordo notes for Matins in the week of the Fifth Sunday after Easter

The notes below are intended to help in finding or adapting the texts and chants for Matins according to the 1962-3 rubrics.

The fifth Sunday after Easter

The Ordinary of the Sundays after Easter can be found either at:

• Divinum Officium (which provides the texts for the Invitatory antiphon (Surrexit Dominus), hymn (Rex sempiterne Domine) and the antiphon for each Nocturn;
• the Liber Responsorialis has the texts and chants for the invitatory antiphon and hymn (pg 82); while the antiphons can be found in the Standhofe Psalterium (download PDF).  The Liber Hymnarius of 1983 also provides the invitatory (pg 79) and a version of the hymn with different words (pg 76). The Easter tone for the Te Decet Laus can be found both in the LR (Pg 42, alter tonus) and Liber Hymnarius; or
• Gregofacsimil website provides  a complete set of texts and chants for the Sunday in one document, including including psalm pointing for the Third Sunday (note that the responsories though differ for each Sunday of Eastertide).  The chant provided for Psalm 94 and the hymn tone are different to those provided in the Liber Responsorialis.  In addition, the antiphon for the third Nocturn is from the Roman Office and is not that provided in the breviary.  The proper chant according to the Standhofe draft Psalterium is as throughout the year (alleluia).

As always, Divinum Officium provides the Roman readings and responsories, not the Benedictine ordering.  The correctly arranged texts can be found on the Lectio Divina Notes Blog, and notes on where to find the chants for the responsories can be found here.

Rogation days

Monday to Wednesday are rogation days but these do not affect the Office as such (the litanies and obligations that go with them are attached to the Mass).

Vigil of the Ascension

Matins for the Vigil of the Ascension is the same as a normal day in Eastertide except that it has three readings and responsories (missing from Divinum Officium in the pre-Tridentine Monastic version), which will be found on the Lectio Divina notes blog.

Feast of the Ascension

All of the texts and chants for the feast can be found in the Liber Responsorialis (from page 94).

You can also find a nicely laid out version of the chants and texts as one document over at Gregofacsimil (it is labelled as being Sunday within the Octave, but is the same as for the feast), but note that many of the responsories use verses that are not the same as those in the breviary.

Divinum Officium as usual gives the correct psalms and antiphons, but the Roman version of the readings and responsories; for the correct set, see the Lectio Divina Notes blog.

The 'Ordinary' of Ascensiontide

Once upon a time, the feast of the Ascension warranted an Octave.  This was, alas abolished, but many of the texts used are preserved in the 'Ordinary of Ascensiontide'.  For Matins:

• the invitatory antiphon is as for the rest of Eastertide, viz Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia;
• the hymn (when not displaced by a feast) is Aeterne Rex Altissime;
• the versicles after the psalms in the first Nocturn are of Ascensiontide (in the psalter); 
• the one reading becomes Hebrews 6:18-30 with short responsory 'Dominus in caelo' (not on Divinum Officium); and
• the chapter verse is Revelation 5:12  with versicle 'Exaltare Domine'.

I will put the reading, responsory, chapter and versicle up on Lectio Divina Notes blog in time for their use.

Feasts of SS Augustine of Canterbury and Bede the Venerable

As these are Class III feasts, the only changes are to the invitatory antiphon, hymn, reading and chapter verse.  The reading and responsory will be on the Lectio Divina Notes blog.

Ordo notes for the fourth Sunday after Easter

The notes below are intended to help in finding or adapting the texts and chants for Matins according to the 1962-3 rubrics.

The 'ordinary' of Sundays in Eastertide

Divinum Officium provides the texts for the Invitatory antiphon (Surrexit Dominus), hymn (Rex sempiterne Domine) and the antiphon for each Nocturn.

The chants for the invitatory antiphon and hymn can be found in the Liber Responsoralis (pg 82); for the antiphons in the Standhofe Psalterium (download PDF).  The Liber Hymnarius of 1983 also provides the invitatory (pg 79) and a version of the hymn with different words (pg 76).

The Easter tone for the Te Decet Laus can be found both in the LR (Pg 42, alter tonus) and Liber Hymnarius.

The Gregofacsimil website also provides  a complete set of texts and chants for the Sunday in one document, including including psalm pointing for the Third Sunday.  Note though that the chant provided for Psalm 94 and the hymn tone are different to those provided in the Liber Responsorialis.  In addition, the antiphon for the third Nocturn is from the Roman Office and is not that provided in the breviary.  The proper chant according to the Standhofe draft Psalterium is as throughout the year (alleluia).

Readings and responsories

As always, Divinum Officium provides the Roman readings and responsories, not the Benedictine ordering.  The correctly arranged texts can be found on the Lectio Divina Notes Blog, and notes on where to find the chants for the responsories can be found here.

Office of Our Lady in Eastertide

For whatever reason, the Divinum Officium does not generally provide the texts for Matins of the Office of Our Lady on Saturday in the Benedictine Office.  In general though, the texts are not different from those used in the Roman Office, so it is easy to reconstruct what is needed.

The psalms and antiphons are as for Saturday during Eastertide.  There is one reading and responsory, of the Saturday, which you can find over at the Lectio Divina blog.

The texts that are specific to the Saturday of Our Lady are set out below for reference purposes.

Invitatory antiphon: 

Ant. Ave María, grátia plena, * Dóminus tecum. Allelúja.

Ant. Hail Mary, full of grace, * The Lord is with thee. Alleluia.

Hymn

(NB I have amended the last verse from that provided in Divinum Officium, to align with the version in the breviary)

Quem terra, pontus, sídera Colunt, adórant, prædicant, Trinam regéntem máchinam, Claustrum Maríæ bájulat. Cui luna, sol, et ómnia Desérviunt per témpora, Perfúsa cæli grátia, Gestant puéllæ víscera. Beáta Mater múnere, Cujus supérnus ártifex Mundum pugíllo cóntinens, Ventris sub arca clausus est. Beáta cæli núntio, Foecúnda sancto Spíritu, Desiderátus géntibus, Cujus per alvum fusus est. Gloria tibi Domine, Qui natus es de Vírgine,  Cum Patre et almo Spíritu,  In sempitérna sǽcula. Amen.

The God whom earth, and sea, and sky Adore, and laud, and magnify, Who o'er their threefold fabric reigns, The Virgin's spotless womb contains. The God, whose will by moon and sun And all things in due course is done, Is borne upon a maiden's breast, By fullest heavenly grace possest, How blest that Mother, in whose shrine The great artificer divine, Whose hand contains the earth and sky, Vouchsafed, as in his ark, to lie. Blest, in the message Gabriel brought; Blest, by the work the Spirit wrought; From whom the great desire of earth Took human flesh and human birth. Glory to thee O Lord, Who wast born of a Virgin; All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete. Amen.

Versicle

V. Gavisi sunt discipuli. Allelúia. R. Viso Dómino. Allelúia.

V. The disciples therefore were glad, alleluia. R. When they saw the Lord, alleluia.

Absolution (after the Our Father)

Absolutio. Precibus et meritis beatae Mariae semper Virginis et omnium Sanctorum, perducat nos Dominus ad regna caelorum. Amen.

Absolution. The prayers and merits of blessed Mary ever Virgin and all the Saints bring us to the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Blessing for the reading

Blessing: Per virginem Matrem * concedat nobis Dominus salute et pacem. R: Amen.

Blessing: Through your virgin mother, grant us, Lord, salvation and peace. R: Amen

Chapter verse

Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a generationibus meis implemini: spiritus enim meus super mel dulcis, et hæreditas mea super mel et favum. Memoria mea in generatione sæculorum.

Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations.

SS Philip and James (May 11)

The Monastic Office for the Feast of SS Philip and Mark is unfortunately not available on Divinum Officium, but most of the texts are from the Office from the Common of Apostles and Evangelists in Eastertide.

Accordingly, you can  find most of the relevant texts - except the readings and twelfth responsory -  in the Liber Responsorialis (which can be downloaded for free from the CC Watershed Library).

The Invitatory antiphon (Regem Apostolorum Dominum), hymn (Tristes erant apostoli), psalms and antiphons are from the Common, (starts page 162) or elsewhere in the book (page numbers are given in the Common).

The readings and responsories can be found on my Lectio Divina Blog (and sources for chants for the responsories can be found here.

St Gregory Nazianzus (May 9)

As this is a third class feast, the invitatory antiphon (Regem confessorm Dominum), hymn (Iste confessor) and chapter verse (Ecc 44:20) are of the feast, in this case from the Common of a Confessor Bishop Doctor.

The psalms and antiphons are of the day of the week.

There is one reading of the feast, which you can find on my Saints Will Arise blog, or alternatively at Divinum Officium by selecting 1960 new calendar (and ignoring the first two readings), and using these in combination with the monastic office of the day.  The responsory is In medio ecclesiae.

The chants for the invitatory and hymn can be found in the Liber Responsorialis (pg 190); the responsory for the one reading is number 10 in the common.

Ordo notes for the Third Sunday after Easter

The notes below are intended to help in finding or adapting the texts for Matins according to the 1962-3 rubrics.

Integrated Matins text with the chants

For those happy to work from a Latin only test, and especially those wanting to sing some or all of it, the Gregofacsimil website provides some help this week, in the form of a complete set of texts and chants for the Sunday in one document, including including psalm pointing.

Unfortunately, however, depending on how strict a view you take of the rubrics, it doesn't quite line up with the Monastic breviaries (in any of its editions as far as I can work out).   The two key differences, as far as I can see, are:

• the verses for the responsories differ from that in both the monastic and Roman Office  - in a couple of cases the differences are minor, but in most cases, a completely different verse is used; and
• the antiphon for the third Nocturn is from the Roman Office.  The proper chant according to the Standhofe draft Psalterium is as throughout the year, alleluia.

*In addition there are minor differences in the chants for the various antiphons, so if you are familiar with the versions in the Responsorialis, you will need to take especial care!  Still, a useful document to have and usable (readings and responsories aside) for all of the Sundays after Easter.

Divinum Officium

Matins for the Third Sunday after Easter as set out at Divinum Officium (pre-Tridentine monastic) generally conforms to the 1962-3 monastic office save for the readings and responsories (though note that the opening verses should be said three times).  Note that the first Nocturn readings are from Acts 1 not Acts 13.  The correct texts, including missing responsories, can be found at my Lectio Divina blog.  The final Our Father should also be omitted.

Key texts

There is only one antiphon for each Nocturn, and these are used on Sundays throughout the season.  The texts are in the Clear Creek Matins booklet (Matins according to...); the chants can be found either in the Psalter for Matins of Peter Standhofe (PDF only), or the Nocturnale Romanum.

In terms of the other chants:

• the invitatory antiphon is Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia, which can be found in the Liber Responsorialis (LR), pg 82; Liber Hymnarius, pg 79; or Invitatory booklet; and
• the hymn is Rex Sempiterne Domino, LR 82, Nocturnale Romanum or Liber Hymnarius.

Sources for the chants for the responsories can be found under the label Easter3 on the Benedictine Responsory blog.

Note that the Easter tone for the Te Decet Laus is used, and this can be found both in the LR (Pg 42, alter tonus) and Liber Hymnarius. 

Ordo notes for the feast of St Athanasius (2 May)

As this is a third class feast, the invitatory antiphon, hymn and chapter verse are of the feast, in this case from the Common of a Confessor Bishop.  There is one reading of the feast, which you can find on my Saints Will Arise blog.

The psalms and antiphons are of the day of the week.

You can find the proper texts on Divinum Officium by selecting 1960 new calendar (and ignoring the first two readings), and using these in combination with the monastic office of the day.

The chants for the invitatory and hymn can be found in the Liber Responsorialis (pg 190); the responsory for the one reading is number 10 in the common.