Frequently asked questions no 3: When do you use the festal canticles of Lauds?

Most Office books generally provide two sets of canticles for Lauds on weekdays - the ferial ('of the day of the week') set, and 'festal' canticles. The ferial canticles for each day of the week are the set specified by St Benedict in his Rule, and St Benedict states that they were already traditional ones in Rome by his time.  The festal were introduced into the Benedictine Office, on a purely optional basis, following the reform of the Roman Office in 1913.

 Accordingly, the default option is to ignore the festal canticles and instead use the ‘ferial’ canticles for each day of the week, except where as feast has its own antiphons (ie Class IIII feasts with antiphons of the feast, and Class I&II feasts), in which case the ‘Benedicite canticle’ (ie the Sunday canticle) is used instead, in conjunction with the ‘festal’ psalms (92&99) of Lauds.

 If you wish to use the festal canticles, there are two systems.  The first is to use the festal canticles on all days except penitential days (Advent, Lent and Ember days), when the ferial canticles are used, and (higher level) feasts when the Benedicite is used.  The second system is to use the festal canticles for Class III feasts (without proper antiphons) and for the Office of Our Lady on Saturday.

Quick guides to the Office - Day hours

Lauds (said around first light/dawn)

PART OF THE HOUR
Opening prayers – Deus…	MD 1
Psalm 66 – Deus miseratur…	MD 38, 58
Antiphons	of day of the week or feast/season
Antiphon(s), Psalm 50; 2 variable psalms; OT canticle; Laudate psalms Ps 148-150	Sunday, MD 39 Festal (for feasts), MD 44 Monday - MD 59 Tuesday - start MD 76 Wednesday – MD 89 Thursday – MD 102 Friday - MD 118 Saturday - MD 133
Chapter	See in psalter as above or for season/feast
Short Responsory	See in psalter as above or for season/feast
Hymn	Of the day of the week (pg nos above) or feast/season
Versicle	See in psalter as above or for season/feast
Antiphon for the Benedictus	Of the day of the week/feast/season [on Sundays, of the week of the liturgical year]
Benedictus	MD 56, 73
Antiphon for the Benedictus	Monday to Saturday, of the day of the week; Sunday of the week in the calendar
Closing prayers	MD 57
-          Collect	Of the week of the liturgical year or day/feast
-          Commemoration of the saint or day	Canticle antiphon, versicle and collect said immediately after the collect of the day

2.      Prime (said before work)

PRIME	Where to find it in your book…*
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn	MD 1-2; 146-7 (Sunday)
Antiphon	Of the day, date, feast or season (on feasts etc, usually antiphon 1 of Lauds)
Psalms of the day of the week	Monday - start MD 3 Tuesday - start MD 10 Wednesday – MD 16 Thursday – MD 21 Friday - MD 25 Saturday - MD 32 Sunday- MD 146
Antiphon	Of the day, date, feast or season
Chapter	MD 7
Versicle	MD 7
Closing prayers, including collect	MD 8-9

3.      Terce (mid-morning)

TERCE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn (Nunc Sancte)	MD 151	MD 162	MD 183
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast (on feasts, usually antiphon 2 of Lauds)
Psalms	MD 152	MD 164	MD 184
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast
Chapter
Versicle
Closing prayers	MD 154-5 plus collect of the season, day, date or feast (see weekly Ordo)

4.      Sext (midday)

SEXT	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn (Rector Potens)	MD 155	MD 169	MD 183
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast (on feasts, usually antiphon 3 of Lauds)
Psalms	MD 156	MD 171	MD 191
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast
Chapter
Versicle
Closing prayers	MD 154-5 plus collect of the season, day, date or feast

5.      None (mid-afternoon)

NONE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday to Saturday
Opening prayers	MD 1
Hymn (Rerum Deus)	MD 159	MD 176	MD 196
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast (on feasts, usually antiphon 5 of Lauds)
Psalms	MD 160	MD 178	MD 198
Antiphon	Of the season, day, date or feast
Chapter
Versicle
Closing prayers	MD 154-5 plus collect of the season, day, date or feast

6.      Vespers (on ‘ordinary days’)

VESPERS	‘Default’ texts
Opening prayers	MD 1
Antiphons and psalms	Sunday, MD 203 Monday - start MD 212 Tuesday - start MD 220 Wednesday – MD 226 Thursday – MD 235 Friday - MD 243 Saturday - MD 249
Chapter	Of Vespers
Short Responsory	Sunday/rest of the week
Hymn	Of the day of the week, see page numbers above
Versicle	Of Vespers
Antiphon for the Magnificat	Of the day of the week; on Sundays, always of the week of the liturgical year
Magnificat	MD 209
Antiphon for the Magnificat	Monday to Friday of the day of the week; Saturday & Sunday, of the week in the calendar
Closing prayers, including collect	MD 210
Collect	Of the week of the liturgical year

7. How feasts impact on the hours (outside of Lent and Advent)

HOUR	Memorials	Class III	Class II	Class I
Compline	No effect
Prime	No effect	Antiphon only changes – normally antiphon 1 of Lauds or from the Common of the type of saint/feast
Terce to None	No effect	Antiphon, chapter and versicle change – normally antiphons 2, 3 and 5 respectively of Lauds or from the Common Collect of the feast
Matins	No effect	Invitatory, hymn, reading(s) and responsory/ies of the feast or from the Common; chapter and versicle of the type of saint (or specific to the feast); collect of the feast.	Three Nocturns/12 readings and responsories, with invitatory antiphon, hymn, antiphons etc of the feast or Common
Lauds	Canticle antiphon, versicle and collect of the feast said after the collect of the day
Vespers	No effect	Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Magnificat antiphon of the feast (or from the Common) Collect of the feast	II Vespers only Antiphons of the feast (or from the Common, festal psalms, Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Magnificat antiphon of the feast (or from the Common) Collect of the feast	I&II Vespers Antiphons of the feast (or from the Common, festal psalms, Chapter, responsory, hymn, versicle and Magnificat antiphon of the feast (or from the Common) Collect of the feast