The Nocturns/1 - Why are the psalms so important?

Bibliothèque municipale de Rouen

Let the hymn follow next, and then six psalms with antiphons… let there follow the remaining six psalms which shall be chanted with Alleluia.

Rule of St Benedict, chapter 9

Now that we have looked at the opening and closing sections of Matins, I want to move to the main sections of the hour, the Nocturns, and today, start looking at the psalms.

The psalms - the core of Matins

The table below is reminder of the structure of the hour.  The table shows that every day, the first two Nocturns include six psalms with antiphons, with a third Nocturn of canticles added for Sundays and major feasts.

SECTION
OPENING SECTION (INVITATORY)	Same elements everyday – opening prayer, Ps 3, Ps 94 (with verse), hymn
NOCTURN I	Six psalms with antiphon(s) Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory (1,3 or 4 sets)
NOCTURN II	Six psalms with antiphon(s) Sundays and major feasts only: Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory *4
NOCTURN III	Sundays and major feasts only: Three OT canticles under one antiphon Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory *4
CONCLUDING SECTION	Weekdays and minor feasts: Chapter and versicle Sundays: Te Deum, Gospel, Te Decet Laus
CLOSING PRAYERS	Collect only or concluding prayers

In the Roman Office (particularly the modern Liturgy of the Hours), Matins has a strong focus on Patristic and Scriptural readings.  But this isn't true of the Benedictine monastic Office.   In fact through much of the year weekday Matins has only a short chapter verse.

Moreover, even where there are reading, St Benedict instructed his monks to cut the readings and responsories short if necessary, in order to start Lauds at first light: St Benedict makes it very clear that the psalms are the core of his Office.

Why are the psalms so important?

There are, I suspect, several different reasons why St Benedict put such a premium on the psalms, but the key ones, I think go to the importance of the psalms in general, particularly in spiritual formation; their thematic role in the design of the Office; the intercessory role of the Office more generally; and the function of the hour.

First, St Benedict gives a privileged status to the psalms as a source of spiritual formation.  He frequently quotes from them in the Rule, or alludes to them.  And in the Rule he talks about lectio (on the rest of Scripture) or meditation/learning of the psalms.  Monks and nuns of his time were expected to learn all of the psalter off by heart.

Secondly, and related to this, my own view is that the ordering of the psalms in the Benedictine Office is not random, but very carefully programmed.  The natural starting point for Sunday Matins, the first our of the liturgical week, would be, as in the Roman Office, to start at Psalm 1.  Instead St Benedict starts at Psalm 20.  Why?  Because this allows him to use a group of psalms that have a strong focus on the Resurrection on the day of the week most associated with that event.  And similar connections can be found with the other days of the week.

St Benedict also organises his psalter so that certain key themes, words and phrases resonate throughout a particular day, aiding us in reading each psalm in the context of Scripture as a whole, not just an isolated text, as well as suggesting directions for our meditation during the day.

The third reason, I think, has to do with the symbolism embedded in the architecture of the Office that signals, I think, the function of the Office.  Let me just briefly note here, for now, two pieces of symbolism particularly pertinent to this particular hour, viz:

• twelve psalms at Matins and again during the day from Prime to None perhaps symbolises offering praise to God for each hour of the day and night (with the seven psalms of Lauds and Vespers/Compline having its own figural associations); and
• if you add the two psalms of the opening section (Psalm 3 and 94) that adds up to fourteen, a number associated with the coming of Christ (from the generations to Christ in Matthew 1), and in the Night Office we especially wait for his second Coming. 

The daily psalms and the 1963 rubrics

In his Rule, St Benedict sets out the psalms to be said on each day of the week - the table below summarises his listing.  If you look at the wording of the Rule, it isn't necessarily obvious which ones should be divided, but in practice his specification of the longest psalms makes it pretty clear-cut.

Daily invitatory	3, 94
Sunday	20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25; 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 +three canticles of the season
Monday	32, 33, 34, 36, 36, 37; 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44
Tuesday	45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51; 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58
Wednesday	59, 60, 61, 65, 67, 67; 68, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72
Thursday	73, 74, 76, 77, 77, 78; 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84
Friday	85, 86, 88, 88, 92, 93; 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100
Saturday	101, 102, 103, 103, 104, 104; 105, 105, 106, 106, 107, 108

St Benedict does not, however, specify exactly what the dividing point of the psalms should be.  In reality though, the dividing points seem to be the product of fairly long established traditions.  The 1963 breviary, however, actually changes these division point in Psalm 106 (perhaps to highlight the well known hymn based on them?) so that the start of the second section is two verses earlier, at Qui descendant mare (Who go down to the sea).

The festal psalms

The other point to note on the psalms is that although St Benedict doesn't mention the concept (unsurprisingly given his emphasis on saying all of the psalms each and every week), over time the idea of a 'festal Office', including the use of especially selected psalms for major feasts has emerged.

This probably happened quite early - there is a letter associated with the refoundation of Monte Cassino after 717 that notes that they were following certain Roman customs there rather than the strict letter of the Benedictine Office when it came to the major feasts of the year.

Nonetheless, if you are praying the Office devotionally, one option is surely to ignore the 'Commons' and psalms specified for feasts, and stick with some or all of those set for the day of the week...

The Concluding section/2 - Rubrics for the Gospel and concluding prayers

Codex Amiatinus, early c8th

When the fourth responsory is finished, let the abbot intone the hymn Te Deum laudamus. When that has been said, the abbot shall read the lesson from the book of the Gospels, all standing with fear and reverence. That having been read, let all answer Amen, and then let the abbot go on with the hymn Te decet laus, and the blessing having been given let them begin Lauds.

Rule of St Benedict, ch 11

In the last post, I looked at the hymns of Matins, two of which are in the concluding section of the hour on Sundays and feasts.  There really isn't much to the rest of the concluding section of the hour, so I thought it might be sensible to cover the rubrics for this now rather than coming back to it later.

And just to help you keep track, the table below summarises the elements of Matins, with the things the series has covered so far bolded, and the elements covered in this post highlighted in yellow.

ELEMENTS   OF MATINS

OPENING SECTION

Opening prayer – Domine labia mea aperies

Psalm 3

Invitatory antiphon and Psalm 94

Hymn

NOCTURNS

Antiphons

Psalms of the day of the week

Psalms of Commons and feasts

Canticles

Versicle, Our Father and absolution

Blessings for the reader

Readings

Responsories

CONCLUDING SECTION

Te Deum (hymn)

Gospel

Te Decet Laus (hymn)

Concluding Prayers

Why include the Gospel?

The inclusion of a Gospel reading in Matins on Sundays is one of the ways in which the Benedictine Office differs from the Roman.  It is unclear just why St Benedict included it though.

One possibility is that it was included lest the monks not be able to attend Mass.  As a hermit St Benedict famously didn't even know if was Easter Sunday when a priest was sent by God to share his meal for the feast after all!  And in more than a few monasteries at this time, the monks were not priests, but simply went to the local Church on Sundays.  In addition, although the Rule is written for monks, St Benedict surely envisaged nuns, including those under his sister, following it as well, so this may have been a consideration.

Another possibility is that it simply reflects contemporary practice: the monastic offices of the time that we know about generally had a lot more emphasis on readings than St Benedict's, and so including it in his longer SundayVigil might have seemed appropriate, and consistent with the twelve other readings of the day.

The most intriguing possibility, though, is that the three Nocturn and Gospel structure was borrowed from Eastern models of a weekly Resurrection Vigil of the kind described by the fourth century pilgrim to the Holy Land, Egeria.  In this concept, the three Nocturns stand for the three days between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, and the Gospel itself might have been one of the Resurrection accounts.  Indeed, the Office described by St Benedict's contemporary Caesarius of Arles, in a rule finalised in 534 AD, used the four Gospel accounts on a rotating basis on Sundays.  If that was the original practice, though, it has long since been lost.  Instead the Gospel is the same as at the (1963 calendar) Mass of the day.

The rubrics for the Gospel

In choir, all stand for the reading of the Gospel, and if a priest or deacon is presiding he says:

V: Dominus vobiscum (the Lord be with you)

To which everyone replies, as normal:
R: Et cum spiritu tuo (And with your spirit).

If you are saying the Office alone, or in a group without a priest or deacon, this is omitted and nothing is said to replace it.

The reader then says:

Sequentia (or Initium) Sancti Evangelii secundum [insert name of Gospel]

The response is:
R: Gloria tibi Domine (Glory to you Lord)

And at the end of the reading, everyone says Amen.

Note that although the words are the same as at the Mass, the rubrics do not actually specify that a sign of the cross is made (though I suspect that most monasteries actually do so regardless!).

The rubrics for the concluding section - Sundays and feasts

The hymn Te decet laus is then sung, and then the collect of the day (with appropriate concluding phrase, and an Amen at the end).

If Matins and Lauds are being said together, Lauds then follows immediately, starting from the 'Deus in adjutorium' as usual.

If however, the two hours are separated, then you add on the final prayers from the standard conclusion to all of the hours, as set out in the table below.

V. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam (or Dominus vobiscum...if a priest or deacon) R. Et clamor meus ad te véniat. V. Benedicámus Dómino. R. Deo grátias. V. Fidélium ánimæ per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace. R. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come unto thee. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace R. Amen.

Note: Divinum Officium adds another Our Father at the end, but that is not part of the 1963 rubrics (or in my 1892 breviary either).

The rubrics for the concluding section - weekdays

The concluding section of Matins on weekdays is quite different.

After the last antiphon for the psalms is said ((Nocturn II), a short chapter verse for the season or type of feast is said (to which a Deo Gratias/Thanks be to God is always added, as at the other hours of the Office). This is then followed by the same standard closing prayers for all of the other hours, starting with Kyrie eleison...

If you need a refresher on these, go here.

Book review: Liber Responsorialis (1895)

Liber Responsorialis pro Festis I Classis et communi Sanctorum iuxta ritum monasticum Adnectuntur Invitatorium et Hymnus Aliorum Festorum, Solesmes, 1895

Why you should acquire this book

Even if you aren't actually planning to sing Matins, the Liber Responsorialis is worth a look since it contains some of the key texts that are missing from most of the psalters arranged for the monastic Office (such as the Clear Creek booklet or the Psautier Monastique).

In particular, it contains the antiphons (and lists out the psalms) for the Commons of Saints, as well as those for a number of major feasts.

For those who do want to sing some or all of Matins at least occasionally, this is a key reference book, though you will need to supplement it from other sources such as the Nocturnale Romanum and online sources.

Where to find it

The good news is that the Liber Responsorialis (with 1924 supplement) can be downloaded for free from the CC Watershed library: Liber Responsorialis (194MB).

You can also buy a reprint through Sarto Verlag.

The lack of chant books!

Solesmes has never, as far as I know, put out a book that contains all the chants for Matins.  Even in the new revised series of the Antiphonale Monasticum, that for Matins (supposedly Volume 4), remains conspicuously missing from its releases.

Accordingly, if you are looking for the chants, you have to hunt through several different books (and even then some remain missing).

The Liber Responsorialis though, prepared under the supervision of Dom Joseph Pothier, provides an essential starting point.

What it contains

The book provides the chant for invitatory, hymn, antiphons (and listing the psalms they are attached to) and at least some of the responsories for a selection of major feasts and seasons.

It also contains some of the 'ordinary' chants, such as the chant tones for Psalm 94.

The book can be frustrating in its gaps though.

The proper of time section, for example, contains the complete chants for Christmas and the Epiphany, for example, but then bypasses Lent altogether, skipping straight to Easter.  The separate 'responsories of time' section contains some of the responsories for Sundays of the year, but typically only one or two (out of twelve).

The list of feasts it covers is quite small and eclectic.

What it doesn't contain

The chants are for major feasts including some Sunday responsories - but it doesn't contain the weekday hymns and texts used throughout the year.  There are also quite a few responsories for Sundays of the year missing.

Alternatives?

If all you want is the texts (and which psalms to use etc), then a breviary is probably a better option, this is after all primarily a chant book.

And in terms of alternative sources for the chants themselves, the Nocturnale Romanum has a large proportion of the chants in the Responsorialis, as well as many others used on other days (although occasionally using alternative texts particular to the Roman Office) albeit not necessarily used in the same order/feast as the Benedictine Office.

In addition many of the chants are becoming available online through sources like Gregofacsimil.

Still worth having though in my view.

Opening section of Matins/6 &Closing section/1 - The hymns of Matins

Let the [Ambrosian] hymn follow next (Rule of St Benedict 9)

…When the fourth responsory is finished, let the abbot begin the hymn Te Deum laudamus…then let the abbot follow with the hymn Te decet laus…Rule of St Benedict Chapter 11

The final part of the opening section of Matins is the hymn.  Matins on Sundays and feasts also has two other hymns though, so I thought I would cover those off here as well.

The structure of Matins

SECTION
OPENING (INVITATORY)	Same elements everyday – opening prayer, Ps 3, Ps 94 (with verse), hymn
NOCTURN I	Six psalms with antiphon(s) Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory (1,3 or 4 sets)
NOCTURN II	Six psalms with antiphon(s)  Sundays and major feasts only: Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory *4
NOCTURN III	Sundays and major feasts only: Three OT canticles under one antiphon Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory *4
CONCLUDING SECTION	Weekdays and minor feasts: Chapter and versicle  Sundays: Te Deum, Gospel, Te Decet Laus
CLOSING PRAYERS	Collect only or concluding prayers

The use of hymns in the Benedictine Office

Some commentators point to St Benedict's adoption of the Roman Office canticles as evidence of his more general debt to Roman practice in his Office.  But one of the several respects in which he was decidedly not following Roman tradition would appear to be in his use of hymns.  The Roman Church in the sixth century seems generally have been reluctant to use non-Scriptural texts in the liturgy, and even in the ninth century, the date of the earliest comprehensive description of it, the Roman Office was still devoid of hymns.

St Benedict, on the other hand, had no such hesitation in relation to non-Scriptural texts, happily adopting the tradition of Office hymns popularised in the West by St Ambrose.  A hymn is sung to close off the opening section of the hour each day.  In addition, the Te Deum and Te decet laus towards the end of the hour on Sundays and major feasts.

Where to find the hymn

The hymn in the opening section of Matins is usually of the day of the week, unless replaced by one for the season or feast.  The hymn for each day of the week for most of the year is set out in breviaries, the Clear Creek Matins booklet and the Psautier Monastique under Matins for the particular day of the week.

Those for seasons and feasts will need to be found in other sections of the books or elsewhere, but on feasts the hymn is generally (though not always) the same as for Vespers.

The chant for the Te Deum and Te decet laus can be found in the Liber Responsorialis or the Solesmes Liber Hymnarius.  Note that there are numerous versions of the Te Deum, and an Eastertide version of the Te decet laus.

How to say the hymns

The rubrics for the daily hymns in the opening section are the same as for the other hours - the hymn is properly sung standing, and one normally bows for the doxology in the last verse.  In addition an Amen is always added to the end of the hymn.

The Te Deum and Te decet laus are also said standing, and in the Te Deum everyone kneels at the verse Te ergo quaesumus.

Resources for the hymns - chants

The daily hymns for Matins can be found in a convenient format in the Holger Peter Standhofe draft of the OSB Psalterium.  The chant tones for the hymns (also used in the Nocturnale Romanum) are not the same as the Solesmes Hymnarius, but generally come from the monastic office Codex Hartker manuscript.  Most of the hymns for feasts can be found in the Liber Responsorialis or the Antiphonale Monasticum (also available online for free download).

The Nocturnale Romanum is probably the other source to consider - it is expensive and hard to find, but does include most of the seasonal hymns missing from Liber Responsorialis.  It wouldn't be worth buying just for that (the Solesmes Hymnarius also has a version of most of them as well) but if you are also interested in the responsories, it might be worth considering.

Another option to consider, is the Solesmes 1983 Liber Hymnarius.  It has to be used with caution as it doesn't always line up with 1963 and earlier breviaries.  All the same, a useful book to have as it has most of the hymns you will need, and is extremely useful in (often but not always!) writing out hymns in full, rather than just giving you the first verse.

Resources - listening

Youtube searches will yield recordings of many of the Matins hymns.  The Liber Hymnarius website is also always worth checking.  Another great resource worth checking out is the Chant blog.

Notes and readings for Passion Sunday

The notes below identify sources for the texts and chants for Matins for First Passion Sunday.

Passion Sunday marks the start of the season of Passiontide,
though part of Lent, has different texts.

Where to find the texts

In a breviary, you need to find the Sunday texts (Dominica ad Matutinum) plus Dominica I in Passionis.

If you are new to Matins, don't have good Latin, and/or don't have a breviary, the simplest approach is to use the Divinum Officium website.  The main problem with it is the readings and responsories, where Roman texts are provided instead of the Benedictine arrangement.  The readings and responsories for this Sunday, arranged as for the Benedictine Office are set out below, including the missing responsories.

If you are using the Clear Creek booklet for the psalms and other texts, you need to substitute the Invitatory antiphon for Passiontide (Hodie si vocem/When you hear the voice of the Lord) and the hymn (Pange lingua/Sing my tongue), both of which can be found on Divinum Officium.  If you are using the Psautier Monastique, the hymn is on page 587..

You will also need the readings and responsories, and the English version of these can be found below.

***You can find an integrated version of the Latin texts and chants for Matins of Passion Sunday in the Benedictine Office here on the Gregofacsimil site.

Chant tones - antiphons, invitatory, hymn

For the invitatory I use the Psalmus Venite Exultemus per varios tonos cum invitatoriis pro oficiis de tempore et de sanctis, Declee, 1928.  Copies can be obtained secondhand and there is also an 1895 version of this. It can also be found in the Nocturnale Romanum (published in 2002).

**If you know of an online source for the chant of the Lenten invitatory though, please do let me know.

The hymn (Pange lingua) can be found in the Liber Hymnarius published by Solesmes.  For the Te Deum and Te Decet Laus, either the Liber Hymnarius or the Liber Responsorialis (which can be downloaded from the CC Watershed library) provides the chants.

The chant tones for the antiphons can be found in the OSB Psalterium (note this is an unofficial draft, and the text of the psalms contains a number of errors - an important resource for the chants though).

Chant tones - responsories

The responsory chants can mostly be found at the Gregofacsimil website.  I've reordered them below to indicate how the numbering lines up with the 1963 breviary order.  I have also added alternative sources where I've found them - LR =Liber Responsorialis; NR = Nocturnale Romanum.

Nocturn I

01 Isti sunt dies (NR 345)
02 Multiplicati sunt (LR 415; NR 345)
17 Usquequo exaltabitur (NR 346)
06 Deus meus eripe me (LR 413; NR 351)

 Nocturn II

05 Deus meus es tu ne (NR 347)
11 In te jactatus sum (NR 347)
10 In proximo est (NR 348)
03 Qui custodiebant (NR 351)

Nocturn III

04 Adjutor et susceptor meus (LR 414; NR 353)
09 Ne avertas faciem (NR 349)
Quis dabit capiti meo aquam (NR 350)
12 Pacifice loquebantur (NR 352)

Readings and responsories - translations

The Matins readings in the Benedictine Office for First Passion Sunday are set out below.

Nocturn I: Jeremiah 1: 1-19

Reading 1: The words of Jeremias the son of Helcias, of the priests that were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin. The word of the Lord which came to him in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.  And which came to him in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, unto the end of the eleventh year of Sedecias the son of Josias king of Juda, even unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month.  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:  Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations. And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.

R. These are the days to be observed of you in their seasons. * In the fourteenth day at even is the Lord's Passover, and on the fifteenth day ye shall keep a Feast unto the Lord, the Most High.
V. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them
R. In the fourteenth day at even is the Lord's Passover, and on the fifteenth day ye shall keep a Feast unto the Lord, the Most High.

Reading 2: And the Lord said to me: Say not: I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee: and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not afraid at their presence: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth: Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root up, and pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said: I see a rod watching.  And the Lord said to me: Thou hast seen well: for I will watch over my word to perform it.  And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What seest thou? I see a boiling caldron, and the face thereof from the face of the north.

R. They be increased that trouble me, and that say There is no help for him in his God. * Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!
V. Lest mine enemy say I have prevailed against him.
R. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!

Reading 3: And the Lord said to me: from the north shall an evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.  For behold I will call together all the families of the kingdoms of the north: saith the Lord: and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and upon all the cities of Juda, And I will pronounce my judgements against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, and have adored the work of their own hands.

R. How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? * Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God!
V. Those that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved but I have trusted in thy mercy.
R. Consider and hear me, O Lord my God!
R. How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? * Consider and hear me, O Lord my God!

Reading 4: Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee. Be not afraid at their presence: for I will make thee not to fear their countenance.  For behold I have made thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass, over all the land, to the kings of Juda, to the princes thereof, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.  And they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail: for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.

R. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, and out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. * For Thou art my hope.
V. O my God, be not far from me O my God, make haste for my help.
R. For Thou art my hope.

Nocturn II: Sermon 47 of St Leo

Reading 5: Dearly beloved brethren, we know that of all the solemn Feasts which are kept by Christians the Passover is the chief. The ordinances of the whole rest of the year are ordered to the end of preparing us to come to this one in worthy and meet manner. But these days, which now are, are they which ought most especially to stir up a godly mind in us, seeing that they are they which are nearest to that most glorious mystery of God's mercy. In these days the holy Apostles, taught by the Holy Ghost, ordered the chiefest store of Fasting, that we, sharing His Cross with Christ, might, albeit we are what we are, in Him, do some of the same things which He did for our sakes, and so realise the saying of the Apostle If we suffer with Him, we shall be also glorified together.'' He that is partaker of the sufferings of the Lord hath a sure and certain hope of that blessedness which He hath promised unto us.

R. Thou art my God be not far from me for trouble is near; * For there is none to help.
V. But be not thy strength far from me; O Lord, haste thee to help me.
R. For trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Reading 6: Dearly beloved brethren, there is no man to whom the state of the age in which he liveth denieth a share in this glory of partaking, first the sufferings, and then the triumph and joy, of Christ. It is not as though this time of peace were barren in occasions of valour. The Apostle giveth us this warning All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And therefore, as long as godliness is watchful, persecution will never be asleep. The Lord Himself saith in one of His own exhortations He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.

R. I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God from my mother's belly; be not far from me. * For trouble is near, and there is none to help.
V. Save me from the lion's mouth, and mine affliction from the horns of the unicorns.
R. For trouble is near, and there is none to help.

Reading 7: And we must not doubt that these words of Christ apply not only to His immediate disciples, to whom He spoke them, but belong to all the faithful and to the whole Church, who, whosoever be the believers of whom she is for the time composed on earth, heareth in these words the way to be saved which her Lord hath appointed for them.As then, it is the duty of the whole body of the Church to live godly, so is it her right at all times to be a-bearing of her Master's Cross, and that not only in her general body, but individually in the person of each one of her members, who differ every one from another in the way in which they have to carry it, and the shape in which it is laid upon them. The one common name for all their carrying of the Cross is persecution, but the manner of his wrestling is special to each; and there is often more danger in the ambush than in the pitched field of battle.

R. O Lord, my trouble is near, and there is none to help me; or ever they pierce my hands and my feet, save me from the lion's mouth! * That I may declare thy Name unto my brethren.
V. O God, deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog.
R. That I may declare thy Name unto my brethren.

Reading 8: Blessed Job, who had tried both the goods and the ills of this world, said Is not the life of man upon earth a warfare? The attack upon the faithful soul arrayeth itself not alone in bodily torture and punishment; yea, when the limbs are sound enough, fearful is the ravage that threateneth us when the lusts of the flesh unman us. But when the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh the reasonable mind findeth her reinforcement in the helpful Cross of Christ, and though she be lured by foul cravings, yet refuseth to give her consent, for God maketh her pure thoughts to tremble for fear of Him.

R. They that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, saying God hath forsaken him; * Persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. O my God, be not far from me O my God, make haste for my help.
V. All that hate me whispered together against me; against me did they devise my hurt, saying
R. Persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. O my God, be not far from me O my God, make haste for my help.

Nocturn III: The Matins readings (from St Gregory)

Reading 9: Dearly beloved brethren, consider the gentleness of God. He came to take away sins, and He saith Which of you convinceth Me of sin? He Who, through the might of His Godhead, was able to justify sinners, was contented to show by argument that He was not Himself a sinner. But exceeding dread is that which followeth. He that is of God heareth God's words; ye, therefore, hear them not, because ye are not of God. If, then, whosoever is of God heareth God's words, and whosoever is not of Him cannot hear His words, let each one ask himself if he, in the ear of his heart, heareth God's words, and understandeth Whose words they are?

R. O Lord, I go mourning all the day long, for my soul is filled with a loathsome disease * They also that sought after my life have used violence against me.
V. My friends and my neighbours draw near, and stand over against me; and they that are nearest to me stand afar off.
R. They also that sought after my life have used violence against me.

Reading 10: The Truth commandeth us to long for a Fatherland in heaven, to bridle the lusts of the flesh, to turn away from the glory of the world, to seek no man's goods, and to give away our own. Let each of you, therefore, think within himself if this voice of God is heard in the ear of his heart, and if he knoweth already if he is of God. For some there be, whom it pleaseth not to hear the commandments of God even with their bodily ears. And some there be, who receive the same with their bodily ears, but whose heart is far from them. And some also there be, who hear the words of God with joy, so that they are moved thereby even to tears; but when their fit of weeping is past they turn again to iniquity.

R. O Lord, hide not thy face from thy servant * For I am in trouble; hear me speedily.
V. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it; deliver me, because of mine enemies.
R. For I am in trouble; hear me speedily.

Reading 11: They hear not the words of God, who despise to do them. Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, call up your own life before your mind's eye, and then ponder with trembling those awful words which the mouth of the Truth spake Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.The Truth speaketh these words concerning the reprobate; but the reprobate make manifest the same thing concerning themselves, by their evil works. Thus immediately followeth Then answered the Jews, and said unto Him Say we not well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

R. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night! for my nearest brother hath supplanted me, * And my neighbour hath walked with slanders against me.
V. Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them.
R. And my neighbour hath walked with slanders against me.

Reading 12: But let us hear what the Lord said to this insult. I have not a devil, but I honour My Father, and ye do dishonour Me. The Lord said I have not a devil, but He did not say I am not a Samaritan, for in a sense a Samaritan He was indeed, since the word Samaritan, in the Hebrew tongue, signifieth, being interpreted, a Watcher, and the Lord is that Watcher, of Whom the Psalmist saith that unless He keep the city, other watchman waketh but in vain. He also is that Watchman unto Whom crieth Isaiah: Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? Therefore the Lord said I have not a devil, but not I am not a Samaritan. Of the two things brought against Him He denied one; but by His silence, admitted the other.

R. Mine enemies spoke to me peaceably, but in wrath they troubled me. * This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence be not far from me.
V. But as for me, when they troubled me my clothing was sackcloth, and I humbled my soul with fasting.
R. This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence be not far from me.
R. Mine enemies spoke to me peaceably, but in wrath they troubled me. * This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence be not far from me.

Gospel

The Gospel for Passion Sunday is St John 8: 46-59:

Which of you shall convince me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do you not believe me?  He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God.  The Jews therefore answered, and said to him: Do not we say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?  Jesus answered: I have not a devil: but I honour my Father, and you have dishonoured me.  But I seek not my own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.  Amen, amen I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever. The Jews therefore said: Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever.  Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself?  Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifieth me, of whom you say that he is your God.  And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him, and do keep his word.  Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad.  The Jews therefore said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am. They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

The opening of Matins/6 - Why is Psalm 94 said daily in the Benedictine Office?

Source: Marsh's Library Labs

The second invitatory psalm of Matins, Psalm 94, is a joyful invitation to worship our creator, redeemer and protector.  But it also has a darker message, namely a warning not to put off repentance, but to respond to God’s call here and now.

Psalm 94 is an extremely important psalm, not least because it receives an extended discussion in Hebrews.  Above all it encapsulates in poetic form the story of Exodus: God called the Israelites out of Egypt in order to worship him alone; yet time after time their hardness of heart led them to reject him.  For forty years, they wondered in the desert, led by the fiery pillar, and eating manna,  Then though the original exiles were judged unworthy to actually enter the Promised Land, they were granted a sight of it at last.

Each day traces out the call to conversion 

In the Benedictine Rule, St Benedict uses the verse 'If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts' as part of his call to conversion.  And in the very last chapter he says, 'You who hasten to the heavenly country, first fulfill, through Christ, this little rule for beginners'.

At the beginning of each day we say Psalm 94, reminding ourselves of our heavenly destination, which we hope to reach by following the Rule; last thing at night we pray the last of the psalms of the Ascent, Psalm 133, which symbolises the pilgrim who has reached heaven, who stands in the courts of the house of God.

Purgation

And in between, each day the monk or nun who says the traditional form of the Benedictine Office says a total of forty psalms.

Do each of those psalms perhaps stand for one of those desert years for us?

You can find verse by verse notes on the psalm via the links below:

Introduction to Ps 94
Ps 94 v1-2
Ps 94 v3-4
Ps 94 v5-7
Ps 94 v 8-9
Ps 94 v 10-11

The opening of Matins/5 - The invitatory: rubrics and resources

In the aforesaid winter season, there is first the versicle Domine labia mea aperies et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam to be said three times; then must follow the third psalm and the Gloria; then the ninety-fourth psalm to be chanted with an antiphon, or at any rate to be chanted. Let the hymn follow next…

Rule of St Benedict, chapter 9

Following Psalm 3, the rubrics specify that Psalm 94 is said.  This Psalm is called called the Invitatory because it specifically invites us to pray.

This is actually the trickiest part of the opening section of Matins, as this is the only psalm said responsorially in the Benedictine office, with part or all of the antiphon that accompanies it repeated after each couple of verses.

Where to find the invitatory antiphon

 Psalm 94 is said with an antiphon which is for the Office of the day of the week, season or feast.

On third class feasts and above, the invitatory antiphon is for the feast (note: unless I've missed something, which is possible, the 1963 rubrics seem to imply that on third class feasts with only one reading, ie in summer, the invitatory antiphon of the ferial day is used, but that doesn't seem to align fully with the sanctoral section of the book).

If there isn't a specific invitatory listed in the breviary (or Liber Responsorialis) for the feast, you use the one from the Common of the relevant type of saint.

For ordinary days throughout the year

If you are using Divinum Officium or the Clear Creek booklet, it will do the work for you on ordinary days throughout the year, laying it out as it to be said.  

Using a breviary

If you are using a breviary, the best place to go if you are saying Matins (as opposed to chanting it) is Feria Secundum [Monday] ad Martutinum in the psalter section, since it provides the verses with  either a ** or * to indicate how much of the invitatory is said each time.

In most editions the breviary also sets out the invitatory used throughout the year for each day of the week under feria secunda as well as on each day of the week.

**For the chant tones, the (OSB) Psalterium provides the antiphons for each day of the week (but not the chant tones for Psalm 94).

Proper of seasons and saints

For feasts and seasons, the Liber Responsorialis provides some but not all of the texts you will need.  The Liber Hymnarius also provides some, but the chant tones and texts don't always align with the older books.

**Personally I've found the most convenient book for the Invitatory chants is Psalmus Venite Exultemus per varios tonos cum invitatoriis pro oficiis de tempore et de sanctis, Declee, 1928, now available via CC Watershed.  It is a very small book, but contains all of the chant tones for Psalm 94 together with the seasonal invitatories as well as those for most feasts.  The main gap is those for ordinary days of the week.

Postures and gestures

The invitatory and its psalm is said standing.

Everyone genuflects at the words Venite adoremus et procedamus (Come let us adore...) in the verse of the Psalm.

How to say the invitatory antiphon

The way in which the invitatory is said is set out in full in the Sunday section of the breviary, but after that you have to work it out for yourself.

In essence, each invitatory antiphon has a dividing point, indicated by an asterix.

So if you look at the Invitatory for a Sunday in Lent you get:

Ant. Non sit vobis vanum mane surgere ante lucem * Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus.

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.

To start with, the antiphon is repeated in full, so said twice.

Then either the whole antiphon (indicated by **), or the second half alone (*) is inserted between each group of verses of Psalm 94, on an alternating basis.

If you have done it correctly, you should end up, after the Gloria Patri, with the second half of the antiphon.  The full antiphon is then repeated again.

Divinum Officium writes it out in full, and so set the date for a Lent Sunday - to take a look - I've cut out the antiphon and replaed them with * or ** after the first two refrains so you cna see how it works.

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, jubilémus Deo, salutári nostro: præoccupémus fáciem ejus in confessióne, et in psalmis jubilémus 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 ejus 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 ejus veníte, adorémus, et procidámus ante Deum: plorémus coram Dómino, qui fecit nos, quia ipse est Dóminus, Deus noster; nos autem pópulus ejus, et oves páscuæ ejus. ** Hódie, si vocem ejus audiéritis, nolíte obduráre corda vestra, sicut in exacerbatióne secúndum diem tentatiónis in desérto: ubi tentavérunt me patres vestri, probavérunt et vidérunt ópera mea. * Quadragínta annis próximus fui generatióni huic, et dixi; Semper hi errant corde, ipsi vero non cognovérunt vias meas: quibus jurávi in ira mea; Si introíbunt in réquiem meam. ** V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto. R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen. * **

3Invitatory  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. 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. **  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. * 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.  ** 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. * **

Chant tones for Psalm 94

In choir, the whole group sings the invitatory antiphon, while one or two people chant the Psalm itself.

The chant tones for Psalm 94 are very ancient indeed, and provide a very beautiful and meditative start to the day if you make the time to learn them.