February 18th - The Office of a Lenten Ferial Day (2)

This second post on the Lenten ferial Office will outline the Office of the Wednesday in the Second week of Lent.

Before Mattins and Lauds of the day, as there is no feast of nine lessons, Mattins and Lauds of the Officium Parvum is sung. At the nocturn of Mattins the antiphons and psalms of the third nocturn of the Common of the BVM (Ps. 95, 96 & 97) are sung. The rest of Mattins is as described earlier with the same lessons for the nocturn etc. At Lauds the antiphons are those used on the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God with the festal psalms: Ps. 92, 99, 62-66, Benedicite, 148-149-150 as described previously.

On Wednesdays in Lent, not impeded by a feast of nine lessons, the fifteen Gradual Psalms are then sung in Choir. The first psalm, Ps.119 Ad Dominum, cum tribularer, is intoned without antiphon and without the Lesser Doxology at its conclusion. This is followed by Pss. 120, 121, 122 and 123, all without the Lesser Doxology but Requiem aeternum dona eis Domine and Et lux perpetua luceat eis is added after the last verse of Ps. 123. Then the Choir kneels, says the Pater noster sub secreto and then follows a short series of versicles and responses followed by a collect for the Dead, Absolve, quaesumus...

Then the Choir rises and the next series of five psalms are sung, each with the usual Lesser Doxology, Gloria Patri etc, after their last verse. These psalms are Pss. 124, 125, 126, 127 & 128. Then the Choir kneels again and there follows Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison a further Pater noster, again sub secreto, a second short series of versicles and responses followed by the collect Deus, cui proprium...

The Choir rises and then the final set of five psalms is sung, each with the Lesser Doxology, Pss. 129, 130, 131, 132 & 133, each with the Lesser Doxology after their last verse. Then, for the third time, the Choir kneels for Kyrie etc, Pater noster, a third short series of versicles and responses followed by the collect Praetende, Domine, famulis...

Mattins and Lauds of the Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent now follow. In the nocturn psalms 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 65 & 67 are sung. The lessons are from a homily of St. Ambrose on St. Matthew's Gospel. Ferial Lauds follow with psalms 50, 64, 62-66,the Canticle of Anna, 148-149-150. The ferial preces, including the psalm De profundis, are chanted, kneeling. A commemoration is sung of St. Simeon. The Suffrage of the BVM is omitted when the Officium Parvum is sung. However the Suffrages of the Cross, SS Peter and Paul, of the Patron and for Peace are sung.

Then follows Prime of the day with psalms 53, 25, 118(i) & 118(ii). The Dominical and ferial preces are sung, kneeling. Before the reading of the Martyrology Prime of the BVM is interpolated (Pss. 53, 84 & 116). Then Prime of the day is resumed with Pretiosa etc. Terce from the Officium Parvum (Pss. 119, 120 & 121) follows Terce of the day. Sext from the Officium Parvum (Pss. 122, 123 & 124) follows Sext of the day. Then None from the Officium Parvum (Pss. 125, 126 & 127) follows None of the day. (Note the sequence of psalms at the Hours of the Officium Parvum and compare with the Gradual Psalms and also the psalms sung at the Hours in the Monastic Breviary from Tuesday to Saturday inclusive.) At Terce, Sext and None of the day the ferial preces are sung, kneeling.

After None of the BVM Mass is sung. The ministers wear folded chasubles. There is no Gloria, the second collect is a commemoration of St. Simeon, the third collect is A cunctis nos. The preface is of Lent and the dismissal Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers follow Mass. As tomorrow is not a feast of nine lessons Vespers of the Officium Parvum are celebrated before Vespers of the day. Vespers of the BVM are from the Common of the BVM and have psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 & 147. After the repitition of the antiphon on the Magnificat Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison are sung followed by the collect and the Suffrage 'pro Sanctis' as at Lauds.

Vespers of the day then follow. Psalms 126, 127, 128, 129 & 130 are sung. The ferial preces, including the psalm Miserere, follow the repitition of the antiphon on the Magnificat, sung kneeling. The Suffrage of the BMV is omitted but the Suffrage of the Cross, of SS Peter and Paul, the Patron and for Peace are sung.

During Vespers one of the 'bennies' is sent by the Canons to check the basting of another goose caught from the fish pond.

At the normal time Compline of the day with its invariable psalms (4, 30, 90, 133) is sung followed by Compline of the Officium Parvum (Pss. 128, 129 130). Then again the cycle continues with Mattins of the Officium Parvum followed by Mattins of the day.

On Fridays in Lent the Litany and Penitential Psalms make their appearance in the Choral Office.