February 20th - The Office of a Lenten Ferial Day (3)

This third post on the Lenten ferial Office will outline the Office of the Friday 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 second nocturn of the Common of the BVM (Ps. 44, 45 & 86) are sung. The rest of Mattins is as described in the previous posts 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.

Mattins and Lauds of the Friday in the Second Week of Lent are then sung. In the nocturn psalms 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 93, 95 & 96 are sung. (Note that Ps. 90 is sung daily at Compline, Ps. 91 in ferial Lauds of Saturday, Ps. 92 at Sunday Lauds - outside of Septuagima & Lent - and Ps.94 sung daily with the invitatory at Mattins.) The lessons are from a homily of St. Ambrose on St. Matthew's Gospel. Ferial Lauds follow with psalms 50, 142, 62-66, the Canticle of Habacuc, 148-149-150. The ferial preces, including the psalm De profundis, are chanted, kneeling. 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.

After the Benedicamus Domino at the end of Lauds the Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany are sung. The Choir kneels. The antiphon fragment Ne reminiscaris is intoned. Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129 & 142 are then sung each with the Lesser Doxology after the last verse. After the last Lesser Doxology the antiphon is sung in full: Ne reminiscaris Domine delicta nostra, vel parentum nostrorum: neque vindictam sumas de peccatis nostris. The Litany of the Saints then follows in its long form - not the short form sung on Holy Saturday morning. As the Choir is kneeling the petitions are not duplicated. After the Litany Ps. 69 is sung followed by a series of versicles and responses. Finally, after ten collects sung under one conclusion the service ends with a some final versicles concluding with Et fidelium animae misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace and its response Amen.

Then follows Prime of the day with psalms 53, 21, 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. 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 cunctis nos, the third collect Omnipotens. The preface is of Lent and the dismissal Benedicamus Domino.

Vespers follow Mass. As Saturday 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 137, 138, 139, 140 & 141 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.

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.