|
Psalter of the Divine Office according
to the Rule of Saint Benedict
Where letters follow the number of a Psalm (e.g. 67a, 67b), the Psalm verses are divided as evenly as possible, to preserve the customary number of Psalms at each hour. |
|||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
| Matins | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 with antiphons, versicle, 4 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 with alleluias, 4 lessons with resp.* 3 canticles with alleluias, versicle, 4 N.T. lessons with resp., Te Deum, Gospel, Te decet laus, blessing | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, Psalms 32a, 32b, 33, 34, 36a, 36b, with antiphons, versicle, 3 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 37, 38, 39a, 39b, 40, 41, with alleluias, fixed epistle, versicle, Kyrie | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, Psalms 43a, 43b, 44, 45, 46, 47, with antiphons, versicle, 3 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, with alleluias, fixed epistle, versicle, Kyrie | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, Psalms 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, with antiphons, versicle, 3 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 65, 67a, 67b, 68a, 68b, 69 with alleluias, fixed epistle, versicle, Kyrie | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, Psalms 70, 71, 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b with antiphons, versicle, 3 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 74, 76, 77a, 77b, 78, 79 with alleluias, fixed epistle, versicle, Kyrie | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, Psalms 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 with antiphons, versicle, 3 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 86, 88, 92, 93, 95, 96 with alleluias, fixed epistle, versicle, Kyrie | 3, 94, antiphon, hymn, Psalms 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, with antiphons, versicle, 3 lessons with resp.* Gloria, Psalms 103, 104, 105 106, 107, 108 with alleluias, fixed epistle, versicle, Kyrie |
|
Matins always begin with "Deus in Adjutorium meum intende..." the verse "Domine, labia mea aperies..." (Psalm 50:17) three times, followed by Psalm 3 with Gloria Patri, and Psalm 94 with its antiphon. There are always at least twelve other Psalms. *The lessons at Matins are from the Old and New Testaments as well as the "famous and orthodox Catholic Fathers." In summer they are replaced with a single memorized lesson from the Old Testament. |
|||||||
| Lauds | 66, 50, 117, 62, Dan 3:52-?, 148, 149, 150 | 66, 50, 5, 35, Canticle? 148, 149, 150 | 66, 50, 42, 56, Canticle? 148, 149, 150 | 66, 50, 63, 64, Canticle? 148, 149, 150 | 66, 50, 87, 89, Canticle? 148, 149, 150 | 66, 50, 75, 91, Canticle? 148, 149, 150 | 66, 50, 142, Deut.?:aa-bb, Deut.?:cc-dd 148, 149, 150 |
|
Lauds are always concluded with: a fixed lesson from the Apocalypse on Sundays, or a lesson from the Epistles on other days; a responsory, hymn, and versicle; the Benedictus (Luke i: 68-79); Kyrie, Pater, and the collect(s) of the day. |
|||||||
| Prime | 118a, 118b, 118c, 118d | 1, 2, 6 | 7, 8, 9a | 9b, 10, 11 | 12, 13, 14 | 15, 16, 17a | 17b, 18, 19 |
| Terce | 118e, 118f, 118g | 118n, 118o, 118p | 119, 120, 121 | 119, 120, 121 | 119, 120, 121 | 119, 120, 121 | 119, 120, 121 |
| Sext | 118h, 118i, 118j | 118q, 118r, 118s | 122, 123, 124 | 122, 123, 124 | 122, 123, 124 | 122, 123, 124 | 122, 123, 124 |
| None | 118k, 118l, 118m | 118t, 118u, 118v | 125, 126, 127 | 125, 126, 127 | 125, 126, 127 | 125, 126, 127 | 125, 126, 127 |
| Vespers | 109, 110, 111, 112 | 113, 114, 115+116, 128 | 129, 130, 131, 132 | 134, 135, 136, 137 | 138a, 138b, 139, 140 | 141, 143a, 143b, 144a | 144b, 145, 146, 147 |
| Compline | 4, 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 | 4, 90, 133 |
This chart is a preliminary attempt to chart the Psalter
prescribed by St. Benedecit in his Rule. It is not clear
from the Rule how Benedict divided some of the Psalms at Matins, which Canticles
were recited ay Lauds, or how the Canticle of Moses is divided. Benedict
himself had this to say about the problem:
Having arranged the order of the office, let all the rest of the psalms which remain over, be divided equally into seven night offices, by so dividing such of them as are of greater length that twelve fall to each night. We especially impress this, that, if this distribution of the psalms should perchance displease anyone, he arrange them if he thinketh another better, by all means seeing to it that the whole Psalter of one hundred and fifty psalms be said every week, and that it always start again from the beginning at Matins on Sunday; because those monks show too lax a service in their devotion who in the course of a week chant less than the whole Psalter with is customary canticles; since we read, that our holy forefathers promptly fulfilled in one day what we lukewarm monks should, please God, perform at least in a week.--- Rule of St. Benedict XVIII
