The Rule of St Benedict Chapter 17
How many psalms are to be said at the day hours
Text
We have already discussed the order of the psalms for vigils and lauds; now we shall see about the remaining hours.
Iam de nocturnis, vel matutinis digessimus ordinem psalmodiae; nunc de sequentibus horis videamus.
At Prime three psalms are to be said separately, and not under one gloria.
Prima Hora dicantur psalmi tres sigillatim, et non sub una gloria.
The hymn of this hour is sung after the verse O God come to my aid, before beginning the psalms.
Hymnus eiusdem horae post versum Deus in adiutorium meum intende antequam psalmi incipiantur.
After the completion of the three psalms, one lesson is recited, the verse, and Lord have mercy, and the concluding prayers.
Post expletionem vero trium psalmorum, recitetur lectio una, Versus, et Kyrie eleison, et missae sint.
The prayer of Terce, Sext and None is to be practised in the same way: the verse, the hymn proper to each hour, three psalms, lesson, verse, Lord have mercy, and the concluding prayers.
Tertia vero, Sexta, et Nona, eodem ordine celebretur Oratio: Versus, Hymni earundem Horarum, terni psalmi, lectio, versus, kyrie eleison, et missae sint.
If the community is large, let them be said with antiphons; but if small, let them be sung straight through.
Si maior congregation fuerit, cum antiphonis dicantur; si vero minor, in directum psallantur.
Let the evening gathering be limited to four psalms with antiphons, after which psalms the lesson is to be recited, then the responsory, hymn, verse, gospel canticle, litany and Lord’s prayer, and the concluding prayers.
Vespertine autem synaxis quatuor psalmis cum antiphonis terminetur, post quos psalmos lectio recitanda est, inde responsorium, ambrosianum, versus, canticum de evangelio, litaniae et oratio dominica, et fiant missae.
Let Compline be limited to three psalms, which are to be said straight through and without antiphons.
Completorium autem trium psalmorum doctione terminetur, qui psalmi directanee et sine antiphona dicendi sunt.
After which the hymn of the hour, one lesson, verse, Lord have mercy, and the blessing, and the concluding prayers.
Post quos hymnus eiusdem horae, lectio una, versus, kyrie eleison, et benedictio, et missae fiant.
Comment
This section is all about the structure of the day hours; in the next chapter St Benedict tells us which psalms are to be said at which hours.
Here we come across the Latin word “Missa”, which is a bit of a difficult one to translate. If you go to a Latin Mass (the word Mass of course comes from missa), you will hear at the end “Ite, missa est” which is usually translated as “Go the Mass is ended”. Often, in the vernacular mass these days, the priest uses a different phrase, but this is the traditional end to the Mass.
The verb mitto means to send, dismiss, let go, end, and in the passage above we have two uses of it. In the first two cases it is used with the verb to be, which could be translated as “they are dismissed”. In the last two cases it is used with the verb fio – to be made, to happen, to be done. This is more difficult to translate. Acres of print have been spent on what these words mean, but I have chosen a common Benedictine translation which identifies the “Missa” as the prayers. Going back to “Ite, missa est”, this could therefore be translated as “go, the prayer is done”. But it’s one of those things which is rooted so far back in time that a precise definition is impossible.
Vespers has four psalms, St Benedict actually says “terminetur” – limited to, so he knows that what he is defining here is less than was commonly done at Vespers in his time. The traditional Roman Breviary has five psalms and a different arrangement of the Psalms at the other hours. The greater length of Vigils in the Benedictine tradition, with 12 psalms every night, allows for fewer psalms during the day. The Gospel Canticle at Vespers is the Magnificat from Luke’s Gospel of course.
One of the things you notice about the hymns is that they are placed at different parts of the Office. For the day hours, they are at the beginning. For Vigils, after the invitatory and before the psalms. For Lauds, Vespers and Compline, they are after the psalms. Why? I have no idea – if anyone does, let me know!
The verse “Deus in adiutorium” is said or sung before every office. In full it is:
Deus, in adiutorium meum intende.
Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina.
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
It’s then followed with the Gloria Patri (Glory Be).
It is the opening verse from Psalm 69/70, which is all about asking God for his assistance. It’s something we often forget; whenever we begin anything we should ask God for help. This Lent I have been reading Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales and he gives a detailed description of how to begin mental prayer. The final two stages in that process are (a) ask for God’s assistance and (b) ask our guardian angel and the saints for their help.
To begin every office with this verse is to remind ourselves that without God we can do nothing. That’s worth remembering.
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