Sunday, December 29, 2013

Canticles at Matins

One of the unique features of the traditional Benedictine Office is the use of three canticles - psalms from Scriptures outside the book of psalms - as the third Nocturn at Matins.

The number of nocturns and canticles on Sunday is not an accident, but rather a use of the numerological symbolism of which the Fathers were so fond.

Sundays are, above all, a celebration of the Resurrection, which occurred 'on the third day' after Christ's death on the Cross.  The inclusion of a the third nocturn 'resurrection vigil' to reinforce this idea may have been something taken over by St Benedict from the early Eastern cathedral tradition.

In the modern form of the Office, there are sets of canticles for use on particular feasts, as well as for the Commons of saints.

CANTICLES FOR THE TEMPORAL CALENDAR

The most often used canticles though, are for the liturgical season, and are as follows:

Advent

Isaiah 40:10-17**updated
Isaiah 42:10-16
Isaiah 49: 7-13

Nativitytide (and Epiphanytide)

Introduction to Isaiah 9:2-7
Introduction to Isaiah 26:1-12
Introduction to Isaiah 66:10-16

Time throughout the year

Introduction to Isaiah 33:2-10
Introduction to Isaiah 33:13-18
Introduction to Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 36:14-19

Lent and Passiontide

Jeremiah 14:17-21
Lamentations 5:1-7, 15-17, 19-21
Ezekiel 36:24-28

Eastertide

Isaiah 63:1-5
Hosea 6:1-6
Zephaniah (Sophronias) 3:8-13

CANTICLES FOR THE SANCTORAL CALENDAR

In addition to the canticles for the liturgical seasons, particular sets of canticles are also used on Class I&II feasts.

Common of the BVM/Virgin Martyrs/Virgins/Holy Women

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 39:17-21
Isaiah 61:10-11, 62:1-3
Isaiah 62:4-7

Common of Apostles/Evangelists

Isaiah 61:6-9
Wisdom 3:7-9
Wisdom 10: 17-21

Common of Popes/one martyr/confessor bishop/confessor

Ecclesiasticus 14:22, 15:3-4, 6
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11

Common of several martyrs/Feast of All Saints

Wisdom 3:1-6
Wisdom 3:7-9
Wisdom 10: 17-21

Common of the Dedication of a Church

Tobit 13:10-17
Isaiah 2:2-3
Jeremiah 7:2-7

Other feasts

1 Chron 29: 10-13 (Christ the King no 1)



2 comments:

  1. Why is it that for Matins of three Nocturns, the first two Nocturns each have six psalms, and yet the third Nocturn only has three canticles?

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  2. Beyond that St Benedict said so (Rule of St Benedict, ch 11) you mean?

    There are assorted theories.

    First, St Benedict was probably loosely following Cassian's 'Rule of the Angel' in following a limit of twelve psalms for Matins each night.

    But Sunday traditionally had a longer Matins (the sixth century secular office attested to in the Liber Diurnis for Rome normally had 3-4 psalms on weekdays, but three Nocturns with three psalms each on Sundays), so I guess the choice was add on an extra vigil outside the normal Office (as his contemporary Caesarius of Arles did, with units of extra psalms readings and prayers whose number depended on the season), or fill up a Nocturn another way!

    One suggestion has been that he was imitating the Jerusalem Office in this approach, but I'm not sure whether that theory still stands up or not in the light of the latest research on that Office.

    It is perhaps relevant though, given that St Benedict potentially drew on a much wider range of canticles than the traditional nine odes (the instruction is three canticles from 'the prophets', chosen by the abbot), that there is an early sixth century Roman commentary on virtually every biblical canticle (was it perhaps written for Benedict's monks, or his inspiration focusing this texts?), though unfortunately it doesn't include any useful liturgical hints as far as I've been able to see (and is pretty dry)!

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