Ferial Office in Lent

Today is Tuesday of the first week in Lent and is of simple rite and a 'greater non-privileged feria'.

At Mattins the invitatory is, as on Sunday, Non sit vobis and the hymn Ex more. The antiphons and psalms are taken from the Psalter for Tuesday. The antiphons are not, of course, 'doubled' before the psalms but only sung in their entirety after each psalm. Mattins has one nocturn of nine psalms and three lessons. After the ninth psalm the Pater is said silently and then the versicle Et ne nos inducas in tentationem and the response Sed libera nos a malo sung. Then the seasonal versicle Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi is sung and its response Et sub pennis ejus sperabis. The absolution is Ipsius pietas and the first blessing Evangelica lectio. A Gospel fragment from Matthew (21: 10 -17) is chanted and then a homily of the Venerable Bede interspersed with three responsories.

In Choral Office the second scheme of Lauds follows immediately, again from the Psalter for Tuesday (Pss. 50, 42, 66, Canticle of Ezechiel, 134). The chapter is Clama, ne cesses and the hymn O sol Salutis. The antiphon on the Benedictus is proper to each Lenten feria, today Venite, benedicti. After the antiphon has been sung in full after the Benedictus the Choir kneels and the ferial preces are sung, a series of intercessions in the form of versicle and response. The Hebdomadarius rises at Oremus and sings the collect Respice, Domine. The Suffrage of Saints is then sung. Normally Mattins and Lauds are anticipated after Compline on the previous evening.

At Prime the psalmody is Pss. 24(i), 24(ii), 24(iii) and 95. The ferial chapter Pacem et veritatem is sung. After the short responsory both the ferial and Domincial preces are sung, kneeling. The Choir stands for the reading from the Martyrology. A short series of ferial preces are also sung, kneeling, at Terce, Sext and None.

Mass follows None. Four candles are lit on the altar and the ministers wear folded chasubles. The Mass texts for all the Lenten feriae are proper. The second collect is A cunctis, the third Omnipotens. The preface of Lent is sung and Bendicamus Domino is the dismissal. This is sung by the deacon facing the altar, not the people. The Choir kneels for the collects, from the Sanctus until the end of the response to Pax Domini, for the post-communions and for the Oratio super populum. The latter is a feature of the Lenten ferial Masses. After the last post-communion the celebrant sings Oremus and the deacon, facing the people sings Humiliate capita vestra Deo and then the celebrant sings the prayer. The text of the Oratio super populum should be compared to the oration for ferial Vespers in Lent.

Vespers follow Mass. First Vespers of St. Casimir are sung. A commemoration of the Lenten feria is made (the antiphon at the Magnifcat and collect proper to each feria), of St Lucius PM and the Suffrage of the Saints is sung. At Compline the Dominical preces are sung, standing.