Chapter 18
hood be rather small, let them be chanted straight through (that is, quite simply).1
The Vesper service, however, shall be chanted with an anti phon before and after each psalm. Following these psalms, a lesson is to be recited, then a responsory, a hymn (Ambrosianum), a versicle, the Kyrie eleison, and after the "Our Father," let the concluding prayers be said.
Let Compline be limited to three psalms. These shall be chanted right through without an antiphon. Immediately after wards come the hymn appropriate to this hour, a lesson, a versicle, the Kyrie eleison, and the concluding prayer after the blessing.
EIGHTEENTH /CHAPTER
The Order in which the Psalms are to be chanted First in order at every period of prayer, that is, during the day, there is sung the verse Dens in adjutorium, etc. (Ps. lxii,
2),1 then the Gloria Patri followed by a hymn.
On Sunday, after the preliminary prayers, for the first hour, Prime, four segments of the 118th psalm shall be chanted. At the other periods of prayer in the day, except Vespers, that is, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, only three segments of the aforesaid 118th psalm are to be chanted.2
For the first hour of prayer on Monday, however, only three psalms are to be sung, namely, the first, the second, and the sixth.
And thus, during all the individual days of the week until Sunday again, three psalms are to be chanted at the first hour, up to the 19th psalm: in such a way, of course, that the 9th and the 17th psalms shall each be divided into halves. It shall al ways be arranged in this way, so that the night office for Sun day can begin again with the 20th psalm.3
1 Cassian recommends that this verse of the 62nd psalm be repeated unceasingly in every possible situation throughout the day: "Let a remembrance of this verse
For the prayer periods of the third, sixth, and ninth hours of Monday, however, the nine segments of the 118th psalm that still remain over shall be chanted, three segments to each office.
Then, once the 118th psalm has been distributed over the two days, that is, Sunday and Monday, three other psalms shall be chanted at each of the third, sixth, and ninth hours, namely, psalms cxix to cxxvii, nine psalms in all. And these psalms shall be repeated in the same order during the course of the day's hours until Sunday; nevertheless, the same invariable arrange ment of hymns, lessons, and versicles shall be maintained on all the days of the week.
In this way, namely, one can always begin with the 118th psalm (at Prime) on Sunday.
At Vespers, however, let four psalms be chanted each day.1
These psalms (with antiphons) shall begin with the 109th (and proceed in order until the 147th; excepted shall be those psalms that have been set aside for other offices, namely, the 117th up to the 127th, as also the 133rd and the 142nd. All the others mentioned shall be chanted at the Vesper office. And, since there will be three psalms too few (to go around), let three of the longer psalms be divided in halves, namely, the 138th, the 143rd, and the 144th. Also, because the 116th psalm is short, let it be combined with the 115th.
After the order of the psalms for Vespers (over the days of the week) has been settled, let the other parts of this hour, that is, the lessons, responses, versicle, and canticle (from the Gospel
(Luke i, 46-55)), be maintained just as we have arranged them overtake you as you fall asleep ... It should occur to you the first thing when you waken. It should take precedence over all other thoughts. . . Let it be your con stant heaven-storming prayer" (Institutes x, 10).
2 A segment of this psalm consisted of eight verses according to the arrangement outlined by St. Benedict; in the churches of Milan and Rome, it embraced all of sixteen verses (cf. Office of Holy Week). In the early Church the 118th psalm was held in great esteem, as comments by Origen, Hilary, Ambrose, and Augus tine testify .
3 The Church at Rome began the Sunday night-office with the 1st psalm.
1 The office of Vespers in the Roman breviary has five psalms. The Holy Rule endeavored to make the prayer periods during the day somewhat shorter on ac count of the manual labor.