This afternoon had the joy of perusing a digital book called Psalterium Davids published in Lutheran Magdeburg in 1612 that Dr. Herl and I jointly purchased. It is the entire Psalter in Latin (though it notes it is largely the Vulgate - "the old version" - it is some places emended; and I'd dearly love to know what those places are!) and is fascinating when read together with the daily service book. Each Psalm is prefaced by a few words that describe the nature of what you'll be praying for in this Psalm. For example, Psalm 1 is prefaced: "Commending the study of the word and distinguishing the true Church from the false." Psalm 5 is prefaced: "A prayer offered for the Church in which we ask that pious members of the same would be defended against impious doctrines and impostors." Here's the schedule - and note that the Psalm numbers are from the Vulgate:
The Psalter Divisions:
Psalms for Matins for Sundays: 1-25;
Psalms for Matins for Monday: 26-37;
Psalms for Matins Tuesday: 38-51;
Psalms for Matins Wednesday: 52-67;
Psalms for Matins Thursday: 68-80;
Psalms for Matins Friday: 81-96;
Psalms for Matins Sat.: 97-109
Sunday Vespers: Psalms 109-114;
Monday: 115-116
Prime: 117-118:Daleth;
Terce: 118:He-Ioth
Sext: 118:Caph-Ain
None: 118:Pe-Tau
Tuesday Vespers: 119-125
Wednesday Vespers: 126-130
Thursday Vespers: 131-132; 134-136
Compline: 133
Friday Vespers: 137-142
Saturday Vespers: 143-147
Lauds: 148-150
Canticles:
Sunday: Lauds - Benedicite Omnia Opera
Monday: Lauds - Confitebor Tibi
Tuesday: Lauds - Ego Dixi
Wednesday: Lauds - Exultavit cor meum
Thursday: Lauds - Contabo Domino
Friday: Lauds - Domine audivi
Saturday: Lauds - Audiet coeli
NT Canticles: Benedicuts, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis
Te Deum
Prime: Quinqunque Vult
Then the Nicene Creed - MINUS THE FILIOQUE???? [I think it's a typo, for the whole line about procession is missing; but is present in the daily worship book]
To show how this would work out, let's take next Sunday, the second after the Epiphany :
Sunday Matins: Venite (all of Psalm 94), Psalms 1, 2, 3
Sunday Lauds: Psalm 92, Benedicite Omnia Opera, Psalm 148
Sunday Prime: Psalm 117-118D
Sunday Terce: Psalm 118H-Yod
Sunday Sext: Psalm 118Chaph-Ain
Sunday None: Psalm 118Pe-Tau
Sunday Vespers: Psalms 109, 110, 111, 112, 113
Sunday Compline: Psalm 133
The next day, Monday, we'd have:
Monday Matins: Venite (all of Psalm 94), Psalms 26, 27
Monday Lauds: Psalm 50, 5 (???), 62, Confiteor Tibi, Psalm 148-150
Terce, Sext, None: same as Sunday
Monday Vespers: Psalms 114, 115, 116, 119, 120
Compline: same as Sunday
And so on... What an absolutely incredible richness of living in and praying the Psalter this schedule indicates. The notation is all hob-nail Gregorian - the traditional tones, but does not appear for each Psalm. Almost as though a set of Psalms were to be done with the same notation, and then another Psalm tone is introduced (one at 1; one at 15 etc.) Antiphons are supplied in the daily worship book.
Remember that in addition to the singing of the Psalter, these services featured extensive Scripture reading. On this particular Sunday at Matins: Romans 11:1-11(Latin) and John 2:1-11 (Latin) and at Vespers Romans 12 (German). Monday at Matins Romans 13 (Latin); Vespers, Romans 14 (German).
Kind of gives new meaning to "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" eh?
5 comments:
Poor blighters, before our enlightened age, not knowing it takes a three year cycle to more fully expose people to Scripture.
Do you think they actually chanted all 25 Psalms at a single Matins? Or did they choose from those appointed for that day's Matins?
No, they chanted at Matins three Psalms from that portion on Sundays, as I show toward the bottom. You have to interface the Psalter with the actual service book to see how it worked.
I didn't realize that in the western rite that there was a division of the psalter according to the hours like what we have with the kathismata. The divisions are differnt, of course, but it seems that the purpose is the same: to get through the entire psalter (excepting when there is a major feast and things change) in a week's time. Interesting.
Chris,
That would be to misread what was provided. They did not try to get through the Psalter in a week (though they did work through huge portions of it). The divisions simply note where the Psalms for a given Office are to come from. Thus, at Sunday Matins there will always be Psalm 95 and then three other Psalms taken from 1-25. In the example I gave, the first three Psalms were in play. The next Sunday, the Matins Psalms assigned are 6, 7, 8.
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