MONASTIC

MONASTIC PSALTER (St. Benedict ca. 540) (used by most Benedictines, Cistercians, Carthusians, other Monastic groups)
*Hour*	*Sunday*	*Monday*	*Tuesday*	*Wednesday*	*Thursday*	*Friday*	*Saturday*
Matins	3 Invit 94 *1^st Nocturn* 20 21 22 23 24 25 *2^nd Nocturn* 26 27 28 29 30 31 *3^rd* *Nocturn* Is 33,2-10 Is 33, 13-18 Ecclus 36, 14-19	3 Invit 94 *1^st Nocturn* 32 33 34 36a 36b 37 *2^nd Nocturn* 38 39 40 41 43 44	3 Invit 94 *1^st Nocturn* 45 46 47 48 49 51 *2^nd Nocturn* 52 53 54 55 57 58	3 Invit 94 *1^st* *Nocturn* 59 60 61 65 67a 67b *2^nd* *Nocturn* 68a 68b 69 70 71 72	3 Invit 94 *1^st* *Nocturn* 73 74 76 77a 77b 78 *2^nd* *Nocturn* 79 80 81 82 83 84	3 Invit 94 *1^st Nocturn* 85 86 86 88a 88b 92 -or -75 *2^nd* *Nocturn* 95 96 97 98 99 -or - 91 100	3 Invit 94 *1^st* *Nocturn* 101 102 103a 103b 104a 104b *2^nd* *Nocturn* 105a 105b 106a 106b 107 108
Lauds	66 50 117 62 Daniel 148 149 150	66 50 5 35 Isaias 148 149 150	66 50 42 56 Isaias 148 149 150	66 50 63 64 1 Kings 148 149 150	66 50 87 89 Exod 15 148 149 150	66 50 75 91 Habacuc 148 149 150	66 50 141 142 Deut.32 148 149 150
Prime	118 118 118 118	1 2 6	7 8 9a	9b 10 11	12 13 14	15 16 17a	17b 18 19
Terce	118 118 118	118 118 118	119 120 121	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday
Sext	118 118 118	118 118 118	122 123 124	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday
None	118 118 118	118 118 118	125 126 127	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday	same as Tuesday
Vespers	109 110 111 112	113 114 115 116 128	129 130 131 132	134 135 136 137	138a 138b 139 140	141 143a 143b 144a	144b 145 146 147
Compline	4 90 133	same as Sunday	same as Sunday	same as Sunday	same as Sunday	same as Sunday	same as Sunday

Notes

This listing denotes a Sunday throughout the year (tempus per annum - ordinary time) the weekdays are also ordinary time ferias. Adjustments are made for seasons and feasts in certain parts of the psalmody (e.g., 3rd Nocturn, Sunday, Lauds, etc.)
In printed versions of Monastic breviaries, the psalter begins with Monday Prime (Ps. 1).
While this psalter is detailed in St. Benedict's Rule, and while his rule is the basic for the
way of life of several monastic families, the monastic families vary certain particulars:
the lectionary (readings), antiphons for the psalms (text and music, in some cases),
hymns (Benedict introduced the "hymn" into the office of the Western Church -- it was not adopted by the Roman Rite for several centuries. Benedictines vary their hymns,
as do Cistercians. Carthusians used the same Matins, Lauds & Vespers hymns
throughout the week, however, and the Milanese have a similar use (see Ambrosian material)
The Monastic families who kept the psalm schema of the Rule retained the Vulgate version of the Latin psalms (but see the Post Vatican II texts, below).
Benedict provided that the superior (the Abbot) could change the psalm structure if this arrangement was unsuitable. His only provision was that the entire psalter (150 psalms) be prayed during the course of a week. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the Maurist Breviary of the Hungarian Benedictine Congregation made use of this provision.

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updated August 9, 2000