„Esztergom Office”

Distribution of psalms in „Énekes Zsolozsma az Esztergomi Breviárium alapján” (Sung Office on the base of the Esztergom Breviery), Szent Ágostron Liturgikus Megújulási Mozgalom (St. Augustin Movement for Liturgical Renewal), Budapest, 1993.

Cursus saecularis, adapting the ancient use to the present requirements. 

Ternios of the psalmodia currens:

Conventions:

1) The Laudes can be reduced to 3 psalms omitting psalm 62-66 and the daily psalm/canticum in weekly alternation. In this case psalm 62 and 66 should included in the Saturday Lauds this way: Week I: Ps. 91, 66, 150; Week II: Ps 62, Audite (first division9, 150.

2) Also the Vespers can be reduced to 3 psalm; in this case the weekday portions from Tuesday to Friday are divided into two weeks:

D: 109, 110, 111.

f2: 112, 113/I-II.

f3: I: 114, 115, 116. – II: 129, 120, 130.

f4 I: 131, 132, 134. – II: 135/I-II-III

f5: I: 136, 137, 138. – II: 139, 140, 141.

f6: I: 143/I-II-III. – II: 144/I-II-III

S: 145, 146, 147.

3) The Prime can be omitted. In this case either:

on Sunday only Hora Media is prayed with psalm 117 + 118/1-4, while psalm 118 is is prayed on two Saturdays: 5-13 / 14-22; or

psalms 117 is prayed on Sunday (Terce or Hora Media), and psalm 118 is added as an appendix at the end of the weekday Lauds one 8-verse section for each, as the sanctification of daily activity.

4) The psalms 1-108 (except those prayed in other Hours) are divided in small „ternios”. The person or community goes continually along the psaltery, taking 1, 2, 3 or 4 ternios for one days as the rule of comminity determines or those not obliged to to breviary can do. The simply go further when they stopped on the previous days (even when inerrupted by a feast. For the Sunday three nocturns are created from the psalms old „great Vigil” (psalms 1-25); these short psalms can be prayed on each Sunday or alternaterly over threre weeks.

The abbreviated monastic breviary for the use of the Benedictine nuns in Kaposszentbenedek/Hungary

It is very „laudabile” to keep the full curses according to the old monastic use. How, however whish to abbreviate may follow the scheme above with the following rules and conventions:

1) Each Vigils has two nocturns, consisting of 3 psalms instead of 6. In Sunday Nocturn III keeps the traditional cantica.

2) The Lauds preserves the psalms determined by St. Benedict (the cantica „sicut psallit Romana ecclesia” included), on the last place, however 148 can be prayd on Monday, Thursday, 149 on Tuesday, Friday and 150 on Wednesday, Saturday, while on Sunday the three is linked as traditional.

3) In the life of a monastery the Prime has its definite function. In case, however, the community leaves it the Benedictine psalms 1-19 are transposed to the Little Hours of Saturday. The Prime is, however, retained on Saturday (with the paschal psalm of 117) and on Monday along with the „officium capituli” as a blessing for the whole weeks’s activity.

4) The second half of psalm 118 is prayed in every other week instead of Monday, and so the series of psalms 119-127 is assigned for all weekdays (except the „half-feast” Saturday).

5) In the short 4-psalm Vespers no abbreviation is justified.