Regularis Concordia: the monastic day (agreed at the Synod of Winchester, c. 970–973)

On Rising for the Night Office

From the Kalends of October, by the help of the grace of the Lord, let all things that are to be done by regular use and in imitation of the holy fathers, whether spiritual or bodily, be begun with blessing, by humble and needful service. For this custom, a very great safeguard and most necessary, is to be kept with constant watchfulness by all who are given to the yoke of the Rule, in small things as in great: if each begins anything, let it in no wise be left off. For without doubt nothing will remain firm or strong which lacks the blessing of Christ, who created all things and governs them with just measure.

Therefore at all times, at the night hours, when the brother rises from his bed for the work of God, let him first sign himself with the sign of the holy Cross, calling upon the holy Trinity. Then let him say the verse, O Lord, open thou my lips; then the psalm, O God, make speed to save me, all through, with the Gloria.

Then let him see to the bodily need of nature, if at that hour he needs it; and so, hastening to the oratory, let him sing the psalm, Unto thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul, entering with the greatest reverence and care, that he hinder not others who are praying.

And then, on bended knees, in a fitting and accustomed place, in the sight of the Lord, let him pour out his prayers rather with the heart than with the mouth, so that his voice, through great compunction of mind and remembrance of his sins, may effectually pierce the ears of the merciful Lord, and by the grace of Christ granting it he may obtain pardon for all his offences.

The Threefold Prayer before the Night Office

At the first prayer, let him sing the first three penitential psalms with the Lord's Prayer, so that in what follows he intercedes first for himself. After them, this prayer:

I give thee thanks, almighty Father, who hast vouchsafed to keep me this night; I beseech thy mercy, O merciful Lord, that thou wouldest grant me to pass the coming day in thy holy service with humility and discretion, that my service may be well pleasing unto thee. Through our Lord.

Then let him come to the second prayer, at which he says the two psalms following, for the king and queen and for the household, with the prayer:

O God, who by the grace of the Holy Spirit hast poured the gifts of charity into the hearts of thy faithful: grant to thy servants and handmaids, for whom we entreat thy mercy, health of mind and body, that they may love thee with all their strength, and with all love may perform those things that are pleasing unto thee. Through our Lord.

Thence coming to the third prayer, let him sing the two last psalms for the faithful departed, with the prayer:

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the souls of thy servants and handmaids may find the fellowship of everlasting light, who, being set in this light, received thy sacrament. Through our Lord.

And until the children come into the church, let one bell be rung continuously. And let the children too, having entered, keep the threefold prayer duly for reverence of the Trinity.

The Gradual Psalms and the Night Office

When the three prayers have been finished by the children, let the second signal be rung, all sitting in their stalls in order and singing the fifteen gradual psalms one by one, in three parts, bending their knees after each five psalms at a sign from the prior. Meanwhile the remaining signals being rung and finished, after the same psalms let them begin the night office.

When the nocturns are ended, let them say two psalms, O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation, and The Lord hear thee: the one especially for the king, the other for the king and queen and the household, with these collects:

We beseech thee, almighty God, that thy servant our king N., who by thy mercy hath taken up the government of the kingdom, may also receive increase of all virtues; that being fittingly adorned with them, he may shun the monstrous growths of sin, overcome the enemy, and come in favour unto thee, who art the way, the truth and the life. Through our Lord.

Direct, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy handmaid N., and multiply in her the gifts of thy grace; that, free from all offences, she may not be left without help in things temporal, and may rejoice in things eternal. Through our Lord.

For the king and queen and benefactors: O God, who by the grace of the Holy Spirit, as above.

And so, at the end of all the regular hours, let this always be done.

Mattins (Lauds) and its Additions

After these psalms let there be a very short interval, as the Rule directs; and all summer it is fitting that there be an interval. The school going out with the master for the needs of nature, the rest, except those who need it, remain in the church given to prayer.

After this let the Lauds of the day follow. After Have mercy upon me, O God, let them add two psalms for the king, queen and household, Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and Bow down thine ear, O Lord.

These finished, let them sing an antiphon of the Cross; then an antiphon of Saint Mary, and of the saint whose feast is kept in that church, or, if there be none, of the dedication of the place itself.

After these they are to go to the morning Lauds of All Saints, singing an antiphon in honour of the saint to whom the chapel to which they go is dedicated. After these Lauds, the Lauds for the departed.

Prime, the Psalms and the Litany

If this has been finished by the light of day, as is fitting, let them begin Prime without the sign of the bell; but if they await the light, let the signal be rung and let them gather for Prime.

Then, Prime being finished, let them sing two psalms, O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation, and Have mercy upon me, O God: the first against the temptation of the flesh, with the prayers, Prove us, O Lord, and Let not the foot of pride come against us, and the collect, Burn with thy fire. The second for the departed brethren, with the collect, Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, and the prayer, The souls of our brethren.

And so in the accustomed manner let them devoutly run through the penitential psalms, with the psalm Bow down thine ear, O Lord, set between. These finished, let the litany follow, which let them fulfil humbly prostrate in the accustomed manner, no signal being rung.

When it is completed, after the Lord's Prayer let the psalm In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust be sung, with the prayers and collects following. These ended, let the brethren be free for reading until the second hour, according to the precept of the Rule.

Terce, the Morrow Mass and Chapter

Then the children entering the church, let the sacristan ring the first signal. The three prayers having been made by the children, as before by the elders, let each be set in his place, and the bell being rung let them begin the hour of Terce. After its end, let them say for the king and queen and their benefactors the psalms How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, and Have mercy upon me, O God, with the collects written above.

Then let them celebrate the morrow Mass, which may be said for the king or for any pressing need. This done, at a signal from the prior they gather to the chapter, and turning to the east let them salute the Cross, and bow to the brethren on either side.

Then, all sitting, let the martyrology be read. That said, all rising say the verse, Right dear in the sight of the Lord, with its prayer, and the verse, O God, make speed to save me, which is repeated thrice by all, the prior beginning, adding the Gloria and bending the knee if the season so directs. The prior saying, And lead us not into temptation, let all rise and with face raised say the verse, Look upon thy servants, adding the Gloria with bowed head. Then follows the prayer, Vouchsafe to direct and sanctify, and Our help is in the name of the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth.

Then let the Rule be read, or, if it be a feast, the Gospel of the day. After this, whoever knows himself guilty of any fault, humbly asking pardon, let him seek forgiveness, saying, My fault, lord.

For it is needful that in all our negligences, that is, of thought, word or deed, we be judged in the present life by true confession and humble penitence, lest after the course of this life they set us guilty before the judgement seat of Christ.

The Principal Mass and Sext

After Terce and the principal Mass, let the brethren daily receive the Eucharist, except those who know themselves guilty of some crime or of the frailty of the flesh, giving heed to that which blessed Augustine says in the book of the words of the Lord: that in the Lord's Prayer we ask not for yearly but for daily bread. "So live," he says, "that thou mayest deserve to receive daily. He that deserveth not to receive daily, deserveth not to receive after a year."

The Mass ended, let the brethren who serve receive the mixtum, the rest sitting in the church; and at a signal let them make their prayer, then Sext; and after Sext let them go to table. Note that on Friday the office is of the Cross, and on Saturday of Saint Mary, unless some feast day fall.

None and the Afternoon

After the meal, let them sing five psalms for the departed: Ponder my words, O Lord; O Lord, rebuke me not; I am well pleased; I believed; Out of the deep. Then at the sound of the board, if they have work to do, let the prior call upon the divine help, saying thrice, O God, make speed to save me, the brethren answering the same, with the Gloria, Our Father, and Our help. Then, with the singing of the canonical course and of the psalter, let them work at what is enjoined them until they hear the signal.

When they hear it, let each leave his work and hasten to the work of God, coming before the oratory and blessing the Lord who gave them help: Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast helped me and comforted me, thrice, with the Gloria, Our Father, and, May the Lord almighty be our helper and gracious unto us. Entering the church, let them make their prayer.

After None let them say for the king and queen and household the psalms Hear, O thou shepherd of Israel, and Out of the deep, with the collects noted before.

Vespers and its Additions

Let Vespers be sung in good time; while its bells are ringing, let the brethren after prayer sit in the choir, intent on the divine prayers, by the grace of the Lord never wandering.

In singing Vespers, after Have mercy upon me, O God, let them add for the king and queen and household two psalms, Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land, and Hear my prayer, O Lord. As we said above of the antiphons after Mattins, so let it be done after Vespers; and the Vespers of All Saints and of the dead, and the Vigil, until the Kalends of November.

Maundy, Collation and Compline

These ended, let the brethren go to put off their day shoes and put on their night shoes. If it be Saturday, let each wash his own feet, with vessels fitly set apart for each; after the washing of feet, let those who need it wash their shoes also. After this, the prior striking the bell, let them come with thanksgiving to drink. Rising, the prior says the verse, Our help is in the name of the Lord, the others answering, Who hath made heaven and earth. Then at the sound of the board let them go to the Maundy according to the Rule.

On other days, after the change of shoes, let them go at a signal to the refectory, and thence likewise at a signal to the Collation, which let be read as time allows and as seems good to the prior; and so let them go to Compline.

The reading finished, at a signal from the prior let them give one another the healthful remedy of confession. When Compline is finished and, as the last thing, Have mercy upon me, O God, sung in the accustomed manner, let two psalms be added, O God, make speed to save me, and Levavi (I have lifted up), for the king and queen and benefactors.

The Threefold Prayer after Compline

Compline being finished, as at the last canonical hour, so at the beginning, let reverence be duly shown by the servants of the holy and undivided Trinity: first the children make the three prayers, and after the children the brethren.

At the first prayer let them sing the psalms How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, and Give sentence with me, O God; Kyrie eleison; Our Father; and the prayers, Turn thy face from my sins; Make me a clean heart; Cast me not away; O give me the comfort; and this prayer: I give thee thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to keep me this day; of thy holy mercy grant me so to pass this night with a clean heart and chaste body, that rising in the morning I may render thee acceptable service. Through our Lord.

At the second prayer, God be merciful unto us, and Except the Lord build the house; Kyrie eleison; Our Father; the same prayers as above; and the collect: O God, unto whom every body lies open and every will speaks, and from whom no secret is hid: purify by the infusion of the Holy Spirit the thoughts of our hearts, that we may deserve perfectly to love and worthily to praise thee. Through our Lord.

At the third prayer, Out of the deep; Kyrie eleison; Our Father; the same prayers; and the collect: O God, who for thy thirsting people didst bring forth a stream of living water out of the rock: bring forth from the hardness of our heart tears of compunction, that we may be able to bewail our sins and, by thy mercy, deserve to receive their remission. Through our Lord.

Almighty and most gentle God, look graciously upon our prayers, and set free our heart from the temptation of evil thoughts, that we may be found worthy to become a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Through our Lord.

The hebdomadary blessing the water, let them go to their rest with the greatest quietness of voice and reverence. And every night after Compline let the house of their rest be sprinkled as they lie down, because of the illusions of the devil.