Holy Rule for February 20
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St. Mary's Monastery
Feb 19, 2026, 5:54:00 PM (16 hours ago) Feb 19
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
February 20, June 21, October 21
Chapter 17: How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at These Hours
We have already arranged the order of the psalmody for the Night and Morning Offices; let us now provide for the remaining Hours.
At Prime let three Psalms be said, separately and not under one "Glory be to the Father." The hymn of that Hour is to follow the verse "Incline unto my aid, O God," before the Psalms begin. Upon completion of the three Psalms let one lesson be recited, then a verse, the "Lord, have mercy on us" and the concluding prayers. The Offices of Terce, Sext and None are to be celebrated in the same order, that is: the "Incline unto my aid, O God," the hymn proper to each Hour, three Psalms, lesson and verse, "Lord, have mercy on us" and concluding prayers.
If the community is a large one, let the Psalms be sung with antiphons; but if small, let them be sung straight through. Let the Psalms of the Vesper Office be limited to four, with antiphons. After these Psalms the lesson is to be recited, then the responsory, the Ambrosian hymn, the verse, the canticle from the Gospel book, the litany, the Lord's Prayer and the concluding prayers.
Let Compline be limited to the saying of three Psalms, which are to be said straight through without antiphon, and after them the hymn of that Hour, one lesson, a verse, the "Lord, have mercy on us," the blessing and the concluding prayers.
REFLECTION
Just as Lauds and Vespers are fraternal twins, at dawn and sunset, so are Prime and Compline, before work and before bed. Both are somewhat different from the other minor hours, but, like Lauds and Vespers, they share a similarity and complementarity of sorts. Prime was suppressed in the Roman rite, but not in the Monastic usage. Still, in the reshuffling of things, Prime got lost in many, if not most houses. (Imagine my delight when I found it still very much alive and well in our motherhouse!)
That loss of Prime is too bad, in a way. Just as Compline features many things that prepare one for sleep or for the death it prefigures, always a possibility, so Prime prepares one for the day at hand, for its work and for life. The traditional time given for the celebration of Prime was "before work."
Some older Oblate manuals used to offer the full text of Prime for every day, with the other hour being the changeless Compline. That made a great deal of sense. Many Oblates who could only dream spending morning hours before work or school celebrating Matins and Lauds could easily fit Prime into their schedule and its whole liturgical slant was to prepare them for and bless their work day ahead.
One reason Prime became such a prayer for one's workday is that, over centuries, the minor hour got merged with a lot of stuff that ordinarily happened in the Chapter room daily: reading the Rule and assigning work. Hence, some of its additions may not have been of the purest type, but let us face it, we are an age that rarely insists on purism, and chiefly only when it agrees with agendas we already are bent on anyway.
Let me whet your appetite by giving you the two prayers offered at the end of Prime, either or both are a great way to begin the day and quickly memorized. Just remember, as you say them, to join your heart to the thousands and thousands of monastics who said them every day before you. They are a very neat connection to our past and to the saints of our Order who have gone before us and they easily fit into any morning routine. And, by the way, remember to say the Morning Offering, too.
"Lord God Almighty, You have brought us to the beginning of this day. Preserve us now by Your power so that in this day we may not fall into any sin; rather, that all our words, thoughts and acts may be always directed to doing Your justice. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
"Lord God, King of heaven and earth, be pleased this day to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, our thoughts, words and deeds according to Your law and in obedience to Your commandments. Now and forever may we attain salvation and freedom by Your help, O Savior of the world, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen"
Enjoy them and use them!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
February 20, June 21, October 21
Chapter 17: How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at These Hours
We have already arranged the order of the psalmody for the Night and Morning Offices; let us now provide for the remaining Hours.
At Prime let three Psalms be said, separately and not under one "Glory be to the Father." The hymn of that Hour is to follow the verse "Incline unto my aid, O God," before the Psalms begin. Upon completion of the three Psalms let one lesson be recited, then a verse, the "Lord, have mercy on us" and the concluding prayers. The Offices of Terce, Sext and None are to be celebrated in the same order, that is: the "Incline unto my aid, O God," the hymn proper to each Hour, three Psalms, lesson and verse, "Lord, have mercy on us" and concluding prayers.
If the community is a large one, let the Psalms be sung with antiphons; but if small, let them be sung straight through. Let the Psalms of the Vesper Office be limited to four, with antiphons. After these Psalms the lesson is to be recited, then the responsory, the Ambrosian hymn, the verse, the canticle from the Gospel book, the litany, the Lord's Prayer and the concluding prayers.
Let Compline be limited to the saying of three Psalms, which are to be said straight through without antiphon, and after them the hymn of that Hour, one lesson, a verse, the "Lord, have mercy on us," the blessing and the concluding prayers.
REFLECTION
Just as Lauds and Vespers are fraternal twins, at dawn and sunset, so are Prime and Compline, before work and before bed. Both are somewhat different from the other minor hours, but, like Lauds and Vespers, they share a similarity and complementarity of sorts. Prime was suppressed in the Roman rite, but not in the Monastic usage. Still, in the reshuffling of things, Prime got lost in many, if not most houses. (Imagine my delight when I found it still very much alive and well in our motherhouse!)
That loss of Prime is too bad, in a way. Just as Compline features many things that prepare one for sleep or for the death it prefigures, always a possibility, so Prime prepares one for the day at hand, for its work and for life. The traditional time given for the celebration of Prime was "before work."
Some older Oblate manuals used to offer the full text of Prime for every day, with the other hour being the changeless Compline. That made a great deal of sense. Many Oblates who could only dream spending morning hours before work or school celebrating Matins and Lauds could easily fit Prime into their schedule and its whole liturgical slant was to prepare them for and bless their work day ahead.
One reason Prime became such a prayer for one's workday is that, over centuries, the minor hour got merged with a lot of stuff that ordinarily happened in the Chapter room daily: reading the Rule and assigning work. Hence, some of its additions may not have been of the purest type, but let us face it, we are an age that rarely insists on purism, and chiefly only when it agrees with agendas we already are bent on anyway.
Let me whet your appetite by giving you the two prayers offered at the end of Prime, either or both are a great way to begin the day and quickly memorized. Just remember, as you say them, to join your heart to the thousands and thousands of monastics who said them every day before you. They are a very neat connection to our past and to the saints of our Order who have gone before us and they easily fit into any morning routine. And, by the way, remember to say the Morning Offering, too.
"Lord God Almighty, You have brought us to the beginning of this day. Preserve us now by Your power so that in this day we may not fall into any sin; rather, that all our words, thoughts and acts may be always directed to doing Your justice. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
"Lord God, King of heaven and earth, be pleased this day to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, our thoughts, words and deeds according to Your law and in obedience to Your commandments. Now and forever may we attain salvation and freedom by Your help, O Savior of the world, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen"
Enjoy them and use them!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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