The Rite of an Office
is the rank the Office occupies in the liturgical hierarchy—its
relative importance. The higher the rank of the Office, the
greater will be the number of the parts that are proper to
it, that is, arranged specifically for the Office in
question and not shared with other Offices. In paragraph 7
below, we shall see how the Rite of an Office relates to the
Rank of a Feast. However, the Rite of an Office is not
determined solely by the rank of the Feast. Other factors
enter, such as the fact that the Feast may be a Feast of Our
Lord, a Feast of an Apostle, etc. Yet this need not cause
the beginner any anxiety, for both the Breviary and Ordo
will always indicate not only the Rank of the Feast, but
also the Rite of the Office to be said.
There are five Rites,
or five Classes, of Offices. These five classes are:
a)
The Solemn Office,
that is, the Office of a solemn or preferred Feast, also
called an Excepted Feast. These Offices can be recognized
in the Breviary by the fact that Antiphons and Psalms are
either printed in full in the Office in the Proper, or at
least reference is given there as to where they may be found.
They will not be the Antiphons and Psalms for the current
weekday. Such are, for example, the Offices of St. John
Baptist (June 24), of Ss. Peter and Paul (June 29), of the
Feast of the Most Precious Blood (July 1).
b)
The Sunday Office.
In the Breviary this has a section practically for itself,
namely, the Proper of the Season.
c)
The Ordinary Office,
that is, the Office of ordinary Feasts, also called Non-Excepted
Feasts. These Offices can be recognized in the Breviary by
the fact that, though they have a Matins of three Nocturns,
no Antiphons for Psalms or Psalms are printed in the Proper
of the Saints for such Offices, since those from the Psalter
for the current weekday are to be used. Such are, for
example, the Offices of St. William (June 25), of St.
Paulinus (June 22), of St. Elizabeth (July 8).
d)
The Simple Office,
that is, the Office of Feasts of Simple rank. Since the
rank of a Feast is always given in the Breviary, these
Offices are easily recognized. They are distinguished by
the fact that only one Lesson, (Lesson iii) is printed for
them in the Proper of the Saints. Such are the Offices of
Ss. Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia (June 15), of St.
Silverius (June 20).
e)
The Ferial and Vigil Offices.
Ferial Offices are those that are said on days when no Feast
of a Saint occurs or may be celebrated. Its parts are taken
mainly from the Psalter and the Proper of the Season. The
Vigil Office is, for all practical purposes, a Ferial
Office.
