Prime

KNEEL
(PRAYER BEFORE OFFICE)
Aperi, Domine

STAND and PROFOUND INCLINATION

STAND

And then the following Hymn, unless the Proper direct its omission, is recited daily, except for its Ending, which as noted below is sometimes changed by the use of a Proper Doxology.

Hymnus

Jam lucis orto sídere,
Deum precémur súpplices,
Ut in diúrnis áctibus
Nos servet a nocéntibus.

Linguam refrénans témperet,
Ne litis horror ínsonet :
Visum fovéndo cóntegat,
Ne vanitátes háuriat.

Sint pura cordis íntima,
Absístat et vecórdia :
Carnis terat supérbiam
Potus cibíque párcitas.

Ut cum dies abscésserit,
Noctémque sors redúxerit,
Mundi per abstinéntiam
Ipsi canámus glóriam.

*  Deo Patri sit glória,
Et Fílio, qui a mórtuis
Surréxit, ac Paráclito,
In sempitérna sæcula.  Amen.

The Hymn

Now doth the sun ascend the sky,
And wake creation with its ray,
Keep us from sin, O Lord most high,
Through all the actions of the day.

Curb thou for us the unruly tongue;
Teach us the way of peace to prize;
And close our eyes against the throng
Of earth's absorbing vanities.

Oh, may our hearts be pure within,
No cherish'd madness vex the soul;
May abstinence the flesh restrain,
And its rebellious pride control.

So when the evening stars appear,
And in their train the darkness bring;
May we, O Lord, with conscience clear,
Our praise to thy pure glory sing.

Easter Doxology
All praise be thine, O risen Lord,
From death to endless life restored;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore.  Amen.

From Ascension Day until the Vigil of Pentecost inclusive, in place of the Eastertide Doxology above is said the following Ascension Doxology :

From Whitsunday until Saturday within the Octave inclusive is said the following Whitsuntide Doxology :

Table of Proper Doxologies

NOTE, That when (as above) a Hymn has the Proper Doxology for Eastertide, (denoted by a * in the Latin), then for such an Ending there is substituted the Proper Doxology, (ie. one of the nine Endings given in the Table of Proper Doxologies in the Common Forms,) whenever the Proper or the Common or the aforesaid Table directs such a substitution to be made.

And NOTE further, That during any Ending which is labelled as a Doxology, the whole Choir is to make a profound reverence.  It is customary to make at least such a reverence as is made at the Sacred Name of our Lord whenever, in the Ending of any Breviary Hymn whatsoever, the word Trinity is mentioned, or the Names of all Three Divine Persons are mentioned continuously (no matter in what order), in which latter case the inclination is continuous from the mention of the first Name until the last name has been pronounced.

The Psalms with Antiphons
After the Hymn, immediately before the first Psalm, the appropriate Ant. is begun by the offíciant.  Whereupon the Precentor intones the first of the Psalms. And then are said three Psalms according to the Office of the day; but when Lauds 2 is used in the Office for the day, the Psalm or Psalms therein omitted from Lauds 1 should always be transferred to Prime of the same day, according to the arrangement given in the Psalter for such cases.  On excepted Feasts, the Antiphon is taken from the COMMON OF THE SAINTS, or from the PROPER OF THE FEAST, and the Festal Psalms are said.

And after the last Psalm of Prime (or in the Sunday Office, after the Athanasian Creed, when it is said), the Ant. is repeated entire by the Choir.

Following the Antiphon, The Little Chapter is said.  On all Sundays (even if transferred or anticipated), on feastdays, on privileged Vigils, on Feasts during Octaves, and in the Office of Our Lady on Saturday, as well as on Ferias in Eastertide, the Chapter is said as on "Feasts and Octaves", otherwise it shall be said according to the order for Ferias and common Vigils (out of Eastertide).

STAND

Capitulum                      1 Tim. 1. 17.
Regi sæculórum immortáli et invisíbili, soli Deo honor et glória in sæcula sæculórum.  Amen.
R.  Deo grátias.

Chapter                       I Tim. 1. 17.
Unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.
R.  Thanks be to God.

NOTE, that in place of the [ V. Qui surrexísti a mortuis ] is substituted on certain occasions a special V., as appointed in the Proper.

V.  Christe Fili Dei vivi, miserére nobis, * Allelúja, allelúja.
R.  Christe Fili Dei vivi, miserére nobis, * Allelúja, allelúja.
[ V.  Qui surréxísti a mórtuis. ]
R.  Allelúja, allelúja.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Christe Fili Dei vivi, miserére nobis, * Allelúja, allelúja.

V.  Exsúrge, Christe, ádjuva nos, allelúja.
R.  Et líbera nos propter nomen tuum, allelúja.

V.  O Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon us, * Alleluia, alleluia.
R.  O Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon us, * Alleluia, alleluia.
[ V. Thou that art risen from the dead. ]
R.  Alleluia, alleluia.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  O Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon us, * Alleluia, alleluia.

V.  O Christ arise and help us, alleluia.
R.  And deliver us for thy Name's sake, alleluia.

The foregoing Brief Respond is said from Low Sunday through Saturday of the Pentecost Octave, even on Feasts, except that as directed in the Proper, some other V. may be substituted for Qui surréxísti a mórtuis.  From Ascenscion Day until the Vigil of Pentecost inclusive, the following V. is substituted :

After the Brief Respond, if the Preces are to be omitted, at once the Salutation is said, with the Collect, as indicated below.

The Preces

Continuation of Prime when the Preces are not said

The Preces of Prime are said in two forms, the abridged (known as the dominical Preces) and the unabridged (known as the ferial Preces).

The ferial Preces (which are always said kneeling) are to be said at Prime only when they have been said at Lauds, ie. on kneeling days.

The dominical Preces (which are always said standing) are to be said when the Office is Simple; (ie. on common Ferias in and out of Eastertide; when the Office of Our Lady on Saturday is said; and on Simple Feasts;) and likewise when the Office is Semidouble, unless there occur an Office excepted in the following Rubric:

The Preces are omitted on Doubles, in the Office of Days within Octaves (NB. There are no days within simple Octaves); in the Office of Octave Days (even when the same is a Simple); in the Offices of the Epiphany and Pentecost Vigils; in the Office of the Friday after the Ascension Octave; and when at Lauds a Commemoration has been of a Double or of an Octave Day (even when a Simple).

STAND

V.  Repleátur os meum laude.
R.  Ut cántem glóriam tuam, tota die magnitúdinem tuam.

V.  Dómine, avérte fáciem tuam a peccátis meis.
R.  Et omnes iniquitátes meas dele.

V.  Redde mihi lætítiam salutáris tui.
R.  Et spíritu principáli confírma me.

V.  O give me the comfort of thy help again.
R.  And stablish me with thy free Spirit.

After which is said the General Confession, etc. as in Common Forms, which form differs for private recitation.

In Choir

In Private Recitation

V.  Dignáre, Dómine, die isto.
R.  Sine peccáto nos custodíre.

V.  Miserére nostri, Dómine.
R.  Miserére nostri.

V.  Fiat misericórdia tua, Dómine, super nos.
R.  Quemádmodum sperávimus in te.

V.  Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam.
R.  Et clamor meus ad te véniat.

V.  Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us.
R.  This day without sin.

V.  O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Have mercy upon us.

V.  O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
R.  As our trust is in thee.

V.  O Lord, hear my prayer.
R.  And let my cry come unto thee.

After the Preces, or if they be omitted, after the Brief Respond, at once is said the Salutation and Collect as follows:

V.  Dóminus vobíscum.
R.  Et cum spíritu tuo.

Orémus.              Oratio
Dómine Deus omnípotens, qui ad princípium hujus diéi nos perveníre fecísti : tua nos hódie salva virtúte; ut in hac die ad nullum declinémus peccátum, sed semper ad tuam justítiam faciéndam nostra procédant elóquia, dirigántur cogitatiónes et ópera.  Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.
R.  Amen.

V.  The Lord be with you.
R.  And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.              Collect
O Lord, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day : defend us in the same with thy mighty power ; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger ; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight.  Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord.  Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R.  Amen.

V.  Dóminus vobíscum.
R.  Et cum spíritu tuo.

V.  Benedicámus Dómino.
R.  Deo grátias.

THE CAPITULAR OFFICE

And then is said the Capitular Office.  First in Choir there is read the Martyrology; and it is considered praiseworthy to read the same if Prime be said privately, ie. out of Choir.

At the conclusion of the reading from the Martyrology (or, if out of Choir the Martyrology is not to be read, at the conclusion of Prime as given above), the Officiant says:

V.  Pretiósa in conspéctu Dómini.
R.  Mors Sanctórum ejus.

Et abolute, sine Oremus:
Oratio
Sancta María, et omnes Sancti intercédant pro nobis ad Dóminum, ut nos mereámur ab eo adjuvári et salvári, qui vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.
R.  Amen.

V.  Right dear in the sight of the Lord.
R.  Is the death of his Saints.

And immediately without Let us pray is said:
Collect
May holy Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and all the Holy, Righteous, and Elect of God, make intercession for us sinners to the same God our Lord : that we may be accounted worthy to obtain from him help and salvation.  Who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever.
R.  Amen.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper,  et in sæcula sæculórum.  Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper,  et in sæcula sæculórum.  Amen.

V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.   As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be ; world without end.  Amen.

Orémus.              Oratio
Dirígere et sanctificáre, régere et gubernáre dignáre, Dómine Deus, Rex cæli et terræ, hódie corda et córpora nostra, sensus, sermónes et actus nostros in lege tua, et in opéribus mandatórum tuórum : ut hic, et in ætérnum, te auxiliánte, salvi et líberi esse mereámur, Salvátor mundi : Qui vivis et regnas in sæcula sæculórum.
R.  Amen.

Let us pray.              Collect
Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, O Lord God, King of heaven and earth, to direct, sanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies, in the way of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments : that through thy most mighty protection, O Saviour of the world, both here and for evermore, we may be preserved in body and in soul.  Who livest and reignest for ever and ever.
R.  Amen.

If the Chapter-meeting be not convened at this time, then at once is read the brief Lesson.

The brief Lesson is said (at the dismissal of the Chapter-meeting, if the daily Chapter be convened after the foregoing prayers) according to the Office of the day, as prescribed in the Summary below.

First the Lector, bowing profoundly, says:

Dies et actus nostros in sua pace dispónat Dóminus omnípotens.
R.  Amen.

May the Lord Almighty order our days and our doings in his peace.
R.  Amen.

On Feasts and Octaves

Lectio Brevis       Col. 3. 1.
Si consurrexístis cum Christo, quæ sursum sunt quærite, ubi Christus est in déxtera Dei sedens : quæ sursum sunt sápite, non quæ super terram.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

The Brief Lesson       Col. 3. 1.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

V.  Adjutórium † nostrum in nómine Dómini.  
R.  Qui fecit cælum et terram.

V.  Benedícite.
R.  Deus.

Benedíctio
Dóminus nos benedícat, † et ab omni malo deféndat, et ad vitam perdúcat ætérnam.  Et fidélium ánimæ per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace.
R.  Amen.

V.  Our help † is in the Name of the Lord.
R.  Who hath made heaven and earth.

V.  Make a blessing.
R.  God be blessed for ever, and for ever bless us.

Benediction
May the Lord bless us † and keep us from all evil, and bring us to life everlasting.    And, may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R.  Amen.

Then is said secretly the final Pater, unless Terce immediately follow; in which case the Dual Prayer thereof is immediately said, followed by the Opening Versicles, as is prescribed in Common Forms.

KNEEL (weekdays) or STAND (Sundays)

Regina cæli lætare

V.  Divínum auxílium † máneat semper nobíscum.
R.  Amen.

V.  May help divine † be with us all, for ever abiding.
R.  Amen.

KNEEL
(PRAYER AFTER OFFICE)
Sacrosanctæ