Monday, 14 July 2014
Mattins and Lauds
The two images above come from an 1861 copy of the Breviarium Romanum available on Google Books. In the pre-1914 Breviary there was no 'Ordinary of the Divine Office' and after the initial pages of rubrics, calendar and tables Sunday at Mattins was printed followed by the rest of the Office for Sundays, then Mattins and Lauds for the other Days, then Vespers for the other days and finally Compline. One can clearly see from the above that the Pater, Ave and Credo are said before Mattins yet nothing is said before Lauds and the presumption that choral Office is taking place and that Lauds will form one service with Mattins.
Above is a photograph from the Hiemalis volume of a 1932 Dessain Breviary set (indeed the set used for compiling the Ordo). The introduction of the 'Ordinary' makes the book more 'user friendly'. One can see quite clearly that the traditional praxis is now made very clear in the rubrics. In public Office Mattins and Lauds are never separated - with one sort of exception at Christmas. Mattins of the Nativity of the LORD are sung then the Missa in Gallicantu follows immediately. After the last Gospel then Lauds follow so there is really one service, the choir remaining in their places throughout. One can see too the very clear direction that in private recitation of the Office, when Lauds may be separated from Mattins, then a Pater and Ave are said before the Deus in adjutorium.
From the 1st January 1961 the traditional praxis for the Roman rite changed with Rubricarum instructum coming into force and it was possible to have choral Mattins and Lauds as two distinct and separate services. This really is basic history of the twentieth century reform of the liturgy but some people out there do seem to want to obscure facts in the fabrication of their constructs.