Office of Readings and Vigils

[stephraim]

I know that one can insert canticles (given the appendix) and a gospel into the Office of Readings after the second reading, but prior to the Te Deum . I’ve noticed that there are three canticles, but only one antiphon apiece for Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. If I wanted to make the Office of Readings a Vigil by inserting the three canticles, and if only one antiphon is given, how do I do this? Do I sing the antiphon, then use the same psalm/canticle tone for all three canticles? Or, do I repeat the antiphon in between each canticle? Or, do I repeat the antiphon in between canticles but change modes? Does anyone have an answer? My pastor is looking to celebrate the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer together on Good Friday and Holy Saturday in a manner similar to Tenebrae. He is adamant about using the vernacular Liturgia Horarum rather than the traditional Breviarum Romanum Tenebrae: so, I once again ask, how do I incorporate three canticles with one antiphon? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[AJV]

I know that one can insert canticles (given the appendix) and a gospel into the Office of Readings after the second reading, but prior to the Te Deum . I’ve noticed that there are three canticles, but only one antiphon apiece for Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. If I wanted to make the Office of Readings a Vigil by inserting the three canticles, and if only one antiphon is given, how do I do this? Do I sing the antiphon, then use the same psalm/canticle tone for all three canticles? Or, do I repeat the antiphon in between each canticle? Or, do I repeat the antiphon in between canticles but change modes? Does anyone have an answer? My pastor is looking to celebrate the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer together on Good Friday and Holy Saturday in a manner similar to Tenebrae. He is adamant about using the vernacular Liturgia Horarum rather than the traditional Breviarum Romanum Tenebrae: so, I once again ask, how do I incorporate three canticles with one antiphon? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The General Instruction allows for a variety of ways of using the antiphons, including interspersing them with verses.

The most common way, as with parallel siutations (e.g. solemnities at Daytime Prayer/Prayer During the day) is antiphon at the beginning, then the three canticles/psalms, pausing between each and then antiphon at the end.