I have been asked by some people how they might vary what is provided in A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa so that in the Daily Office they pray one canticle and the Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah, page 85) each morning, and one canticle and the Magnificat (The Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary, page 93) each evening.
The Prayer Book understands that “individuals or groups may adapt the pattern found here to their needs” (page 54), and then provides several “examples of the kind of changes that can be made.”
Essentially, I suggest taking the two canticles provided for each office and using only one – thereby producing a two week cycle. The second canticle prayed then becomes either the Benedictus or the Magnificat.
Presenting this in two tables below, you can use the indicated canticle as the first one [before the psalm(s)], and the Benedictus as the second canticle [after the psalm(s)] in the morning, and similarly the Magnificat in the evening. Weeks are referenced whatever the season. For example: the Third Week in Advent, Lent, Easter, or Ordinary Time would use the first table, the Fourth Week in these would use the second table.
Reminder: there are additional canticles provided pages 96-103.
Morning Prayer
| Odd Weeks | Even Weeks | |
| Sunday | The Spirit of the Lord | The Song of our Adoption |
| Monday | Benedicite Aotearoa | A Joyful Assembly |
| Tuesday | The Steadfast Love of the Lord | The Song of the Church |
| Wednesday | The Song of Tobit | A Living Hope |
| Thursday | Rich in Mercy | The Beatitudes |
| Friday | Saviour of the World | He was Despised and Rejected (pg 99) or Saviour of the World |
| Saturday | Peace for the Nations | A New Heaven and a New Earth |
Evening Prayer
| Odd Weeks | Even Weeks | |
| Sunday | Your Light has Come | The Mystery of our Religion |
| Monday | The Song of Judith | The Prologue of John |
| Tuesday | Great and Wonderful | The First-born of All Creation |
| Wednesday | God is My Salvation | The Love of God |
| Thursday | The Song of Hannah | The Exalted Lord |
| Friday | Seek the Lord | You are Worthy |
| Saturday | The Easter Anthems | The Song of Moses (pg 100) or The Easter Anthems |
Any comments? Any other suggestions? Anything else in relation to praying the Daily Office?
I use the CofI BCP 2004 with variations. I use the canticles from Common Worship Daily Prayer, downloaded from the CofE website, using them in the CofE cycle as the first canticle and then Benedictus/Magnificat.
Thanks, Paul. Is that 2004 book online? Blessings.
Yes, all the CofI’s liturgical texts can be found here: http://ireland.anglican.org/worship/12
The office is similar to the US BCP 1979 and the CofE ASB 1980.
Thanks, Paul. Maybe some day I should collect all the links together. Blessings.
You sing/read the canticles before and after the Psalter?
In the U.S. we’ve always used them as responses to the lessons, after the Invitatory & Psalter.
I think, Josh, contemporary RC daily office practice would also be to mix canticles with the psalms? Blessings.
I’ve used several versions of daily prayer. I found the daily prayer from ANZPB limited because there was little seasonal variation and you had to use another book for saints’ days. the Franciscan Celebrating Common Prayer gives a deeper office with better variation, but the best version of the office I have found is Benedictine Daily Prayer – one volume, easy to follow, with full seasonal variation and saints days. I also love that the complete text for the vigil readings is included. Ordinary Time is divided into four weeks, with short readings for each week (eg Friday 1, Friday 2 etc) for Lauds and Vespers so it always feels fresh. And it contains the Great O Antiphons for the Magnificat in Advent…
What a brilliant discussion topic.
Blessings
Sr Therese
Thanks, Sr Therese. You and I are on the same page. Benedictine Daily Prayer is also personally my preferred office – but I understand some would find it too complex, too expensive to have a group use… I alternate vigils and lauds, making a four week cycle. Blessings.
I also pray using Benedictine Daily Prayer, one of my favorites,