Dom Alcuin Reid; Sacrificium Laudis

INTRODUCTION S PEAKING TO Benedictine Abbots in 1966, Pope Paul VI pointed to his Pontifical Letter Sacrificium Laudis of 15th August 1966 as an attempt to “safeguard your own ancient tradition and to protect your own treasury of culture and spirituality.” Sacrificium Laudis, addressed to superiors general of clerical institutes bound to choir, spoke of the need to preserve Latin in the choral office and warned: Take away the language that transcends national boundaries and possesses a marvellous spiritual power and the music that rises from the depths of the soul where faith resides and charity burns — we mean Gregorian chant — and the choral office will be like a snuffed candle; it will no longer shed light, no longer draw the eyes and minds of people. . Sacrificium Laudis went on to state that: The Church has introduced the vernacular into the Liturgy for pastoral advantage, that is, in favour of those who do not know Latin. The same Church gives you the mandate to safeguard the traditional dignity, beauty and gravity of the choral office in both its language and its chant. One suspects that Pope Paul VI would, therefore, be pleased that the increasing popularity of the traditional Benedictine office, and its retention or revival in a number of monasteries, now necessitates the reprinting of the Latin English Monastic Diurnal almost forty years after his (far too widely ignored and somewhat prophetic) warnings. First published in 1948 as an office book for Benedictine Sisters engaged in apostolic work away from their convents and for oblates of the Benedictine Order, this Diurnal went through five editions in fifteen years. 

Today, not only novices familiarizing themselves with the Benedictine office and monks and nuns who are away from the monastery during the day, as well as Benedictine oblates, but also increasing numbers of the laity who wish actively to participate in the traditional Benedictine office in our monasteries where it is sung, or who wish to pray some hours themselves, will find this Diurnal to be an invaluable tool. This sixth edition is a reprint of the fifth, and may therefore be said to be covered by the imprimatur granted to that edition by the Bishop of St Cloud, Peter W. Bartholome, on October 4th 1963. The errors listed on the errata card included in the fifth edition have been corrected in the text. Otherwise, no change has been made to the liturgical texts or translations published in the fifth edition. However, the Preface, Introduction and the updated Table of Moveable Feasts (the kind assistance of the Saint Lawrence Press, UK, is gratefully acknowledged), may not be regarded as covered by the 1963 imprimatur, as they are new to this edition. A debt of gratitude is owed by all who use this Diurnal to its original compilers, Abbot Alcuin Deutsch (1877—1951) of St John’s Abbey, Collegeville, and the monks of his community. It remains to this day a testament to their pioneering devotion to the liturgical apostolate in the English-speaking world. May the availability of this Diurnal once again assist all who wish to draw from this treasury of Benedictine liturgical tradition and all who strive to observe the injunction of Saint Benedict to “put nothing before the work of God.” Dom Alcuin Reid OSB