Dorter – A dormitory, though by this point in the Middle Ages, monks slept in individual cells – retro-fitted wooden cubicles in the case of monasteries built back in the old days when they all shared one big room.
Horarium – Latin for “hours” – the occasions of liturgical worship dispersed through the monastic day.
Lavatorium – Though we take our modern word “lavatory” from here, and by it we mean “toilet”, this word comes from the Latin for washing, and is not a toilet but a washroom.
Midden – Compost pile; general household dump.
Prie-dieu – Prayer-desk for private devotions.
Reredorter – Literally, “behind where we sleep”: the toilets.
Vigils – The night Offices, sometimes called Nocturns. The Office of Vigils concludes with Matins, so in the course of time the night Office came to be known as Matins, and the daybreak Office, once Matins, became Lauds.
Monastic Day
There may be slight variation from place to place and at different times from the Dark Ages through the Middle Ages and onward – e.g., Vespers may be after supper rather than before. This gives a rough outline. Slight liberties are taken in my novels to allow human interactions to play out.
Winter Schedule (from Michaelmas)
2:30 a.m. Preparation for the nocturns of matins – psalms, etc.
3:00 a.m. Matins, with prayers for the royal family and for the dead.
5:00 a.m. Reading in preparation for Lauds.
6:00 a.m. Lauds at daybreak and Prime; wash and break fast (just bread and water, standing).
8:30 a.m. Terce, Morrow Mass, Chapter.
12:00 noon Sext, Sung Mass, midday meal.
2:00 p.m. None.
4:15 p.m. Vespers, Supper, Collatio.
6:15 p.m. Compline.
The Grand Silence begins.
Summer Schedule
1:30 a.m. Preparation for the nocturns of matins – psalms etc.
2:00 a.m. Matins.
3:30 a.m. Lauds at daybreak, wash and break fast.
6:00 a.m. Prime, Morrow Mass, Chapter.
8:00 a.m. Terce, Sung Mass.
11:30 a.m. Sext, midday meal.
2:30 p.m. None.
5:30 p.m. Vespers, Supper, Collatio.
8:00 p.m. Compline.
The Grand Silence begins.
Liturgical Calendar
I have included the main feasts and fasts in the cycle of the church’s year, plus one or two other dates that are mentioned (e.g., Michaelmas and Lady Day when rents were traditionally collected) in these stories.
Advent – begins four Sundays before Christmas.
Christmas – December 25th.
Holy Innocents – December 28th.
Epiphany – January 6th.
Baptism of our Lord concludes Christmastide, Sunday after January 6th.
Candlemas – February 2nd (Purification of Blessed Virgin Mary, Presentation of Christ in the temple).
Lent – Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday – start date varies with phases of the moon.
Holy Week – last week of Lent and the Easter Triduum.
Easter Triduum (three days) of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday.
Lady Day – March 25th – this was New Year’s Day between 1155 and 1752.
Ascension – forty days after Easter.
Whitsun (Pentecost) – fifty days after Easter.
Trinity Sunday – Sunday after Pentecost.
Corpus Christi – Thursday after Trinity Sunday.
Sacred Heart of Jesus – Friday of the following week.
Feast of John the Baptist – June 24th.
Lammas (literally “loaf-mass”; grain harvest) – August 1st.
Michaelmas – feast of St Michael and All Angels, September 29th.
All Saints – November 1st.
All Souls – November 2nd.
Martinmas – November 11th.
1 The Lord’s Prayer
2 “O God, come to my assistance.”
3 “O Lord, make haste to help me.”
4 “O Lord, open thou my lips.”
5 “And my mouth shall speak forth thy praise.”
6 “Cardinal” from cardo, Latin for “hinge”: the day opened with Lauds and closed with Vespers, and thus they are the cardinal Offices.
7 Solemns – professed brethren – monks who have taken their solemn (life) vows.
8 2 Corinthians 5:19 and Colossians 1:20
9 Revelation 3:20
10 Luke 23:42
11 Gathering of the community for short, reflective reading before Compline.
12 May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
13 “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11).
14 “What you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
15 The Hail Mary, prayer of the Catholic Church: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
16 Froth skimmed from fermenting ale, used as leaven in the Middle Ages.
17 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 KJV).
18 Acts 3
19 Acts 10
20 Acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3, Vulgate)
21 Psalm 145 (RC Bible 144) verses 15–16: “The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord; thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and fillest every living thing with blessing.”
22 “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
23 Matthew 18:12 KJV
24 Matthew 18:11 – “For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.” (KJV)
25 “Pray, sir, a blessing.”
26 “May the Lord Almighty grant a quiet night and a perfect end.”
27 “Whosoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High…”
28 “Abides under the protection of the God of heaven.”
29 “He shall say to the Lord, thou art my stronghold and refuge…”
30 “My God, in whom I trust.”
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