The Carthusian Order has kept a liturgical prayer custom that dates back to the Middle Ages. The Carthusians call it Officium Missæ or the Office of the Mass. It has also been referred to as Missa Sicca or the Dry Mass, although today these titles are certainly not household terms. This form of liturgical prayer may seem a bit unusual for modern day thought.It basically consists of the Proper and Ordinary texts from the Mass, without the Consecration, prayed similar to the Divine Office. The Missa Sicca is covered in Archdale A. King’s “Liturgies of the Religious Orders”.
For the Carthusians, however, the Office of the Mass is taken from the Common Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is usually the Salve, Sancta Parens except for the Season of Advent when it is Rorate Cæli.
Today in the Charterhouse, the monks pray the Divine Office and the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary daily as well as the Office for the Dead once a week. Praying Officium Missæ is optional but for the monks who still use this prayer, it usually follows Prime of Our Lady or Terce of Our Lady and is prayed in the solitude of the monk’s cell.
In our modern day spiritual journeys, it could be an edifying practice to read and meditate upon the texts of the daily Mass, perhaps even as lectio divina, especially if one is unable to attend daily Mass.
In the Carthusian tradition there’s a story that goes like this:
At the instigation doubtless of the devil, certain Houses of the Order were once assailed with such numerous temptations that the religious discipline became burdensome to the monks. The Divine Office, prayer, meditation, the observance of fasting and abstinence, awakened in them nothing but repugnance. From every heart there arose to almighty God a loud cry, together with pleadings and tears, begging Him to free them from their persecutor. Whereupon God sent an angel who addressed these words to a Father of exemplar piety: “The Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, will take pity on you, if in addition to the Hours you recite daily in her honor, you are willing to say between Prime and Terce of the Office of the Blessed Virgin, the dry Mass Salve, Sancta Parens, and to celebrate each day a Mass to her glory.” As soon as this was known, everyone was delighted to accept the condition; and from that day the Carthusian Order has always been helped by the prayers of the Mother of God (Le Couteulx: Annales Vol. IV).
The Carthusian Officium Missæ outside of Advent looks basically like this with some minor changes during Lent and Eastertide:
Antiphon
Hail, holy Mother! The Child to Whom you gave birth is the King of heaven and earth forever.
Psalm 44:11 – The King shall desire your beauty, for He is your Lord, and you must worship Him.
Glory to the Father…
Hail, holy Mother!...
Lord, have mercy (three times)
Christ, have mercy (three times)
Lord, have mercy (three times)
GLORIA (except during Lent)
Prayer
Let us pray:
God our Father, You give joy to the world by the Incarnation of Your Son. May we welcome Jesus into our hearts with that same love with which Mary loved Him, for He lives and reigns…
Reading – Sirach 24:1, 3-4, 8-12, 18-20
Response
Blessed are you, Virgin Mary, for without any violation of your purity you became the Mother of our Savior.
Virgin Mother of God, the universe cannot hold Him and yet, becoming Man, He confined Himself in your womb.
ALLELUIA (except during Lent)
Alleluia. After giving birth to your Child you remain forever a Virgin. Mother of God, pray for us. Alleluia.
Gospel – Luke 11:27-28
Antiphon
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary: she carried the Son of the eternal Father.
Prayer
Let us pray:
Lord, fill our hearts with Your love, and as You revealed to us by an angel the coming of Your Son as Man, so lead us through His suffering and death to the glory of His Resurrection, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come to You.
Let us praise the Lord.
And give Him thanks.
Last Gospel – John 1:1-14
Antiphon
You are worthy of praise, You are worthy of hymns. To You, O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer
God our Father and Protector, without You nothing is holy, nothing has value. Guide us to everlasting life by helping us to use wisely the blessings You have given to the world. This we ask…
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come to You.
Let us praise the Lord.
And give Him thanks.
May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
SALVE REGINA
Today in the Charterhouse, the monks pray the Divine Office and the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary daily as well as the Office for the Dead once a week. Praying Officium Missæ is optional but for the monks who still use this prayer, it usually follows Prime of Our Lady or Terce of Our Lady and is prayed in the solitude of the monk’s cell.
In our modern day spiritual journeys, it could be an edifying practice to read and meditate upon the texts of the daily Mass, perhaps even as lectio divina, especially if one is unable to attend daily Mass.
In the Carthusian tradition there’s a story that goes like this:
At the instigation doubtless of the devil, certain Houses of the Order were once assailed with such numerous temptations that the religious discipline became burdensome to the monks. The Divine Office, prayer, meditation, the observance of fasting and abstinence, awakened in them nothing but repugnance. From every heart there arose to almighty God a loud cry, together with pleadings and tears, begging Him to free them from their persecutor. Whereupon God sent an angel who addressed these words to a Father of exemplar piety: “The Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, will take pity on you, if in addition to the Hours you recite daily in her honor, you are willing to say between Prime and Terce of the Office of the Blessed Virgin, the dry Mass Salve, Sancta Parens, and to celebrate each day a Mass to her glory.” As soon as this was known, everyone was delighted to accept the condition; and from that day the Carthusian Order has always been helped by the prayers of the Mother of God (Le Couteulx: Annales Vol. IV).
The Carthusian Officium Missæ outside of Advent looks basically like this with some minor changes during Lent and Eastertide:
Antiphon
Hail, holy Mother! The Child to Whom you gave birth is the King of heaven and earth forever.
Psalm 44:11 – The King shall desire your beauty, for He is your Lord, and you must worship Him.
Glory to the Father…
Hail, holy Mother!...
Lord, have mercy (three times)
Christ, have mercy (three times)
Lord, have mercy (three times)
GLORIA (except during Lent)
Prayer
Let us pray:
God our Father, You give joy to the world by the Incarnation of Your Son. May we welcome Jesus into our hearts with that same love with which Mary loved Him, for He lives and reigns…
Reading – Sirach 24:1, 3-4, 8-12, 18-20
Response
Blessed are you, Virgin Mary, for without any violation of your purity you became the Mother of our Savior.
Virgin Mother of God, the universe cannot hold Him and yet, becoming Man, He confined Himself in your womb.
ALLELUIA (except during Lent)
Alleluia. After giving birth to your Child you remain forever a Virgin. Mother of God, pray for us. Alleluia.
Gospel – Luke 11:27-28
Antiphon
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary: she carried the Son of the eternal Father.
Prayer
Let us pray:
Lord, fill our hearts with Your love, and as You revealed to us by an angel the coming of Your Son as Man, so lead us through His suffering and death to the glory of His Resurrection, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come to You.
Let us praise the Lord.
And give Him thanks.
Last Gospel – John 1:1-14
Antiphon
You are worthy of praise, You are worthy of hymns. To You, O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer
God our Father and Protector, without You nothing is holy, nothing has value. Guide us to everlasting life by helping us to use wisely the blessings You have given to the world. This we ask…
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come to You.
Let us praise the Lord.
And give Him thanks.
May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
SALVE REGINA
