The Preces In The Dominican Rite Office

Recently, a reader emailed me about the rubrics for praying the preces in the Dominican Rite Office.  One of the many differences between the Dominican and Roman Breviaries is the content of the preces prayers, as well as the specific times when they are prayed throughout the year.

The rubrics from the Dominican Breviary state:

240 (260).  The Preces are said in the ferial Office outside the Nativity Season and Paschal time, at Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers.

Notice the difference between the Roman Breviary rubrics.  In the Roman Breviary, the recitation of the Preces is limited to:

• Lauds and Vespers of Wednesdays and Fridays of Advent, Lent, and Passiontide;
• Lauds and Vespers of Ember Wednesday and Friday in September;
• Lauds of Ember Saturdays except the Saturday within the octave of Pentecost.

So in the Roman Rite, the preces are only prayed during the penitential seasons, and then only on certain days of the week and on penitential days (like the Ember days).  I started off praying the Roman Breviary in 2008 and switched to the Dominican in 2010.  It's taken me a long time to get used to praying the preces on all ferial days, outside of Christmas and Paschal tides.  I still forget once and a while. 

In the Dominican Rite Office, the Preces are short and simple, as compared to the long supplications used in the Roman Breviary.  They are said as follows:

Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord, have mercy.  Our Father... in secret.  And lead us not into temptation.  ℟.  But deliver us from evil.

Prior to the 1962 revision of the Dominican Breviary, the Office of Compline contained preces that were prayed virtually every day.  I need to do more research on when they were not prayed.  In any event, they were said as follows:

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison Pater noster… Et ne nos inducas in tentationem ℟.  Sed libera nos a malo. ℣.  In pace in idipsum. ℟.  Dormiam et requiescam CREDO in Deum… ℟.  Vitam æternan.  Amen. ℣.  Dignare, Domine, nocte ista. ℟.  Sine peccato nos custodire.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. Our Father… And lead us not into temptation. ℟.  But deliver us from evil. ℣.  In peace then. ℟.  Shall I sleep and rest. I believe in God… ℟.  And life everlasting.  Amen. ℣.  Deign, Lord, this night. ℟.  To keep us without sin.

These were said after the Te lucis and before the Nunc dimittis.  When I use my 1949 Completorii Libellus to pray Compline, I usually pray these preces.  It is a shame that the Order removed them from Compline.  I think they are quire appropriate for the night office, even if they are a bit redundant.

The office of Prime also contained preces, which are a bit longer yet similar in nature.  The Dominican Confiteor is prayed, in addition to the Creed.  What days they were recited, again I am not sure.  But I suspect the rubric was similar to that of Compline.  They were said as follows:

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison Pater noster… Et ne nos inducas in tentationem ℟.  Sed libera nos a malo. ℣.  Vivet anima mea et laudabit te. ℟.  Et judicia tua adjuvabunt me. ℣.  Erravi sicut ovis quæ periit. ℟.  Quære servum tuum Domine, quia mandata tua non sum oblitus. CREDO in Deum… ℟.  Vitam æternan.  Amen Confiteor Deo …. Misereatur…. ℣.  Dignare Domine die isto ℟.  Sine peccato nos custodire.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. Our Father… And lead us not into temptation. ℟.  But deliver us from evil. ℣.  My soul shall live and shall praise you. ℟.  And your judgments shall help me. ℣.  I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost. ℟.  Seek they servant, because I have not forgotten thy commandments. I believe in God… ℟.  And life everlasting.  Amen. I confess to Almighty God…May almighty God have… ℣.  Deign, Lord, this day. ℟.  To keep us without sin.

The suplications are taken from the Te Deum.  Again, this is a nice penitential addition to the office of Prime, which in the Dominican Rite is much shorter than that of the Roman Rite (since the recitation of the Martyrology and some other elements are moved to the office of Pretiosa).  Rather than remove it, the Order could simply have made it optional.