Lutheran Resources for the Daily Office

Let ev’ry race and ev’ry language tell
Of Him who saves our lives from death and hell (LSB 837, stz. 5).

This includes Latin, as I believe. I promised that I would list some resources for praying the offices in Latin from Lutheran sources. The list below is incomplete, as I am still myself figuring this whole thing out. The following have been of great use to me:

  • B. T.G. Mayes, The Brotherhood Prayer Book: Second Revised Edition. This is a must and the best resources for the offices available in English. One could actually use this and just plug in bits of the ordinary in Latin for a mixed Latin/English office.
  • _____, Sacrosanctae Ecclesiae Confessionis Augustanae Preces. This is a handy little pdf (free!). It is text-only, but still a great source.
  • Matthaeus Ludecus, Vesperale et Matutinale, 1589 (reprint available and sample). This is *the* book to have for Lutheran Latin offices. It’s a bit pricey, but well worth the cost and is of high quality. When I get really comfortable with this book I hope (DV) to have time to use this book to put together a sort of BPB Latin suppliment.
  • Latin Psalter. If you download Dr. Mayes’ pdf above you’ll have the Neo-Vulgate translation of the psalms which is pretty good. There are several Latin translations of the psalms. Our Lutheran forebears generally used the vulgate, which is good reason for doing so. I myself am partial to the so-called “Piana” (harder to find) because it’s actually a translation from Hebrew, and its Latin makes sense.
  • A Roman Breviary. This can serve as a handy reference, and many used copies are available. You may prefer one with rubrics in enlgish (there exists a nice edition with commentary by Parsch).

Beatum confessionis Augustanae diem sit uobis!
Happy Augsburg Confession day!

3 Responses to “Lutheran Resources for the Daily Office”

  1. You wouldn’t mind saying a bit more about the Vesperale et Matutinale would you? Is it usable?

    I pray morning prayer most days, and use different resources. I’d be delighted to have a Lutheran Latin resource, if it did the job.

    The BPP is well done, I agree, as is the Sacrosanctae.

    I dig the recordings, by the way. Thanks!

  2. Sure.

    The Vesperale is quite usable, if you know what you’re doing. What is lacking is a clear presentation of the ordo with rubrics (like what one finds in the BPB). It appears that Ludecus (as well as most authors of offices books from this period from what I can tell) assumed that his audience already knew a lot about Latin prayer offices. This was probably a safe assumption in the sixteenth century. Therefore the Vesperale can be a bit confusing at times, and lacking the information one would like. Still, however, when coupled with the BPB (or a Breviarium Romanum if you know how to use that), Ludecus’ Vesperale becomes a delightful and very usable resource.

    Do you have any other specific questions?

  3. No, that’s it.

    Thanks!

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