From the Liturgical year “Although the law of fasting began on Ash Wednesday, yet Lent, properly so called, does not begin till the Vespers of Saturday. In order to distinguish the rest of Lent from these four days which have been added to it, the Church continues to chant Vespers at the usual hour, and allows her ministers to break their fast before having said that Office. But, beginning with Saturday, Vespers will be anticipated; every day (Sundays excepted, which always exclude fasting), they will be said at such an early hour, that when the faithful take their full meal, the evening Office will be over. It is a remnant of the discipline of the primitive Church, which forbade the faithful to break their fast before sunset, in other words, before Vespers or Evensong.“

With first Vespers of the First Sunday of Lent, the Office changes and the Hymns Proper to Lent are now used. The following is from HYMNS of the ROMAN LITURGY by The Rev. Joseph Connelly, M.A.

“Quia promisit Dominus coronam vigilantibus, says the Church in the Lenten invitatory. Lent may be looked on as a prolonged vigilia in which the Christian, by prayer and penance, is more alert than usual in imitation of our Lord, hoping for pardon for past offences, and preparing against future temptations. The basis of our prayer and penance is hope. The words promisit coronam remind us of this, and so does the use of the psalm Qui habitat during the Mass of the first Sunday and the constant use of some of its verses during the office up to Passiontide. “

Audi Benigne Conditor is used for Vespers in the Roman and Ambrosian Breviary and for Lauds in the Sarum, it was possibly written by St. Gregory. Cantus database entry.

Ex More Docti Mystico is used for Matins in the Roman Breviary, for Vespers in the Ambrosian and Sarum Books, it is also possibly written by St. Gregory. Cantus database entry.

Jam Christe sol justitiae is the Lauds Hymn, the author is unknown, but probably of the 6th century. The original text Jam Christe sol justitiae has many difficulties. This caused many variants in the MSS and perhaps prompted the revisers to make a smoother text. The first verse in the Roman Breviary is practically a new text, O sol salutis, intimis, and in the second and third verses new ideas as well as new words have been introduced. Commentary from the Liturgical year. Here is a link to the Cantus database entry for this Hymn.

Lisboa, Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém 15th c.
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Summi Largitor premii, is the Sarum Hymn for Matins and was written by Pope St. Gregory the Great, 6th c. Cantus database entry.

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Ad Preces Nostras Deitas Aures, is in the Ordinal of Pope Innocent III (1198-1216), the ancestor text of the breviary of St Pius V, Lent has four hymns, one each for Matins and Lauds, but two for Vespers. Audi, benigne Conditor is said at Vespers from Monday to Saturday, but Sunday has its own hymn, Aures ad nostras, an anonymous work first attested in a manuscript of the 10th century from the abbey of St Benedict on Monte Cassino. Cantus database entry.

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Christe qui lux es et dies This is an ancient Compline hymn for Lent sometimes attributed to St. Ambrose 4th c. This hymn was used for Compline during Lent in the Sarum Breviary. It is also used in Mozarabic breviary. Here is the Cantus Database entry for this Hymn.

Christe qui lux es et dies, Sarum melody (Coming soon)

The Lenten Hymns in the Sarum Breviary change on the Third Sunday of Lent, we will write about those hymns in another blog post.

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