There are three variable elements in Midday Prayer to be considered: the Psalms, the Lessons, and the Collects.
The Psalms
The rubrics on BCP 39 indicate further psalms beyond the four printed in the main text of the liturgy that are suitable for Midday Prayer. It may be suitable to focus on the Law-heavy psalms during Advent and Lent and the Psalms of Ascent during the festal seasons. A two-week rotation, matching the number of the week in the season, is here suggested:
Penitential Seasons and Occasions
- Week I Sunday: 124, 126
- Week I Monday: 19
- Week I Tuesday: 119:1-16
- Week I Wednesday: 119:17-32
- Week I Thursday: 119:33-48
- Week I Friday: 119:49-64
- Week I Saturday: 119:65-80
- Week II Sunday: 124, 126
- Week II Monday: 119:81-96
- Week II Tuesday: 119:97-112
- Week II Wednesday: 119:113-128
- Week II Thursday: 119:129-144
- Week II Friday: 119:145-160
- Week II Saturday: 119:161-176
Festal Seasons and Occasions
- Week I Sunday: 120
- Week I Monday: 121
- Week I Tuesday: 122
- Week I Wednesday: 123
- Week I Thursday: 124
- Week I Friday: 125
- Week I Saturday: 126
- Week II Sunday: 127
- Week II Monday: 128
- Week II Tuesday: 129
- Week II Wednesday: 130
- Week II Thursday: 131
- Week II Friday: 132
- Week II Saturday: 133
On the remaining ordinary days in Epiphany season and after Trinity, which is the majority of the year, it is simplest to maximize the use of the four Psalms provided on BCP 33-36. To these may be added Psalm 67 conveniently found among the Canticles on BCP 86, and Psalms 130 and 19.
- Sunday: 67
- Monday: 119:105-112
- Tuesday: 121
- Wednesday: 124
- Thursday: 126
- Friday: 130
- Saturday: 19
The Lessons
The three provided readings may be divided across the week.
- John 12:31-32 on Saturday & Sunday (for its Cross-centered devotion)
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 on Monday through Wednesday (for its new creation devotion)
- Malachi 1:11 on Thursday & Friday (for its sacrificial, or eucharistic, devotion)
The rubric also indicates that other suitable lessons may be read. Midday Prayer thus may be fruitfully utilized for supplemental readings that are omitted from the Prayer Book’s Daily Office Lectionary.
Supplemental lectionary
January
| 1 | Genesis 17:9 |
| 2 | Wisdom 12 |
| 3 | 13 |
| 4 | 14 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | Isaiah 49:13-23 |
| 7 | Wisdom 16 |
| 8 | 17 |
| 9 | 18 |
| 10 | 19 |
| 11 | Tobit 1 |
| 12 | 2 |
| 13 | 3 |
| 14 | 4 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 16 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
| 18 | Ezekiel 3:4-11 |
| 19 | Tobit 9 |
| 20 | 10 |
| 21 | 11 |
| 22 | 12 |
| 23 | 13 |
| 24 | 14 |
| 25 | Isaiah 49:1-12 |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | |
| 29 | |
| 30 | 2 Samuel 1 |
| 31 | 1 Esdras 1:1-24 |
February
| 1 | 1 Esdras 1:25-46a |
| 2 | Exodus 13:1-16 |
| 3 | 1 Esdras 1:46b |
| 4 | 2:1-15 |
| 5 | 2:16 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 7 | 4:1-32 |
| 8 | 4:33 |
| 9 | 5:1-23 |
| 10 | 5:24-46 |
| 11 | 5:47 |
| 12 | 6:1-22 |
| 13 | 6:23 |
| 14 | 7 |
| 15 | 8:1-24 |
| 16 | 8:25-49 |
| 17 | 8:50-67 |
| 18 | 8:68 |
| 19 | 9:1-36 |
| 20 | 9:37 |
| 21 | Baruch 1 |
| 22 | 2 |
| 23 | 3 |
| 24 | 1 Samuel 2:27-35 |
| 25 | 2 Esdras 1:1-23 |
| 26 | 1:24-2:14 |
| 27 | 2:15 |
| 28 | 3 |
| 29 |
Ash Wednesday: Hebrews 12:3-17
March
| 1 | 2 Esdras 4:1-21 |
| 2 | 4:22 |
| 3 | 5:1-20 |
| 4 | 5:21-49 |
| 5 | 5:50-6:10 |
| 6 | 6:11-37 |
| 7 | 6:38 |
| 8 | 7:1-24 |
| 9 | 7:25-61 |
| 10 | 7:62-87 |
| 11 | 7:83-115 |
| 12 | 7:116 |
| 13 | 8:1-36 |
| 14 | 8:37 |
| 15 | 9:1-25 |
| 16 | 9:26 |
| 17 | 10:1-28 |
| 18 | 10:29 |
| 19 | 11:1-35 |
| 20 | 11:36-12:6 |
| 21 | 12:7-39 |
| 22 | 12:40-13:13a |
| 23 | 13:13b |
| 24 | 14:1-26 |
| 25 | Genesis 3:1-15 |
| 26 | 2 Esdras 14:27 |
| 27 | 15:1-33 |
| 28 | 15:34 |
| 29 | 16:1-17 |
| 30 | 16:18-50 |
| 31 | 16:51 |
Holy Monday: Hosea 13:1-14
Holy Tuesday: Hosea 14
Holy Wednesday: Lamentations 1
Maundy Thursday: Lamentations 2
Good Friday: Gen. 22:1-18 or Isa. 52:13-53:12
Holy Saturday: Zechariah 9
Easter Day: Exodus 12:1-28
April
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Leviticus 2 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 5 |
| 7 | 6 |
| 8 | 7 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 |
| 11 | 12 |
| 12 | 13 |
| 13 | 14 |
| 14 | 15 |
| 15 | 21 |
| 16 | 22 |
| 17 | 24 |
| 18 | 25 |
| 19 | 27 |
| 20 | Numbers 1 |
| 21 | 2 |
| 22 | 3 |
| 23 | 4 |
| 24 | 5 |
| 25 | 7 |
| 26 | 9 |
| 27 | 10 |
| 28 | 19 |
| 29 | 26 |
| 30 | 27 |
Ascension Day: Daniel 7:9-14
Pentecost: Deuteronomy 16:1-17
Pentecost Monday: Genesis 11:1-9
Pentecost Tuesday: Joel 2:21
May
| 1 | Numbers 28 |
| 2 | 29 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 4 | 31 |
| 5 | 32 |
| 6 | 33 |
| 7 | 34 |
| 8 | 35 |
| 9 | 36 |
| 10 | 1 Macc. 1:1-19 |
| 11 | 1:20-40 |
| 12 | 1:41 |
| 13 | 2:1-41 |
| 14 | 2:42 |
| 15 | 3:1-26 |
| 16 | 3:27 |
| 17 | 4:1-35 |
| 18 | 4:36 |
| 19 | 5:1-23 |
| 20 | 5:24-44 |
| 21 | 5:45 |
| 22 | 6:1-31 |
| 23 | 6:32 |
| 24 | 7:1-25 |
| 25 | 7:26 |
| 26 | 8 |
| 27 | 9:1-22 |
| 28 | 9:23-49 |
| 29 | 9:50 |
| 30 | 10:1-25a |
| 31 | 10:25b-45 |
June
| 1 | 1 Macc. 10:46-66 |
| 2 | 10:67 |
| 3 | 11:1-37 |
| 4 | 11:38 |
| 5 | 12:1-23 |
| 6 | 12:24 |
| 7 | 13:1-30 |
| 8 | 13:31 |
| 9 | 14:1-24 |
| 10 | 14:25 |
| 11 | 15 |
| 12 | 16 |
| 13 | Joshua 11 |
| 14 | 12 |
| 15 | 13 |
| 16 | 15 |
| 17 | 16 |
| 18 | 17 |
| 19 | 18 |
| 20 | 19 |
| 21 | 20 |
| 22 | 21 |
| 23 | Ezekiel 48 |
| 24 | 3YM 1-27 |
| 25 | 28-68 |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Bel 1-22 |
| 29 | 23-42 |
| 30 |
July
| 1 | Judges 17 |
| 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 19:1-21 |
| 4 | 19:22 |
| 5 | Esther 11:2-12:6 |
| 6 | Judges 20:1-23 |
| 7 | 20:24 |
| 8 | Esther 13 |
| 9 | 14 |
| 10 | 15 |
| 11 | Judges 21 |
| 12 | Ezekiel 19 |
| 13 | Esther 16 |
| 14 | 1:4-11:1 |
| 15 | Ezra 2:1-35 |
| 16 | 2:36 |
| 17 | Ezekiel 20 |
| 18 | 21 |
| 19 | 22 |
| 20 | 23 |
| 21 | 24 |
| 22 | Zephaniah 3:14-20 |
| 23 | Ezekiel 25 |
| 24 | 26 |
| 25 | 2 Kings 1:1-15 |
| 26 | Ezekiel 27 |
| 27 | 28 |
| 28 | 29 |
| 29 | 30 |
| 30 | 31 |
| 31 | 32 |
August
| 1 | Nehemiah 11 |
| 2 | 1 Chron. 1 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 5 |
| 7 | 6:1-53 |
| 8 | 6:54 |
| 9 | 7 |
| 10 | 8 |
| 11 | 9 |
| 12 | 10 |
| 13 | 11:1-25 |
| 14 | 11:26-12:18 |
| 15 | 12:19 |
| 16 | 13 |
| 17 | 14 |
| 18 | 15 |
| 19 | 16 |
| 20 | 17 |
| 21 | 18 |
| 22 | 19 |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Genesis 28:10-17 |
| 25 | 1 Chron. 23 |
| 26 | 24 |
| 27 | 25 |
| 28 | 26 |
| 29 | 27 |
| 30 | Ezekiel 38 |
| 31 | 39 |
September
| 1 | Ezekiel 41 |
| 2 | 42 |
| 3 | 44 |
| 4 | 45 |
| 5 | 1 Chron. 20 |
| 6 | 21 |
| 7 | Ezekiel 46 |
| 8 | |
| 9 | 1 Chron. 29 |
| 10 | |
| 11 | 2 Chron. 1 |
| 12 | 2 |
| 13 | 3 |
| 14 | 4 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 16 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
| 18 | 8 |
| 19 | 9 |
| 20 | |
| 21 | 1 Kings 19:15 |
| 22 | 2 Chron. 10 |
| 23 | |
| 24 | 2 Chron. 11 |
| 25 | |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Genesis 32 |
| 30 | 2 Macc. 1 |
October
| 1 | 2 Macc. 2 |
| 2 | 3:1-21 |
| 3 | 3:22 |
| 4 | 4:1-29 |
| 5 | 4:30 |
| 6 | 2 Chron. 17 |
| 7 | 18 |
| 8 | 19 |
| 9 | 21 |
| 10 | 22 |
| 11 | 2 Macc. 5 |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | 2 Macc. 9 |
| 15 | 11 |
| 16 | 12 |
| 17 | 13 |
| 18 | 14 |
| 19 | 15 |
| 20 | |
| 21 | 2 Chron. 23 |
| 22 | 24 |
| 23 | Jeremiah 11:18-23 |
| 24 | |
| 25 | 2 Chron. 25 |
| 26 | |
| 27 | 2 Chron. 27 |
| 28 | Isaiah 28:9-16 |
| 29 | |
| 30 | |
| 31 |
November
| 1 | Wisdom 3:1-9 |
| 2 | 5:1-16 |
| 3 | |
| 4 | 2 Chron. 31 |
| 5 | 32 |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Judith 1 |
| 8 | 2 |
| 9 | 2 Chron. 34 |
| 10 | 35 |
| 11 | Judith 3 |
| 12 | 2 Chron. 26 |
| 13 | Judith 5 |
| 14 | 6 |
| 15 | 7 |
| 16 | Jeremiah 1:4-10 |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | |
| 20 | |
| 21 | |
| 22 | |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Sirach 3 |
| 25 | 5 |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Sirach 8 |
| 28 | 12 |
| 29 | 13 |
| 30 | Isaiah 54 |
December
| 1 | Sirach 15 |
| 2 | 16 |
| 3 | 19 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5 | 22 |
| 6 | 23 |
| 7 | 24 |
| 8 | 25 |
| 9 | 26 |
| 10 | 27 |
| 11 | 28 |
| 12 | 29 |
| 13 | 30 |
| 14 | 31 |
| 15 | 32 |
| 16 | 33 |
| 17 | 35 |
| 18 | 36 |
| 19 | 37 |
| 20 | 40 |
| 21 | Job 42:1-6 |
| 22 | Sirach 41 |
| 23 | 42 |
| 24 | 43 |
| 25 | Isaiah 7:10-16 |
| 26 | Genesis 4:1-10 |
| 27 | Isaiah 6 |
| 28 | Baruch 4:21-30 |
| 29 | Baruch 6:1-40a |
| 30 | Baruch 6:40b |
| 31 |
The Details & Rationale
Throughout the year there are a number of days left blank in this Supplementary Midday Lectionary. On such days the reader is encouraged to make use of the standard lessons provided in the official liturgy for Midday Prayer.
January begins with the book of Wisdom, continuing where the Daily Office Lectionary left off on the morning of December 31st. The book of Tobit is then read. Because there is ample space remaining in the month, the major feast days (including the Martyrdom of Charles I on the January 30th) are each given an appropriate reading. The lesson is drawn from the 1662 Prayer Book in each case except for the Confession of St. Peter, which is drawn from the 1979 Prayer Book due to it being a feast day first reintroduced in that book.
The last day of January and the bulk of February continues the omitted writings of the Ecclesiastical Books with 1 Esdras, the majority of which is a rewrite of the end of 2 Chronicles and beginning of Ezra. Space is made for the two major feast days of the month, plus a brief interruption to begin the book of Baruch which is then finished in the Daily Office Lectionary’s evening lessons. That finished, the book of 2 Esdras is begun. The leap day, February 29th, is omitted from this plan.
March is occupied with finishing the book of 2 Esdras, breaking only to observe the Annunciation.
The Ash Wednesday lesson is taken from the 1662 Prayer Book. The same is true for the Holy Week and Easter Day lessons, though in that case several of those readings had their traditional day swapped around to accommodate our Daily Office Lectionary which appoints Lamentations 3 on Friday and Saturday instead of Tuesday.
The month of April begins the major fill-in-the-blank efforts with the Old Testament, first completing the book of Leviticus, then settling into Numbers.
May sees Numbers finished, and then proceeds through 1 Maccabees.
Ascension Day and Pentecost days are supplied with readings from the 1662 Prayer Book.
June completes 1 Maccabees and then covers the omitted chapters of Joshua. After that, the final missing chapter of Ezekiel is read. The additions to Daniel (namely the Song of the Three Young Men and Bel and the Dragon) are covered on narratively-appropriate days in tandem with the Daily Office Lectionary’s coverage of Daniel in the evening.
The book of Ezekiel is given its final chapter shortly after the Daily Office Lectionary finishes with it in late June, and the rest of the omitted chapters throughout Ezekiel are supplied in batches throughout the months of July, August, and September.
July sees the end of the book of Judges covered roughly in line with the end of that book in the Daily Office Lectionary’s morning lessons, as well as the Greek Old Testament Additions to Esther in tandem with that book’s coverage in the evening. The many omitted chapters of Ezekiel also begin their coverage, in fits in starts, continuing through August and September. Ezra chapter 2 is also supplied. The two major feast days each receive a special reading – the first from the 1979 Prayer Book and the second from the 1662.
The month of August adds Nehemiah chapter 11 and begins the omitted portions of 1 Chronicles. Only one major feast day had room for a special lesson.
September supplies the end of 1 Chronicles and some of 2 Chronicles in close parallel to its matching material in the Daily Office Lectionary’s morning lessons from the historical books. The latter two feast days of the month received lessons from the 1662 Prayer Book.
In October, omitted chapters from 2 Chronicles are supplied in the same manner, with omitted chapters from 2 Maccabees filling in the gaps to complement the evening lessons from that book. The latter two feast days of the month, again, received lessons from the 1662 Prayer Book.
November sees the final omitted chapters of 2 Chronicles covered, and supplements the missing chapters from Judith. The omitted chapters from the book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) are also begun. Space was made, also, to observe the major feast days of the month: All Saints’ Day and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed with a lesson each from the 1662 Prayer Book (the two originally appointed for All Saints’ Day); Saint Aelfric’s Day is observed with a lesson chosen from the Commons of Saints; and Saint Andrew with a lesson from the 1662 Prayer Book.
In December, Ecclesiasticus is completed, the major feast days are supplemented from 1662, and The Epistle of Jeremiah (sometimes accounted Baruch 6) is read.
Appointed prayers
The four collects on BCP 38 may be used in rotation throughout the week.
- The First Prayer: Sunday & Friday (for its Cross-centered devotion)
- The Second Prayer: Monday & Wednesday
- The Third Prayer: Tuesday & Thursday
- The Fourth Prayer: Saturday (for its Marian devotion)
The Saint Aelfric Customary 