The Beautiful Thread

by Penelope Wilcock

L’Abbé Casse – A pun on “la bécasse” = “woodcock”. “Un drôle d’oiseau!” = “A comical sort of bird”.

  Soeur Titude – A pun on “certitude” – the English word being the same. Certainty. “Enfin” means “then” in this context, or “after all”. The reply is, “Mais on n’a jamais été sûr d’elle” – meaning, “but you can never rely on her”.

  L’Abbé Névole – A “bénévole” is a volunteer. The reply, “Oui – car celui-çi ne demande jamais rien”, means, “Yes, because he never asks for anything.”

  L’Abbé Nédiction – A pun on “benediction” = a blessing or grace.

  Monastic Day

  There may be slight variation from place to place and at different times from the Dark Ages through the Middle Ages and onward – e.g., Vespers may be after supper rather than before. This gives a rough outline. Slight liberties are taken in my novels to allow human interactions to play out.

  Winter Schedule (from Michaelmas)

  2:30 a.m. Preparation for the nocturns of matins – psalms, etc.

  3:00 a.m. Matins, with prayers for the royal family and for the dead.

  5:00 a.m. Reading in preparation for Lauds.

  6:00 a.m. Lauds at daybreak and Prime; wash and break fast (just bread and water, standing).

  8:30 a.m. Terce, Morrow Mass, Chapter.

  12:00 noon Sext, Sung Mass, midday meal.

  2:00 p.m. None.

  4:15 p.m. Vespers, Supper, Collatio.

  6:15 p.m. Compline.

  The Grand Silence begins.

  Summer Schedule

  1:30 a.m. Preparation for the nocturns of matins – psalms etc.

  2:00 a.m. Matins.

  3:30 a.m. Lauds at daybreak, wash and break fast.

  6:00 a.m. Prime, Morrow Mass, Chapter.

  8:00 a.m. Terce, Sung Mass.

  11:30 a.m. Sext, midday meal.

  2:30 p.m. None.

  5:30 p.m. Vespers, Supper, Collatio.

  8:00 p.m. Compline.

  The Grand Silence begins.

  Liturgical Calendar

  I have included the main feasts and fasts in the cycle of the church’s year, plus one or two other dates that are mentioned (e.g., Michaelmas and Lady Day when rents were traditionally collected) in these stories.

  Advent – begins four Sundays before Christmas.

  Christmas – December 25th.

  Holy Innocents – December 28th.

  Epiphany – January 6th.

  Baptism of our Lord concludes Christmastide, Sunday after January 6th.

  Candlemas – February 2nd (Purification of Blessed Virgin Mary, Presentation of Christ in the temple).

  Lent – Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday – start date varies with phases of the moon.

  Holy Week – last week of Lent and the Easter Triduum.

  Easter Triduum (three days) of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday.

  Lady Day – March 25th – this was New Year’s Day between 1155 and 1752.

  Ascension – forty days after Easter.

  Whitsun (Pentecost) – fifty days after Easter.

  Trinity Sunday – Sunday after Pentecost.

  Corpus Christi – Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

  Sacred Heart of Jesus – Friday of the following week.

  Feast of John the Baptist – June 24th.

  Lammas (literally “loaf-mass”; grain harvest) – August 1st.

  Michaelmas – feast of St Michael and All Angels, September 29th.

  All Saints – November 1st.

  All Souls – November 2nd.

  Martinmas – November 11th.

  1 If you are as bewildered as Abbot John, head across to the glossary.

  2 You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church – Matthew 16:18

  3 Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up – John 2:19

  4 In the beginning was the Word… (from John 1:1)

  5 “But be ye kind to one another” – a quotation from Ephesians 4:32