Altar Cards for Evensong

ALTAR CARDS

For readers who are unfamiliar, the practice of altar cards originated in the Latin rite, during the 1600s. First the central card was created, then the left-hand one, and then the right-hand card was added for the sake of symmetry. Traditional altar cards contain a number of the prayers used in the Tridentine Mass, and served solely as a memory aid for the celebrant. Over time, they became quite elaborate and are still used in traditional Catholic parishes around the world.

EVENSONG

Evensong is part of the Liturgy of the Hours in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Tradition. It combines both Vespers, or evening prayer, and Compline, or night prayer. An important part of Evensong is the canticles, which are recited after the readings. It is our custom to recite the Credo (Apostle’s Creed) after the first Epistle, the Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon) after the second Epistle, if there is one, and the Magnificat after the Gospel.

EVENSONG CARDS FOR MY ORATORY

In an earlier post, my personal oratory was featured.

I have recently created a set of small ‘altar cards’ containing the Credo, Nunc Dimittis, and Magnificat for the oratory. This aid in the recitation of these canticles in the latin, and adds a visually pleasing element to the oratory. That being said, I am as of yet undecided if I shall keep them. I was inspired by some historical examples, and included the arms of this site on the top. (Heraldic altar cards have a long history). There is a rather pleasant border to them, just visible behind the frames. Thinner and more decorative frames are on the long list of to-do items.

If you are interested in home altars and the such, we recommend reading our blog post on the subject. Additional resources can be found within that post. For learning more about altar cards, we recommend wikipedia for an overview and these articles from the LAJ for some wonderful examples: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3