Divine Worship: Daily Office’s Commonwealth Edition published by Catholic Truth Society in the UK is understandably esteemed by most as the crown jewel of the Ordinariates’ divine offices.

The reputation of its underdog cousin, the North American Edition published by Newman House Press in New Jersey, was marred from the very beginning by delays in publication, the choice of its publishing house, the 300+ errors, typos and omissions, uncorrected (and some made worse!) in a 2nd print run, the lack of communication, transparency and professionalism from either the publisher or the Chancery in Houston, and so on.

All these critiques are valid, and I have made them plenty of times myself both publicly and privately.

Now that there is a third, corrected edition in print, however, and the dust from the release fiasco has settled somewhat, it may be a good time to switch gears and appreciate some of its unique editorial features and advantages (at least to some) as compared with its venerable Commonwealth cousin.

In order to understand the rationale for some of these differences, there needs to be some context of the sources for the two editions.

The Commonwealth Edition is based on the 1662 English Prayer Book tradition, with basically the entire core of the daily offices lifted verbatim from the 1662 BCP, and supplemental material drawn primarily from English translations of the Pre-1911 Roman divine office tradition (seen in the restoration of the hour of Prime, the use of Psalm 119 throughout the daytime hours, or the arrangement of Compline).

By contrast, the North American Edition is a mix between the traditional-language Rite I of the 1979 Episcopal Prayer Book, elements of the 1928 Prayer Book, a few minor inspirations from the English tradition, and significant influences from the modern post-1971 Liturgy of the Hours in the Roman Rite.

With this context in mind, here are some unique features that I have personally appreciated in praying the North American Edition, vis-à-vis the Commonwealth Edition:

• A large selection of seasonably variable Opening Sentences from Scripture that give a more unique flavor to the office depending on the temporal season (Advent, Christmastide, Pre-Lent/Septuagesimatide and Lent, Eastertide, ordinary time after Epiphany and Trinity), in contrast to the CE’s always-penitential selection
• A shorter, less burdensome optional “Fore-Office” (aforementioned opening sentence, confession/penitential rite, with no additional prayer or Our Father)
• Optional Invitatory Antiphons for Psalm 95 Venite (or Psalm 100 Jubilate for Feasts and Solemnities) depending on the Season or Feast, again giving the offices more of a variable flavor based on the liturgical year
• Phos Hilaron (“O Gracious Light”) from the ancient Greek tradition — so old that the 4th century church father St. Basil the Great already remarked that no one knew its origin or author anymore — as an evening “lamp-lighting” invitatory before the psalmody of Evening Prayer (included by way of the 1979 Episcopal Prayer Book)
• A good selection of brief alternative canticles as the First Canticle of Morning Prayer in lieu of the Te Deum and the Benedicite, that are more manageable in length than the chunky”Optional Canticles” drawn from the Pre-1911 Roman Office in the Commonwealth Edition
• Shorter, much more consistently doable Daytime Hours of Terce, Sext, and None, dividing Gradual Psalms 120-128 between them like the Benedictine monastic office tradition and the Complementary Psalms of the modern Liturgy of the Hours
• Shorter and simpler Compline, inspired more by the Liturgy of the Hours and its weekly cycle of 1-2 psalms per day, which I have always personally liked, while keeping the option of doing either a Benedictine (Ps 4, 91, 134) or ancient Roman (same as Benedictine but with Ps 31:1-6 added) arrangement as well
• The addition of New Testament Canticles drawn from the Liturgy of the Hours as a replacement for the Nunc Dimittis as the second canticle at Evening Prayer, for when Compline is to be said separately later. I have always loved the current Roman form of Vespers closing its psalmody with these NT Canticles that almost always highlight the Gospel and the final triumph of the Spotless Lamb, and find it to be a good creative appropriation by the North American Ordinariate into its daily office.
• Flexibility of Bible translations to use with the Lessons — since the North American Edition is not bound together with the readings pre-set for each day, as Commonwealth is with lessons from the RSV-2CE, it is more versatile in being used with other appropriate versions, including the RSV (First) Catholic Edition, the KJV/Authorized Version, ESV, or others.
• The accessibility of the current day’s complete office, pre-set, on the go thanks to John Covert’s dynamic dedicated website, for when lugging around a pew-sized book and separate Bible are not practicable. (The Commonwealth Edition has no comparable online presence or application as of yet.)

This list is not exhaustive, and admittedly subjective.

What are your experiences praying either or both editions of the Ordinariate Daily Office? Feel free to share below.