Canticles

A canticle is a hymn derived from Biblical texts (excluding the Book of Psalms) and incorporated into the liturgy of a Christian church. In the Roman Catholic Church, there are two categories of canticles: the Evangelical Canticles, or cantica majora (major canticles), which are derived from the New Testament, and the cantica minora (minor canticles), which are taken from the Old Testament. Three major canticles—the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79), the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), and the Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32)—are used daily in the Roman Rite at Lauds (morning prayer), Vespers (evening prayer), and Compline (nighttime prayer), respectively.