Ephesians-511.net



NOVEMBER 21, 2015

Does a priest have to say the Divine Office (breviary) daily?

What is the “Liturgy of the Hours” or the “Divine Office”?

EXTRACT

The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: Liturgia Horarum) or Divine Office (Latin: Officium Divinum) or Work of God (Latin: Opus Dei) or canonical hours, often referred to as the Breviary, is the official set of prayers "marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer". It consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns, readings and other prayers. Together with the Mass, it constitutes the official public prayer life of the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours also forms the basis of prayer within Christian monasticism.

Celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours is an obligation undertaken by priests and deacons intending to become priests, while deacons intending to remain deacons are obliged to recite only a part. The constitutions of religious institutes generally oblige their members to celebrate at least parts and in some cases to do so jointly ("in choir"). The laity are under no public obligation to do so, but may oblige themselves to do so by personal vow, and "are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually".

The Liturgy of the Hours, along with the Eucharist, has formed part of the Church's public worship from the earliest times. Christians of both Eastern and Western traditions (including the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches) celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours under various names. Within Catholicism, the Liturgy of the Hours, once contained within what was called the Roman Breviary, is in its present form found in what in English editions is called either The Liturgy of the Hours (arranged in four volumes) or The Divine Office (in three volumes).

In Greek the corresponding services are found in the Ὡρολόγιον (Horologion), meaning Book of Hours. Within Anglicanism, the Liturgy of the Hours is contained within the book of Daily Prayer of Common Worship and the Book of Common Prayer, as well as in the Anglican Breviary. Within Lutheranism, it is contained within the liturgical books used by the various Lutheran church bodies, such as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The primary worship resources in these churches include Lutheran Worship, the Lutheran Book of Worship, and Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Other names for the Liturgy of the Hours within the Latin liturgical rites include Diurnal and Nocturnal Office, Ecclesiastical Office, Cursus ecclesiasticus, or simply cursus.

Origins

The early Christians continued the Jewish practice of reciting prayers at certain hours of the day or night. In the Psalms are found expressions like "in the morning I offer you my prayer"; "At midnight I will rise and thank you"; "Evening, morning and at noon I will cry and lament"; "Seven times a day I praise you". The Apostles observed the Jewish custom of praying at the third, sixth and ninth hour and at midnight (Acts 10:3, 9; 16:25; etc.).

The Christian prayer of that time consisted of almost the same elements as the Jewish: recital or chanting of psalms, reading of the Old Testament, to which were soon added readings of the Gospels, Acts, and epistles, and canticles. Other elements were added later in the course of the centuries.

Traditional Roman Breviary

By the end of the 5th century, the Liturgy of the Hours was composed of seven offices. Of these seven, Compline seems to have been the last to appear, because the 4th century Apostolic Constitutions VIII iv 34 do not mention it in the exhortation "Offer up your prayers in the morning, at the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, the evening, and at cock-crowing". An eighth office, Prime, was added by Benedict of Nursia in the 6th century. These eight are known by the following names, which do not reflect the times of the day at which in the second millennium they were traditionally recited, as shown by the use of the word "noon", derived from Latin (hora) nona, to mean midday, not 3 in the afternoon:

(Matins (during the night, at midnight with some); also called Vigils or Nocturns or, in monastic usage, the Night Office

(Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)

(Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)

(Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)

(Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 noon)

(None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)

(Vespers or Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps", generally at 6 p.m.)

(Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.)

This arrangement of the Liturgy of the Hours is attributed to Saint Benedict. However, it is found in Saint John Cassian's Institutes and Conferences, which describe the monastic practices of the Desert Fathers of Egypt.

Liturgy of the Hours of Pope Paul VI

After the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI promulgated a new Roman Breviary, commonly referred to as "Liturgy of the Hours". The structure of the offices, the distribution of psalms, and the prayers themselves were modified. Prime was suppressed entirely. In short, the burden was lessened. "Major" and "minor" hours were defined:

(The Officium lectionis, or Office of Readings, (formerly Matins) — major hour

(Lauds or Morning Prayer — major hour

(Daytime Prayer, which can be one or all of:

(Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer

(Sext or Midday Prayer

(None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer

(Vespers or Evening Prayer — major hour

(Compline or Night Prayer

All hours, including the minor hours, start with the versicle from Ps 70 (69) v. 2 (as do all offices in the traditional Breviary except Matins and Compline): "V. Deus, in adiutorium meum intende. R. Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina" (God, come to my assistance; Lord, make haste to help me), followed by the doxology. The verse is omitted if the hour begins with the Invitatory (Lauds or Office of Reading). The Invitatory is the introduction to the first hour said on the current day, whether it be the Office of Readings or Morning Prayer.

The opening is followed by a hymn. The hymn is followed by psalmody. The psalmody is followed by a scripture reading. The reading is called a chapter (capitulum) if it is short, or a lesson (lectio) if it is long.

The reading is followed by a versicle. The hour is closed by an oration followed by a concluding versicle. Other components are included depending on the exact type of hour being celebrated. In each office, the psalms and canticle are framed by antiphons, and each concludes with the traditional Catholic doxology.

Usage

An Invitatory precedes the canonical hours of the day beginning with the versicle "Lord, open my lips. And my mouth will proclaim your praise" (Ps 50/51 v.17), and continuing with an antiphon and the Invitatory Psalm, usually Psalm 94/95.

All psalms and canticles are accompanied by antiphons.

Unless the Invitatory is used, each Hour begins with the versicle "God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me" (Ps 69/70 v.2), followed by a hymn. Each Hour concludes with a prayer followed by a short versicle and response.

Matins or the Office of Readings is the longest hour. Before Pope St. Pius X's reform, it involved the recitation of 18 psalms on Sundays and 12 on ferial days. Pope Pius X reduced this to 9 psalms or portions of psalms, still arranged in three "nocturns", each set of three psalms followed by three short readings, usually three consecutive sections from the same text. Pope Paul VI's reform reduced the number of psalms or portions of psalms to three, and the readings to two, but lengthened these. On feast days the Te Deum is sung or recited before the concluding prayer.

After St. Pius X's reform, Lauds was reduced to four psalms or portions of psalms and an Old Testament canticle, putting an end to the custom of adding the last three psalms of the Psalter (148–150) at the end of Lauds every day. The number of psalms or portions of psalms is now reduced to two, together with one Old Testament canticle chosen from a wider range than before. After these there is a short reading and response and the singing or recitation of the Benedictus.

Vespers has a very similar structure, differing in that Pius X assigned to it five psalms (now reduced to 2 psalms and a New Testament canticle) and the Magnificat took the place of the Benedictus. On some days in Pius X's arrangement, but now always, there follow Preces or intercessions. In the present arrangement, the Lord's Prayer is also recited before the concluding prayer.

Terce, Sext and None have an identical structure, each with three psalms or portions of psalms. These are followed by a short reading from Scripture, once referred to as a "little chapter" (capitulum), and by a versicle and response. The Lesser Litany (Kyrie and the Lord's Prayer) of Pius X's arrangement have now been omitted.

Prime and Compline also were of similar structure, though different from Terce, Sext and None.

Books used

In monasteries and cathedrals, celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours became more elaborate. Served by monks or canons, regular celebration required a Psalter for the psalms, a lectionary for the Scripture readings, other books for hagiographical readings, a collectary for the orations, and also books such as the antiphonary and the responsoriary for the various chants. These were usually of large size, to enable several monks to chant together from the same book. Smaller books called breviaries (a word that etymologically refers to a compendium or abridgment) were developed to indicate the format of the daily office and assist in identifying the texts to be chosen.

These developed into books that gave in abbreviated form (because they omitted the chants) and in small lettering the whole of the texts, and so could be carried when travelling. Pope Innocent III made them official in the Roman Curia, and the itinerant Franciscan friars adopted the Breviarium Curiae and soon spread its use throughout Europe.

By the 14th century, these breviaries contained the entire text of the canonical hours. The invention of printing made it possible to produce them in great numbers.

In its final session, the Council of Trent entrusted to the Pope the revision of the breviary. With his Apostolic Constitution Quod a nobis of 9 July 1568, Pope Pius V promulgated an edition of the breviary, known as the Roman Breviary, which he imposed in the same way in which, two years later, he imposed his Roman Missal. Using language very similar to that in the bull Quo primum, with which he promulgated the Missal – regarding, for instance, the perpetual force of its provisions – he made it obligatory to use the promulgated text everywhere.

He totally prohibited adding or omitting anything: "No one whosoever is permitted to alter this letter or heedlessly to venture to go contrary to this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, indult declaration, will decree and prohibition. Should anyone, however, presume to commit such an act, he should know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul."

It is obvious that he did not thereby intend to bind his successors. Pope Clement VIII made changes that he made obligatory on 10 May 1602, 34 years after Pius V's revision. Urban VIII made further changes, including "a profound alteration in the character of some of the hymns. Although some of them without doubt gained in literary style, nevertheless, to the regret of many, they also lost something of their old charm of simplicity and fervour." For the profound revision of the book by Pope Pius X see Reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X.

Finally, a new revision was made by Pope Paul VI with his Apostolic Constitution Laudis Canticum of 1 November 1970.

Many of the complicated rubrics (or instructions) that had governed recitation of the Liturgy were clarified, and the actual method of praying the office was made simpler. Prime had already been abolished by the Second Vatican Council. Of the three intermediate Hours of Terce, Sext and None, only one was to be of strict obligation. Recitation of the psalms and a much increased number of canticles was spread over four weeks instead of one. "Three psalms (58, 83, and 109) have been omitted from the psalter cycle because of their curses; in the same way, some verses have been omitted from certain psalms, as noted at the head of each. The reason for the omission is a certain psychological difficulty, even though the psalms of imprecation are in fact used as prayer in the New Testament, for example, Revelation 6:10, and in no sense to encourage the use of curses."

Two typical editions for celebrating the revised Liturgy of the Hours (Liturgia Horarum) according to the Roman Rite have been published by Rome. The current typical edition for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is the Liturgia Horarum, editio typica altera, promulgated in 1985 (printed between 1985 and 1987, and reprinted in 2000). This uses the Nova Vulgata Latin Bible for the readings, psalms and canticles rather than the Clementina.

It has changed some of the readings and responsories according to the Nova Vulgata, and it provided for the Benedictus and Magnificat on Sundays with three antiphons each that reflect the three-year cycle of Gospel readings. Pope Urban VIII's lamented alterations of the hymns are undone. Verse numberings are added to the Psalms and the longer Scripture readings, while the Psalms are given both the Septuagint numbering and (in parentheses) that of the Masoretic text. And new texts, taken from the Missale Romanum, have been added in the appendix for solemn blessings and the penitential acts.

Thus far, this second Latin typical edition has only been translated in the Liturgy of the Hours for Africa. The earlier edition has appeared in two English translations, one under the title "Liturgy of the Hours", the other as "The Divine Office'".

Obligation of recitation

In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, all bishops and other prelates, all priests, and all transitional deacons are obliged to pray the Office daily according to the approved liturgical books that apply to them. Permanent deacons are strongly encouraged to do so; whether they must do so or not and the degree to which they must participate, if they do so is laid down by individual dioceses under the guidelines set forth by the area's Episcopal Conference. Members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life are bound according to the norm of their constitutions as adapted by the custom of the superiors of the house at which they reside.

All Latin clerics can lawfully fulfill their obligation to pray the Office using the Roman Breviary promulgated by John XXIII or the Breviary of Paul VI. Additionally, religious institutes can choose to use exclusively the traditional Breviary instead of the Liturgy of the Hours, without prior approval from the Holy See. Any religious, members of institutes of consecrated life, and societies of apostolic life who are transitional deacons, priests, or bishops, even if their institute or society has a less strict policy, are obliged to say the office because of the obligation of these ordained ministers to do so.

Laity, especially if they are attached to religious institutes as lay oblates or are involved in ministries of the Church (lector, cantor, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, catechists, religious education directors or school principals, altar servers, those contemplating religious life or the seminary), are strongly encouraged to participate.

The constitutions of some institutes of consecrated life, in particular many congregations of Benedictine monks and nuns, but also others, oblige them to follow an arrangement of the Psalter whereby all the psalms are recited in the course of a single week, partly through an extension of the Office of Readings, and by maintaining the Hour of Prime.

Roman rite since the Council of Trent

Revision by Pope Pius V

The Council of Trent, in its final session on 4 December 1563 entrusted the reform of the breviary to the then pope, Pius IV. On 9 July 1568, Pope (Saint) Pius V, the successor to Pius IV who closed the Council of Trent, promulgated an edition, known as the Roman Breviary, with his Apostolic Constitution Quod a nobis, imposing it in the same way in which, two years later, he imposed his Roman Missal and using language very similar to that in the bull Quo primum with which he promulgated the Missal, regarding. For instance, the perpetual force of its provisions, the obligation to use the promulgated text in all places, and the total prohibition of adding or omitting anything, declaring in fact: "No one whosoever is permitted to alter this letter or heedlessly to venture to go contrary to this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, indult declaration, will decree and prohibition. Should anyone, however, presume to commit such an act, he should know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul."

Further revision before the Second Vatican Council

Later popes altered the Roman Breviary of Pope Pius V. Pope Clement VIII instituted obligatory changes on 10 May 1602, 34 years after Pius V's revision. Pope Urban VIII made further changes, including "a profound alteration in the character of some of the hymns. Although some of them without doubt gained in literary style, nevertheless, to the regret of many, they also lost something of their old charm of simplicity and fervour."

Pope Pius XII allowed the use of a new translation of the Psalms from the Hebrew and established a special commission to study a general revision, concerning which all the Catholic bishops were consulted in 1955. His successor, Pope John XXIII, implemented these revisions in 1960.

Revision following the Second Vatican Council

Latin typical editions

Following the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church's Latin Church, hoping to restore their character as the prayer of the entire Church, revised the liturgical book for the celebration of the Divine Office, and published it under the title "Liturgy of the Hours".

The Council itself abolished the office of Prime, and envisioned a manner of distributing the psalms over a period of more than 1 week. In the succeeding revision, the character of Matins was changed to an Office of Readings so that it could be used at any time of the day as an office of Scriptural and hagiographical readings. Furthermore, the period over which the Psalter is recited has been expanded from one week to four. The Latin hymns of the Roman Office were in many cases restored to the pre-Urban form, albeit several of them were shortened.

This new "Liturgy of the Hours" (Liturgia Horarum in Latin) is published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana in four volumes, arranged according to the liturgical seasons of the Church year.

Volume I: Advent & Christmastide

Volume II: Lent, the Sacred Triduum & Eastertide

Volume III: Weeks 1 to 17 of the Year

Volume IV: Weeks 18 to 34 of the Year

The current liturgical books for the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin are those of the editio typica altera (second typical edition) promulgated in 1985 and re-issued, by the Vatican Publishing House – Libreria Editrice Vaticana, in 2000 and 2003.

Midwest Theological Forum has published an edition "iuxta typicam" with updating of the celebration of saints. It is arranged in six volumes:

Volume I: Advent & Christmastide

Volume II: Lent, & the Sacred Triduum

Volume III: Eastertide

Volume IV: Weeks 1 to 14 of the Year

Volume V: Weeks 12 to 24 of the Year

Volume VI: Weeks 21 to 34 of the Year

Although most priests and other clerics in the Latin Church now use the new Liturgy of the Hours, some (such as those in the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter or similar societies) continue to use the Breviary as revised by Pope Pius X, the latest edition of which was issued under Pope John XXIII. The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum in 2007 authorized every Latin Rite cleric to use this edition to fulfill his canonical obligation to pray the Divine Office. An English/Latin parallel edition was published by Baronius Press in April 2012.

Official English translations

Three English translations are in use.

The Divine Office (non-ICEL translation)

The Divine Office was produced by a commission set up by the Episcopal Conferences of Australia, England and Wales, Ireland and Scotland. First published in 1974 by HarperCollins, this edition is the official English edition for use in the dioceses of the above countries as well as many other dioceses around the world, especially in Asian and African countries. It is arranged in three volumes:

Volume I: Advent, Christmastide & Weeks 1–9 of the Year

Volume II: Lent and Eastertide

Volume III: Weeks of the Church Year 6–34.

The psalms are taken (with slight adaptations) from the 1963 Grail Psalms, while the Scripture readings and non-Gospel canticles are taken from various versions of the Bible, including the Revised Standard Version, the Jerusalem Bible, the Good News Bible, the New English Bible and Ronald Knox's Translation of the Vulgate. Interestingly, some of the canticles taken from the Revised Standard Version were amended slightly to conform the English text to the Vulgate in The Divine Office. The intercessions, concluding prayers, antiphons, short responses, responsories, second readings in the Office of Readings, Te Deum and Glory be to the Father are all translations approved by the Episcopal Conferences mentioned and confirmed by the Holy See in December 1973. The Gospel canticles (Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis) are from the 1963 Grail Translation, but an appendix at the end of the book gives the ELLC versions of the Gospel canticles as alternatives.

Collins also publishes shorter editions of The Divine Office:

Daily Prayer – comprising the complete Divine Office, except for the Office of Readings (but the full Office of Readings are printed only for Christmas, Good Friday and Holy Saturday)

Morning & Evening Prayer – comprising the complete Morning, Evening and Night prayers from the Divine Office

Shorter Morning & Evening Prayer – comprising the Psalter for Morning, Evening and Night prayers and a selection of texts from the liturgical seasons and feasts.

Between 2005 and 2006, Collins republished The Divine Office and its various shorter editions with a new cover and revised Calendar of the Moveable Feasts.

Besides these shorter editions of The Divine Office, there used to be A Shorter Prayer During the Day comprising the Psalter for the Middle Hours also published by Collins. The last known reprint year is 1986, but this edition is now out of print. In 2009, Prayer during the day was published by Catholic Truth Society.

Liturgy of the Hours (ICEL translation)

The Liturgy of the Hours, produced by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), was first published in 1975 by Catholic Book Publishing Company in the USA. This edition is the official English edition for use in the USA, Canada and some other English-speaking dioceses. It is in four volumes, an arrangement identical to the original Latin typical edition.

The psalms are taken (slightly adapted) from the 1963 Grail Psalms, while the Scripture readings and non-Gospel canticles are taken from the New American Bible. The prayers and intercessions are translated by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). The ELLC versions are used for items such as the Gospel canticles. An additional feature are psalm prayers, which were ICEL's original compositions, attached to the psalms.

Shorter editions of the Liturgy of the Hours are also available from various publishers: Christian Prayer (Daughters of St Paul and Catholic Book Publishing Company), Shorter Christian Prayer (Catholic Book Publishing Company) and Daytime Prayer (Catholic Book Publishing Company). In 2007, Liturgy Training Publications released the Mundelein Psalter, containing Morning, Evening and Night Prayers and the Office for the Dead, with the 1963 Grail translation of the Psalms set to specially composed chant, and with hymns translated from the hymns of the Latin Liturgia Horarum.

The Divine Office and the Liturgy of the Hours editions are both based on the Latin 1971 editio typica.

Liturgy of the Hours (ICEL/African translation)

In 2009, on the occasion of the Synod of African Bishops in Rome, the Catholic Church in Africa, through Pauline Publications Africa, published a new English edition of the Liturgy of the Hours based on the Liturgia Horarum, editio typica altera. The antiphons and orations in this edition are taken from ICEL's 1975 translation of the Liturgy of the Hours, with independent translations for the offices for the new saints added to the General Roman Calendar as well as the Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons for the 3-year cycle on Sundays added in the Liturgia Horarum, editio typica altera.

The Psalms are taken from the Revised Grail Psalter with the rest of the biblical texts taken from the New American Bible. To-date, this is the only official English edition of the Office that is based on the Liturgia Horarum, editio typica altera.

What is the Divine Office?

Emphases theirs

What is the Divine Office?

The Divine Office (or the Liturgy of the Hours) is the public, daily prayer of the Church. Together with the Mass and other liturgical rites, they form the official prayer of the Church. The prayer comes mainly from Sacred Scripture, using the Psalms, OT & NT Canticles, Gospel Canticles.

Why pray the Divine Office?

In Luke 18:1, Jesus commands us to “pray continually and never lose heart”. The Divine Office is the Church’s response of praying unceasingly throughout the day. Thus, the first thing that we have to understand about the Divine Office is that it is not private or individual prayer.

When we pray the Divine Office:

(We are praying together as a Church, as Christ’s body. We are praying this one same prayer together with all the other members of the Church around the world.

(We participate in the prayer of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body. In the Divine Office, we unite ourselves with Christ in His prayer of praise and thanksgiving to the Father.

(We participate in Christ’s prayer for the salvation of all of mankind. We are praying not just for ourselves and our day, but for all the needs of the whole world.

Who prays the Divine Office?

As the Divine Office is the official prayer of the Church, all who are part of the Church are able to, and in fact are encouraged to pray the Divine Office. The ordained clergy (Bishops, Priests and Deacons) together with the religious have received the mandate from the Church to celebrate the Divine Office. It is through them that the prayer of Christ may persevere unceasingly in the Church. Although it is the duty of the clergy and religious to pray the Divine Office, the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually.

When to pray the Divine Office?

The Divine Office is known as the Liturgy of the Hours because it sanctifies the hours of the day. In this way we are offering up the day to God, just like the Apostles were doing as we read of them in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3:1, 10:3, 10:9, 16:25)

Prayer Latin Name Time (Approx.)

Morning Lauds 6.00am

Before Noon Terce 9.00am

Midday Sext 12.00 noon

Afternoon None 3.00pm

Evening Vespers 6.00pm

Night Compline Before Sleep

Office of Readings Matins

Morning and Evening Prayer are the two hinges on which the Liturgy of the Hours turns. If possible, they should be prayed in common.

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

This hour is prayed at sunrise or in the early morning. The whole Church together praises the Creator and his mighty works every morning, and offers up the day ahead. It contains an Old Testament Canticle and the Benedictus, which is the Canticle of Zechariah. This highlights the expectant nature of the prayer which reflects our anticipation of Christ in the world in the day.

Prayer during the Day (Terce, Sext, None)

The names Terce, Sext and None mean third, sixth and ninth hour. As the roman day starts at 6am, this translates to 9am, noon and 3pm. It is suggested that one of these hours, that which is most convenient for the individual, be prayed, to keep the Lord in mind throughout the day.

Evening Prayer (Vespers)

This hour is prayed at sunset or early evening. In this hour, the whole Church gives thanks to God for His wonderful work of salvation in the world that day. It contains a New Testament Canticle and the Magnificat, which is Mary’s song of praise. This highlights our giving praise for the experience of the Incarnation of Christ in the world in the day.

Night Prayer (Compline)

This is the "bedtime" hour of the Church's daily prayer and is ordinarily prayed just before retiring. It is the last prayer of the day, and sums up all that happened, as we examine our consciences and offer the actions of the day to God.

Office of Readings (Matins)

This is the only hour which does not have a designated time. It is a meditative hour of reflection on Scripture and the writings of the great spiritual authors of the Church.

Why do we pray the Psalms?

The psalms contain in them a rich expression of the people’s faith in God. In them we find psalms of thanksgiving, praise and petition. The psalmist express their deepest trust, repentance and sorrow, together with the greatness of God and his Love through the psalms. From the scriptures we know that Jesus, the Apostles and the early Christian community prayed the psalms and regularly quoted from them. It is that tradition that has carried on in the Church, forming the basis of the Divine Office.

What if I cannot relate to the psalms?

There will be days when the psalms you pray might be expressing an emotion different from what you are experiencing. Such as sorrow, when you are feeling happy. As such, it can be quite difficult to relate to the prayer. For this we have to keep in mind that we are praying as a Church. As we pray, we are offering up the prayer of someone else who might be in great pain and sorrow, or someone who might be giving praise to God.

Can I make up an Hour I missed?

In the Divine Office, each prayer is linked to the different hours of the day, the prayer you should pray should be of that particular time. If you have missed an earlier prayer, there is no need to “make up” for it later. The Divine Office is not a quota of prayer that we have to accomplish within a day

Structure of the Divine Office

Morning Evening Night

Introduction Introduction Introduction

Invitatory Psalm Examination of Conscience

Hymn Hymn Hymn

Psalm Psalm

OT Canticle Psalm

Psalm NT Canticle 1 or 2 Psalms

Scripture Reading Scripture Reading Scripture Reading

Short Responsory Short Responsory Short Responsory

Gospel Canticle Benedictus Gospel Canticle Magnificat Gospel Canticle Nunc Dimittis

Intercessions Intercessions

The Lord’s Prayer The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayer Concluding Prayer Concluding Prayer

Blessing Blessing Blessing

Introduction

The first hour of the day begins with the Invitatory.

V: Lord, open our lips. (Sign of the Cross on the mouth)

R: And we shall praise your name. Followed by the Invitatory Psalm with its antiphon.

Subsequent hours begin as follows

V: O God, come to our aid. (Normal Sign of the Cross)

R: O Lord, make haste to help us.

V: Glory be to the Father…

R: As it was in the beginning…

Recitation of psalms/canticles

The recitation of each psalm/canticle is as follows: Antiphon ( Psalm/Canticle ( Glory be… ( Antiphon.

Gospel Canticle

The Sign of the Cross is made at the beginning of the Gospel Canticles (Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis)

Posture

Introduction and Hymn - Stand

Psalmody, Reading, Short Responsory - Sit

Gospel Canticle until the end – Stand

Getting Started on the Divine Office

1. Get a Prayer Book (at Catholic Bookshops)

While the Divine Office properly comes in a three volume set, beginners can purchase the smaller Shorter Morning and Evening Prayer, or the single volume version which includes the feast days and mid-day prayers.

2. Get an Ordo (at Catholic Bookshops)

The psalms in the Divine Office are divided into a four week cycle. The Ordo will indicate the week and also the seasons, feast days and solemnities.

3. Familiarize yourself with the prayer book

Know where the different sections for the psalter, proper of seasons, night prayer, etc…

4. Find a teacher or companion

The best way to learn is to start praying it with someone who has been praying the Divine Office, and would be able to guide you through it.

5. Make time to pray it

Start slowly. Do not rush into praying all seven hours. Start with the Morning and Evening prayer, and slowly progress with the night and prayers during the day.

6. “Why” more important than “How”

When you first start it is better to not worry about "praying it right" as to really enter into the mystery of praying liturgically. While the rubrics of the liturgy are important, the more important part is getting into the spirit of the prayer.

( It is about praying as and with the whole Church.

( It is about praying for the world.

( It is about offering up the day to God.

7. Find out more

You can find more information and even online versions of the Divine Office at the following websites.









Obligation of the Liturgy of the Hours



Rome, November 22, 2011 

Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Q: I learned from an older priest that the breviary obligation binds a transitional deacon and priest under pains of mortal sin. I searched canon law and the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours but found no clear answer. What is the right way to think of that? -L.M., Etang Rey, Haiti

A: During the development process for the 1983 Code of Canon Law it was decided to remove expressions such as "under pain of mortal sin" with respect to the external prescriptions of Church law. In part this was done to distinguish Church law and the moral law. Church law covers the external relationship of individuals in the Christian community. Since sin also involves internal factors, the law, in itself, does not bind under pain of sin.

This technical distinction does not mean that no sin is committed by transgressing Church law. The fact that the code no longer binds attending Sunday Mass under pain of mortal sin does not change the fact that willful and inexcusable absence is mortally sinful.

With respect to the obligation of the Liturgy of the Hours for transitional deacons and priests, the Congregation for Divine Worship on November 15, 2000, issued a formal response to a doubt (Prot. No. 2330/00/L) on this topic. This unofficial English translation was published by the liturgy office of the U.S. bishops' conference.

The congregation first makes a substantial affirmation regarding the nature of the Liturgy of the Hours:

"The integral and daily celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours is, for priests and deacons on the way to the priesthood, a substantial part of their ecclesial ministry.

"Only an impoverished vision would look at this responsibility as a mere fulfilling of a canonical obligation, even though it is such, and not keep in mind that the sacramental ordination confers on the deacon and on the priest a special office to lift up to the one and triune God praise for His goodness, for His sovereign beauty, and for his merciful design for our supernatural salvation. Along with praise, priests and deacons present before the Divine Majesty a prayer of intercession so as to worthily respond to the spiritual and temporal necessities of the Church and all humanity.

"In effect, even in similar circumstances, these prayers do not constitute a private act but rather form part of the public worship of the Church, in such a way that upon reciting the Hours, the sacred minister fulfills his ecclesial duty: the priest or deacon who in the intimacy of the Church, or of an oratory, or his residence, gives himself over to the celebration of the Divine Office effects, even when there may be no one who is accompanying him, an act which is eminently ecclesial in the name of the Church and in favor of all the Church, and inclusive of all humanity. The Roman Pontifical reads: 'Are you resolved to maintain and deepen a spirit of prayer appropriate to your way of life and, in keeping with what is required of you, to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours for the Church and for the whole world?' (Cf. Roman Pontifical, Rite of the Ordination of Deacons).

"Thus, in the same rite of diaconal ordination, the sacred minister asks for and receives from the Church the mandate of the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, which mandate pertains, therefore, to the orbit of ministerial responsibilities of the ordained, and goes beyond that of his personal piety. Sacred ministers, along with the Bishops, find themselves joined in the ministry of intercession for the People of God who have been entrusted to them, as they were to Moses (Ex 17, 8-16), to the Apostles (1 Tim 2, 1-6) and to the same Jesus Christ 'who is at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us' (Rom 8, 34). Similarly, the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, no. 108 states: 'Those who pray the psalms in the liturgy of the hours do so not so much in their own name as in the name of the entire Body of Christ."

The response adds some further historical and canonical background. It then addresses the central question of the obligation of the liturgy of the hours:

"Question #1: What is the mind of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments regarding the extension of the obligation of celebration or reciting daily the Liturgy of the Hours?

"Response: Those who have been ordained are morally bound, in virtue of the same ordination they have received, to the celebration or the entire and daily recitation of the Divine Office such as is canonically established in canon 276, § 2, n. 3 of the CIC, cited previously. This recitation does not have for its part the nature of a private devotion or of a pious exercise realized by the personal will alone of the cleric but rather is an act proper to the sacred ministry and pastoral office.

"Question #2: Is the obligation sub gravi extended to the entire recitation of the Divine Office?

"Response: The following must be kept in mind:

"A serious reason, be it of health, or of pastoral service in ministry, or of an act of charity, or of fatigue, not a simple inconvenience, may excuse the partial recitation and even the entire Divine Office, according to the general principle that establishes that a mere ecclesiastical law does not bind when a serious inconvenience is present;

"The total or partial omission of the Office due to laziness alone or due to the performance of activities of unnecessary diversion, is not licit, and even more so, constitutes an underestimation, according to the gravity of the matter, of the ministerial office and of the positive law of the Church;

"To omit the Hours of Morning Prayer (Lauds) and Evening Prayer (Vespers) requires a greater reason still, given that these Hours are the 'double hinge of the daily Office' (SC 89);

"If a priest must celebrate Mass several times on the same day or hear confessions for several hours or preach several times on the same day, and this causes him fatigue, he may consider, with tranquility of conscience, that he has a legitimate excuse for omitting a proportionate part of the Office;

"The proper Ordinary of the priest or deacon can, for a just or serious reason, according to the case, dispense him totally or partially from the recitation of the Divine Office, or commute it to another act of piety (as, for example, the Holy Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, a biblical or spiritual reading, a time of mental prayer reasonably prolonged, etc.).

"Question: What role does the criterion of 'veritas temporis' (correspondence to time of day) play concerning this question?

"Response: The answer must be given in parts, to clarify the diverse cases.

"The 'Office of Readings' does not have a strict time assigned, and may be celebrated at any hour, and it can be omitted if there exists one of the reasons signalled out in the answer indicated under number 2 above. According to custom, the Office of Readings may be celebrated any time beginning with the evening hours or night time hours of the previous day, after Evening Prayer (Vespers) (Cf. GILH, 59).

"The same holds true for the 'intermediate hours,' which, nevertheless, have no set time for their celebration. For their recitation, the time that intervenes between morning and afternoon should be observed. Outside of choir, of the three hours, Mid-Morning Prayer (Tertia), Mid-Day Prayer (Sexta), and Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Nona), it is fitting to select one of these three, the one that more easily corresponds to the time of day, so that the tradition of praying during the day, in the midst of working, be maintained (Cf. GILH, 77).

"By itself, Morning Prayer (Lauds) should be recited during the morning hours and Evening Prayer (Vespers) during the evening hours, as the names of these parts of the Office indicate. If someone cannot recite Morning Prayer (Lauds) in the morning, he has the obligation of reciting it as soon thereafter as possible.

In the same way, if Evening Prayer (Vespers) cannot be recited during the evening hours, it must be recited as soon thereafter as possible (SC 89). In other words, the obstacle, which impedes the observation of the 'true time of the hours', is not by itself a cause that excuses the recitation either of Morning Prayer (Lauds) or of Evening Prayer (Vespers), because it is a question of the 'Principal Hours' (SC, 89) which 'merit the greatest esteem' (GILH, 40).

"Whoever willingly recites the Liturgy of the Hours and endeavors to celebrate the praises of the Creator of the universe with dedication, can at least recite the psalmody of the hour that has been omitted without the hymn and conclude with only a short reading and the prayer."

Priests obliged to say the daily Office but not daily Mass

Posted on 16 October 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf



Q: It is my understanding that those ordained to the priesthood are bound by canon law to pray the main hours of the Divine Office daily. I think by main hours, it is Matins, Lauds, Sext, Vespers and Compline. However, how come there is no such stipulation for the celebration of Mass? Is there a reasonable answer for this?

A: I suspect the reasons for this are practical. At one point there was a strict rule against saying Mass alone. While it is ideal to have another person present this is no longer a hard and fast rule. Today, priests can say Mass without any human presence for a good reason, and a good reason can be simply that he wants to say Mass. Also, ideally priests should not say Mass in the state of mortal sin. It is not always easy or possible for a priest in some areas to find a confessor. In old manuals of moral theology authors suggested that a priest can say Mass but should seek a confessor within three days. This is a great deal easier in the age of automobiles, of course.

Moreover, I believe the old Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church obliged priests to say Mass a minimum of several times a year, not daily. Furthermore, in the new Code, as in the old, pastors with the care of souls in a parish were obliged either personally or by a proxy to make sure that on all Sundays and days of precept Mass was offered “pro populo”, for the intention of the people under his charge. There is also the case of the priest taking on the obligation of saying 30 Masses for a single intention for a deceased person on 30 consecutive days. He must say these Masses on these days without interruption.

Of course if a priest does not say Mass on a Sunday or day of precept, he is nevertheless obliged like every other Catholic under the obligation to hear Mass in order to fulfill the obligation.

The Office, on the other hand, is something that does not require the presence of another or that the priest be in the state of grace.

There is a strong moral obligation based on the priest’s state in life to say Mass daily, for the benefit of the living and the dead. However, there was and is no juridical obligation.

See DOES A PRIEST HAVE TO OFFER HOLY MASS DAILY?



DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST; OR, SELVA.

A COLLECTION OF MATERIALS FOR ECCLESIASTICAL RETREATS. RULE OF LIFE AND SPIRITUAL RULES.

Ξ

BY ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI

Doctor of the Church

Edited by Rev. Eugene Grimm,

Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, 1889

EXTRACT

III. The Recitation of the Divine Office.

(It may be useful to say something here on the recitation of the Divine Office.)

By the Divine Office God is honored, the fury of the enemy is repelled, and the divine mercies are obtained for sinners. But to attain these ends it is necessary to recite the Office in a proper manner: it is necessary to say it "carefully and devoutly," 3 as the fifth Council of Lateran 4 has taught, in the celebrated Canon Dolentes.

3 "Studiose et devote."

4 Cap. Dolentes, de Cel. Missar.

Carefully, by pronouncing the words distinctly; devoutly, that is, with attention, as Cassian teaches: "Let that be considered in the heart which is uttered by the lips." 1 How, asks St. Cyprian, can you expect that God will hear you when you do not hear yourself? 2 Prayer made with attention is the odoriferous incense that is most agreeable to God, and obtains treasures of grace; but prayer made with voluntary distraction is a fetid smoke that provokes the divine wrath, and merits chastisement. Hence, while we recite the Office, the devil labors strenuously to make us say it with distractions and defects. We should, then, take all possible care to recite it in a proper manner. We here give some practical advice:

1. It is necessary to enliven our faith, and to consider that in reciting the divine Office we unite with the angels in praising God. "We begin here upon earth the office of the inhabitants of heaven," 3 says Tertullian. We then perform on earth the office of the citizens of heaven, who unceasingly praise God, and shall praise him for eternity. 4 Hence, as St. John Chrysostom remarks, before we enter the church or take up the breviary we must leave at the door and dismiss all thoughts of the world. 5

1 "Hoc versatur in corde, quod profertur in voce." Ep. 211, E. B.

2 "Quomodo te audiri a Deo postulas, cum te ipse non audias?" De Or. Dom.

3 "Officium futuræ claritatis ediscimus." De Or.

4 "In sæcula sæculorum laudabunt te." Ps. Ixxxiii. 5.

5 "Ne quis ingrediatur templum curis onustus mundanis; hac ante ostium deponamus." In Is. Hom. 2.

2. In reciting the divine Office we must take care that our affections accompany the sentiments contained in what we read. It is necessary, says St. Augustine: "We must pray when the Psalmist prays, sigh when he sighs, hope when he hopes.” 1

3. It is useful to renew our attention from time to time; for example, at the beginning of every psalm.

4. We must be careful not to give occasion to mental distractions. How can he who recites the Office in a public place, or in the midst of persons who are jesting and amusing themselves, how, I ask, can he say it with piety and devotion?

Oh! What treasures do they lay up who daily recite the divine Office with devout attention! St. John Chrysostom says that they are filled with the Holy Ghost. 2 But, on the other hand, they who say it negligently lose great merits, and have to render a great account to God.*

1 "Si orat Psalmus, orate; si gemit, gemite; si sperat, sperate." In Ps. xxx. en. 4.

2 "Implentur Spiritu Sancto." In Eph. Hom.19.

*We may see a more extended instruction on the recitation of the Office in the True Spouse of Jesiis Christ, Ch. 24, Vol. XI. We may also find a short treatise on the same subject at the end of the next volume (Volume XIII.). ED.

How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours



In the Roman Catholic Church priests are required by canon law to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours each day while deacons are required to pray the morning and evening hours. The practice among religious communities varies according to their rules and constitutions. The Second Vatican Council also exhorted the Christian laity to take up the practice, and as a result, many lay people have begun reciting portions of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Current Roman Catholic usage focuses on three major hours and from two to four minor hours:

(The Officium lectionis or Office of Readings (formerly Matins ), major hour

(Lauds or Morning prayer, major hour

(Daytime prayer, which can be one or all of:

(Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer

(Sext or Midday Prayer

(Non or Mid-Afternoon Prayer

(Vespers or Evening Prayer, major hour

(Compline or Night Prayer

All hours, including the minor hours start with the verse Ps 69/70 v.2 (whereas as did all offices before the Council except Matins and Compline) “God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me”, followed by the doxology. The verse is omitted if the hour begins with the Invitatory (Lauds or Office of Reading). The Invitatory is the introduction to the first hour said on the current day, whether it be the Office of Readings or Morning Prayer. The opening is followed by a hymn. The hymn is followed by psalmody. The psalmody is followed by a scripture reading. The reading is called a chapter (capitula) if it is short, or a lesson (lectio) if it is long. The reading is followed by a versicle. The hour is closed by an oration followed by a concluding versicle. Other components are included depending on the exact type of hour being celebrated.

In each office, the psalms and canticle are framed by antiphons, and each concludes with the traditional Catholic doxology.

Major hours

The major hours consist of the Office of Readings, Morning (or Lauds) and Evening Prayer (or Vespers).

The Office of Readings consists of:

(opening versicle or invitatory

(a hymn

(one or two long psalms divided into three parts

(a long passage from scripture, usually arranged so that in any one week, all the readings come from the same text

(a long hagiographical passage, such as an account of a saint’s martyrdom, or a theological treatise commenting on some aspect of the scriptural reading, or a passage from the documents of the Second Vatican Council

(on nights preceding Sundays and feast days, the office may be expanded to a vigil by inserting three Old Testament canticles and a reading from the gospels

(the hymn Te Deum (on Sundays, solemnities, and feasts, except in Lent)

(the concluding prayer

(a short concluding verse (especially when prayed in groups)

The character of Morning Prayer is that of praise; of Evening Prayer, that of thanksgiving. Both follow a similar format:

(opening versicle or (for morning prayer) the invitatory

(a hymn, composed by the Church

(two psalms, or parts of psalms with a scriptural canticle. At Morning Prayer, this consists of a psalm of praise, a canticle from the Old Testament, followed by another psalm. At Evenning Prayer this consists of two psalms, or one psalm divided into two parts, and a scriptural canticle taken from the New Testament.

(a short passage from scripture

(a responsory, typically a verse of scripture, but sometimes liturgical poetry

(a canticle taken from the Gospel of Luke: the Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) for morning prayer, and the Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) for evening prayer

(intercessions, composed by the Church

(the Lord’s Prayer

(the concluding prayer, composed by the Church

a blessing given by the priest or deacon leading Morning or Evening Prayer, or in the absence of clergy and in individual (recitation, a short concluding versicle.

Usage

An Invitatory precedes the canonical hours of the day beginning with the versicle “Lord, open my lips. And my mouth will proclaim your praise” (Ps 50/51 v.17), and continuing with an antiphon and the Invitatory Psalm, usually Psalm 94/95 .

All psalms and canticles are accompanied by antiphons.

Unless the Invitatory is used, each Hour begins with the versicle “God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me” (Ps 69/70 v.2), followed by a hymn. Each Hour concludes with a prayer followed by a short versicle and response.

Matins or the Office of Readings is the longest hour. Before Pope St. Pius X’s reform, it involved the recitation of 18 psalms on Sundays and 12 on ferial days. Pope Pius X reduced this to 9 psalms or portions of psalms, still arranged in three “nocturns”, each set of three psalms followed by three short readings, usually three consecutive sections from the same text. Pope Paul VI’s reform reduced the number of psalms or portions of psalms to three, and the readings to two, but lengthened these. On feast days the Te Deum is sung or recited before the concluding prayer.

After St. Pius X’s reform, Lauds was reduced to four psalms or portions of psalms and an Old Testament canticle, putting an end to the custom of adding the last three psalms of the Psalter (148-150) at the end of Lauds every day. The number of psalms or portions of psalms is now reduced to two, together with one Old Testament canticle chosen from a wider range than before. After these there is a short reading and response and the singing or recitation of the Benedictus. Vespers has a very similar structure, differing in that Pius X assigned to it five psalms (now reduced to 2 psalms and a New Testament canticle) and the Magnificat took the place of the Benedictus. On some days in Pius X’s arrangement, but now always, there follow Preces or intercessions. In the present arrangement, the Lord’s Prayer is also recited before the concluding prayer.

Terce, Sext and None have an identical structure, each with three psalms or portions of psalms. These are followed by a short reading from Scripture, once referred to as a “little chapter” (capitulum) , and by a versicle and response. The Lesser Litany (Kyrie and the Lord’s Prayer) of Pius X’s arrangement have now been omitted.

Prime and Compline also were of similar structure, though different from Terce, Sext and None.

Do You Pray The Liturgy of The Hours?



June 19, 2013

I have started praying The Liturgy of The Hours about a year ago, and reading Dan Burke’s article, “Liturgy of the Hours for the Rest of Us” prompted me to share this life enriching practice with you. Do you pray the liturgy of the hours?

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, canonical hours, or the Breviary is basically a set of daily prayers that was originally prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited by priests, deacons and other religious institutes. But the Second Vatican Council later on counseled that it would be fitting for the general Catholic congregation to to take up the practice as well.

I encourage you to start getting accustomed to The Liturgy of The Hours. It has caused me great peace and joy in my everyday life.

As Pope Benedict said in one of his homilies, “Our relationship with God can only be enriched by our journeying towards Him day after day.” Praying The Liturgy of the Hours in addition to periods of private prayer, meditative reading of Scripture and attending Mass can certainly draw us closer to God. So do you pray the liturgy of the hours? If not, you might want to start thinking about it.

Should you need more information about The Liturgy of The Hours visit: The Divine Office. (See page 11)

I have been to the rooms and offices of many priests but I have very rarely seen a breviary at hand.

By the “business” of most priests that I have encountered, I wonder if they set aside time to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Remember that for them not to do so, it is a sin.

However, I know a number of lay Catholics who say the Divine Office in their families and in their communities.

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