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Tuesday, December 04, 2007,6:45 PM
The Liturgy of the Hours
Those of you who know me personally will know that I have a deep affection for something called The Liturgy of the Hours(?), also know as the Divine Office, or Breviary. But if you don't know me, you might be wondering what on earth it is... In this post I would like to touch on the history of the Liturgy of the Hours, its appeal, and why the Church enjoins us to participate in this, the 'prayer of the Church'.
History and structure
(Note: this refers to the traditions of the Latin Church, i.e. the Roman Catholic Church, and those Churches in communion with her. For other traditions, see the Wikipedia article 'Canonical Hours'.)
The current Liturgy of the Hours originates from 1974 when the Breviarum Romanum -- or Roman Breviary -- was reformed according to the principles Vatican II outlines in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium(?). However the Breviary itself is much older.
The Breviary (latin, meaning short/concise book) evolved from the ancient custom of Jewish prayer ("Seven times a day do I praise Thee", c.f. Ps. 119:164) in monasteries and chapterhouses across Europe. With the addition of a pre-Eucharistic vigil or "watch", there became eight "Hours" or "Offices" of prayer. These were not strictly of one hour in length; indeed, prayer during the day is most short, whilst the night vigil is long! Until the reforms of Vatican II, the "Hours" of the Latin Church were:
Each of the "Hours" has a particular character, e.g. compline has a slightly pentitential character, reflecting on the day and calling on God's mercy and can easily incorporate an examination of conscience; accordingly, they have different structural elements:
Note: for an in-depth survey of the transition from the pre-Vatican II Breviarum Romanum to the Liturgy of the Hours, I would recommend Stanislaus Campbell's From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours.
Appeal
The appeal of the Liturgy of the Hours can be put down to a number of factors, all potentially subtly interlinked. For instance, I remember an Anglican vicar exhorting the the daily reading of the Psalter to me as, to quote, "it contains the whole of life and death, joy and sadness, all that there is". The sheer scope and beauty of the Psalter has a true appeal, especially in this modern world where there is little emotional outlet for the human spirit under times of pressure. How amazingly beautiful it is for the words of ones prayer to God eloquently echoing the various chapters of our lives!
Meanwhile, the Gospel Canticles provide a familiar and consistent rhythm to each day, strongly echoing the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity) as expressed by Zechariah, Mary and Simeon respectively. As noted above, the Liturgy of the Hours also provides the opportunity for the contemplation of and veneration of the Saints. The "Hours" are all themselves suited to longer periods of meditation and introspection.
As regards the "words" themselves, there is always a danger in prayer that it can become like a spiritual shopping list. God does not need that. After all, do we honestly believe that God does not know our deepest needs and desires? No; of course he knows. Equally, we hope -- like John, believing "because we have heard" (Jn. 4:42) -- that these already written/authorised prayers of the Church, are free from error, and a fitting devotion or sacrifice to God. Indeed, the Church in calling them Opus Dei -- the work of God -- shows this to be true.
From a psychochological point of view, there is certainly something liberating about letting go of "having" to find the words, and embracing something already written down for you. As with the Most Holy Rosary, the words flow over you, and at the same time engage the intellectual and cognitive parts of you, whilst the deep emotional parts are let go to commune with God.
Another factor is quite simply that, for centuries now, the Liturgy of the Hours is truly the official Prayer of the Church. Indeed, Priests and Deacons have a canonical obligation to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as religious (i.e. monks, nuns, etc.). Some religious are obliged to celebrate older arrangements of the Psalter, and the Societies of Apostolic Life which celebrate the sacraments according to pre-Vatican II liturgical books (e.g. FSSP, Institute of Christ the King, etc.) use these older books which include the eight "Hours". In prayer, one is then participating in the great Prayer of the entire Church, with all the members of the Church in the past, present, and to come. Your prayers are literally joining those of the Blessed in Heaven.
Celebration
Whilst Churches are enjoined by the Holy See to faciliate the public celebration of Morning and Evening Prayer(1), the bulk of celebration outside monasteries and other religious communities appears to be private, individual observation. A number of options are available to assist English-speakers in this effort:
On-line matter:
The Liturgy of the Hours is available in a number of formats, split both by jurisdiction (for each, different translations for USA vs. UK) and by length (e.g. Morning and Evening Prayer alone in one volume). These include:
Resources
The following resources may be of some help to those interested in finding out more about the Liturgy of the Hours:
Conclusion
Having prayed the Liturgy of the Hours in different forms for almost three years now, it is my constant companion, lending God's sanctification to each day, and allowing me to commune with my maker both on a literary and aesthetic level, but also on a deeper level, beyond words. I would heartily commend it, in any form, to all on this blog and beyond discerning a call to the Priestly or Religious state. At the same time, I would urge the laity to take up the Breviary too; they may find more there than simply the easing of the frenetic "structure" of their lives.
Note: The resources listed above go some way to helping to explain the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, however I would be willing to make this into a regular series of posts, based on feedback. I would also be deeply honoured to assist those starting out with the Breviary (tip: even if you want to use the older books, start out with Christian Prayer and learn the structure one "Hour" at a time).
As the day draws to a close at Vespers, "may the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to ever-lasting life". +
(1) c.f. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 100; Musicam Sacram, n. 39
(Images: Wikipedia/flickr.)
History and structure
(Note: this refers to the traditions of the Latin Church, i.e. the Roman Catholic Church, and those Churches in communion with her. For other traditions, see the Wikipedia article 'Canonical Hours'.)The current Liturgy of the Hours originates from 1974 when the Breviarum Romanum -- or Roman Breviary -- was reformed according to the principles Vatican II outlines in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium(?). However the Breviary itself is much older.
The Breviary (latin, meaning short/concise book) evolved from the ancient custom of Jewish prayer ("Seven times a day do I praise Thee", c.f. Ps. 119:164) in monasteries and chapterhouses across Europe. With the addition of a pre-Eucharistic vigil or "watch", there became eight "Hours" or "Offices" of prayer. These were not strictly of one hour in length; indeed, prayer during the day is most short, whilst the night vigil is long! Until the reforms of Vatican II, the "Hours" of the Latin Church were:
- matins -- the modern-day Office of Readings, which had a vigil or nocturnal character;
- lauds -- morning-prayer, which together with vespers is considered a principal hour of prayer (both matins and lauds were observed during the night);
- prime -- the "odd Hour", said upon rising (note: this Hour was suppressed following Vatican II);
- terce -- the "third" hour,
- sext -- the "sixth" hour, and
- none -- the "ninth" hour (together these constitute the modern "Prayer during the Day");
- vespers -- evening-prayer, said around sunset; and
- compline -- night-prayer, said before bed, and traditionally followed by a Marian Antiphon (e.g. Alma Redemptoris Mater in Advent, Salve Regina in Ordinary Time).
Each of the "Hours" has a particular character, e.g. compline has a slightly pentitential character, reflecting on the day and calling on God's mercy and can easily incorporate an examination of conscience; accordingly, they have different structural elements:
- Psalms -- the staple element of the Liturgy of the Hours is the Psalter; these are said in all "Hours" and over a particular period -- in the older Breviary one week, and now, post Vatican II, over four weeks;
- scriptural readings -- each "Hour" has scriptural readings, some quite small (in the case of the minor, midday, Hours between lauds and vespers), some extensive (matins could contain anywhere from three readings upwards, and nowadays contains two lengthy passages);
- Gospel Canticles -- the modern arrangement of the Psalter includes certain canticles from the Prophets, Revelation, etc., but the three Canticles of note are the Benedictus(?) (Zecharias' song of thanksgiving on the birth of his son, St John Baptist), the Magnificat(?) (Mary's "yes" to God at the Annunciation), and the Nunc Dimittis(?) (Simeon's heart-rending thanks to God on the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple), featuring in Morning Prayer (lauds), Evening Prayer (vespers), and Night Prayer (compline) respectively;
- Intercessions -- since Vatican II, both Morning and Evening Prayer have contained intercessions -- and Responsories -- both of these echo the pre-Vatican II preces;
- the Our Father -- along with Mass, the Our Father is also said at the conclusion of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, providing a threefold santification of the day; and
- a Concluding Prayer.
Note: for an in-depth survey of the transition from the pre-Vatican II Breviarum Romanum to the Liturgy of the Hours, I would recommend Stanislaus Campbell's From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours.
Appeal
The appeal of the Liturgy of the Hours can be put down to a number of factors, all potentially subtly interlinked. For instance, I remember an Anglican vicar exhorting the the daily reading of the Psalter to me as, to quote, "it contains the whole of life and death, joy and sadness, all that there is". The sheer scope and beauty of the Psalter has a true appeal, especially in this modern world where there is little emotional outlet for the human spirit under times of pressure. How amazingly beautiful it is for the words of ones prayer to God eloquently echoing the various chapters of our lives!
Meanwhile, the Gospel Canticles provide a familiar and consistent rhythm to each day, strongly echoing the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity) as expressed by Zechariah, Mary and Simeon respectively. As noted above, the Liturgy of the Hours also provides the opportunity for the contemplation of and veneration of the Saints. The "Hours" are all themselves suited to longer periods of meditation and introspection.
As regards the "words" themselves, there is always a danger in prayer that it can become like a spiritual shopping list. God does not need that. After all, do we honestly believe that God does not know our deepest needs and desires? No; of course he knows. Equally, we hope -- like John, believing "because we have heard" (Jn. 4:42) -- that these already written/authorised prayers of the Church, are free from error, and a fitting devotion or sacrifice to God. Indeed, the Church in calling them Opus Dei -- the work of God -- shows this to be true.
From a psychochological point of view, there is certainly something liberating about letting go of "having" to find the words, and embracing something already written down for you. As with the Most Holy Rosary, the words flow over you, and at the same time engage the intellectual and cognitive parts of you, whilst the deep emotional parts are let go to commune with God.
Another factor is quite simply that, for centuries now, the Liturgy of the Hours is truly the official Prayer of the Church. Indeed, Priests and Deacons have a canonical obligation to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as religious (i.e. monks, nuns, etc.). Some religious are obliged to celebrate older arrangements of the Psalter, and the Societies of Apostolic Life which celebrate the sacraments according to pre-Vatican II liturgical books (e.g. FSSP, Institute of Christ the King, etc.) use these older books which include the eight "Hours". In prayer, one is then participating in the great Prayer of the entire Church, with all the members of the Church in the past, present, and to come. Your prayers are literally joining those of the Blessed in Heaven.
Celebration
Whilst Churches are enjoined by the Holy See to faciliate the public celebration of Morning and Evening Prayer(1), the bulk of celebration outside monasteries and other religious communities appears to be private, individual observation. A number of options are available to assist English-speakers in this effort:On-line matter:
- The Universalis website provides the text of the Liturgy of the Hours "calculated" for each day, and configurable according to national calendar and timezone;
- meanwhile, Praystation Portable provides mp3 files of audio to download
The Liturgy of the Hours is available in a number of formats, split both by jurisdiction (for each, different translations for USA vs. UK) and by length (e.g. Morning and Evening Prayer alone in one volume). These include:
- the single-volume Christian Prayer (USA);
- the three-volume Divine Office (UK);
- the four-volume Liturgy of the Hours (USA).
Resources
The following resources may be of some help to those interested in finding out more about the Liturgy of the Hours:
- David Chiang's A brief guide to the breviary;
- Discovering Prayer -- Seth H. Murray's excellent PDF guide to praying the Liturgy of the Hours, whichever edition you use;
- Instructions for Praying the LotH -- I found this via Google on a site in San Francisco;
- my friend Dunstan's Liturgy of the Hours Resource Page
- The Roman Breviary -- the entire pre-Vatican II in both Latin, and the Elizabethan English of the Anglican Breviary;
- St Francis de Sales' Guide to Christian Prayer -- this indispensable online version of the Saint Joseph Guide for 'Christian Prayer' lists page numbers for this edition; and finally,
- the full texts of the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (1971), and the Apostolic Constitution Laudis Canticum (1970), promulgating the new LotH.
Conclusion
Having prayed the Liturgy of the Hours in different forms for almost three years now, it is my constant companion, lending God's sanctification to each day, and allowing me to commune with my maker both on a literary and aesthetic level, but also on a deeper level, beyond words. I would heartily commend it, in any form, to all on this blog and beyond discerning a call to the Priestly or Religious state. At the same time, I would urge the laity to take up the Breviary too; they may find more there than simply the easing of the frenetic "structure" of their lives.
Note: The resources listed above go some way to helping to explain the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, however I would be willing to make this into a regular series of posts, based on feedback. I would also be deeply honoured to assist those starting out with the Breviary (tip: even if you want to use the older books, start out with Christian Prayer and learn the structure one "Hour" at a time).
As the day draws to a close at Vespers, "may the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to ever-lasting life". +
(1) c.f. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 100; Musicam Sacram, n. 39
(Images: Wikipedia/flickr.)
Labels: Mark
24 Comments:
Superb post.
I've been doing the LOTH for about a year now; I got the Latin edition for Advent from Paxbook.com and am now saying it in Latin (haltingly, and using the English LOTH to translate when I get stuck.) It is a marvelous way to structure prayer. I've had people ask me what it is I'm reading, and I tell them that I'm reading my prayers -- that I pray seven times a day. They look and me askance and ask me if I'm a Muslim. "Of course not," I say. I am surprised at the number of Catholics who have no knowledge of its existence; it is perhaps the greatest hidden jewel of Vatican II. I wish more people would pray it. It does change one's life.
I pray the LOTH every morning [7:00am, not too early, lol] with the Dominican priests up at my local parish, and I absolutely love it!!!...One of the girls on my floor who is a Baptist, asked me once why I am awake at six and I am out the door by 6:30 every mornings, and I told her I go to pray the LOTH and attend mornign mass, and and she asked waht the LOTH were, I explained what it was, and she said, "Why would you do something like that?", and I replied, "Other than the mass, it is the highlight of my day, you would have to experience it for yourself..."
I find it amusing that many protestant think that Catholics never look at scripture...if only they really knew how much more we actually read, study and pray of it than most of them do....
JMJ
Beautiful Post Mark!
I would love it if you had a series of posts on the LOTH. I have prayed the LOTH in the past, but I would like to get back into it. I used to have a christian prayer book, but I would like to purchase the four volume LOTH. Do you happen to know where to purchase them? Thank you and God Bless,
-Sequoia
FleurDeCarmel@aol.com
I'm glad you all like the post.
I would definitely like to continue this, if possible, even if just to help those starting out get to grips with LotH.
Sequoia, I'm not very sure about that - I'm not in America, you see, so ours is only three volumes. Besides I was given mine. Maybe try Amazon? Or I know AquinasAndMore stock it.
Nun2Be: I've already said mine by then! I have to leave my house by 7am! Strangely, I actually find prayer during the rest of my working day harder.
Anyway, yes, would love direction as to how to go ahead.
Mark, thanks for your wonderful post on the Liturgy of the Hours, it was very thorough and well written.
Sequoia, You can purchase the Liturgy of the Hours online. I purchased my four-volume at Barnes and Noble, but Amazon also carries it.
I have enclosed below links to the four-volume edition below. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
Take Care, and May God Bless You in all you do.
Your brother in Christ and companion in discernment,
LandOLakesJesuit
+ Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam +
LandOLakesJesuit,
You're very welcome; I hope it was of some use, though you sound as though you are already well-versed with the LotH.
Do you too think this should be a regular series? If so, any idea for the structure of upcoming posts?
Mark,
I think a series is a great idea. Maybe you could structure it according to the different hours, and write an article on each (i.e. one on lauds, one on compline, etc.)
Take Care, and may God bless you in all you do, now and eternally.
Your brother in Christ and companion in discernment,
LandOLakesJesuit
+ Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam +
That was SUCH a great, concise post on something I find a bit confusing.
Thank you - you've made me want to give it another try!
:)
Glad you like it, Ma! I actually quite enjoyed writing this, so would be willing to continue this in a series.
I added your post to Catholic Carnival 150. Wonderful post! And add me to the list of those who would like to see this as a regular feature or series of posts! Thank you!
Thank you, Melissa. I'm very grateful.
Thanks for this post.
I've been working towards providing resources, reviews, and concrete suggestions at http://www.liturgy.co.nz/ofthehours/resources.html
Great photo of the LOTH volume 2. Oh yeah, I took that photo! :-) I'm glad to see it put to such good use.
Peace.
Thank you for encourage us to take up Liturgy of the Hours. I am praying Everyday Prayer since start of Advent season. Everyday Prayer is a compact form of LOTH, consisting only morning and evening prayers. Hope that it can change my life.
Keep it up, Priscilla; good for you! I am sure you will find those two Hours very rewarding in many ways.
Sequoia, I also purchased the LOTH 4 volumes thru Barnes and Noble. It cost alot less than retail.
As a matter of fact I am supposed to get them today....YIPPEE!
I can't wait to get started.
I have received my LOTH and it took about 30 minutes to learn the differences between Christian Prayer and it. The transition was painless.
I am praying 5 of the Hours of the day, OOR, Morning, Evening and Night and one of the Hours of Daytime Prayer.
I cannot express how fulfilled, connected, blessed and grateful I feel to have learned about the LOTH. My mother prays it still today, and did so while raising 8 children. She was a faithful witness to us, she prayed ALL the hours.
While praying it I truly feel a part of the Universal Church.
Homemade Hermit: I'm so pleased for you. :)
Did your mother pray the old Breviarum Romanum?
Mark, I am not sure what she prayed. You know how it is, I was busy being a kid.
Still the witness of her dedication, was and still is an inspiration.
i would like to know how to pray the office of readings properly. i just started praying the liturgy of the hours after ash wednesday. could you please clarify what first and second readings to use? i have a copy of christian prayer.
Anonymous:
Are you referring to the Office of Readings, or to a particular 'Hour'?
If it is the former, then I'm not sure because "Christian Prayer" doesn't have a proper cycle of readings for the Office of Readings. Let me know what you mean.
By the way, Seth Murray's Discovering Prayer PDF is very good in explaining it all.
"Are you referring to the Office of Readings, or to a particular 'Hour'?
If it is the former, then I'm not sure because "Christian Prayer" doesn't have a proper cycle of readings for the Office of Readings. Let me know what you mean."
thanks! i was referring to the office of readings. i guess i will have to buy the complete set of liturgy of the hours.
Anonymous, I plan on selling my complete set soon. Would you be interested?
thanks for the notice, matthew! freight might be too expensive for me since i live in the philippines.
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