Checking where people are coming from to find this blog, I stumbled across a thread on Catholic Answers which raised an issue I've seen a few times recently under various guises, namely whether we can be 'doing liturgy' when we say the traditional Benedictine Office.
The Office can be said either as a devotion or as liturgy. As a devotion, there is no issue about approved versions, rubrics etc - essentially it is a matter of do as you like (within reason of course)!
As I think there is a bit of misinformation out there, however, let me reiterate a few points here. Firstly, lay people can, in principle, say the Office liturgically, regardless of whether a cleric or religious is present when they do so.
Secondly, contrary to some claims, the traditional Benedictine Office, with its traditional calendar, using rubrics and calendar approved in 1962 (and very similar to, but not identical with, the 1962 Extraordinary Form calendar and rubrics), continues to be officially approved, and is used by quite a few monasteries. The Farnborough edition of the Diurnal follows that approved form.
It is true that in 1979 the Benedictine Confederation approved a series of revised options for the Office. However, from 1984 onwards a number of monasteries received explicit permission through the Ecclesia Dei Commission of the Holy See to retain the traditional Office, Mass and calendar (in line with the permissions for the use of the traditional mass more broadly).
In 2007, with the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the permission to use the traditional forms of the Mass and Office for the Roman Rite was generalized to all clergy wish to use it. The Ecclesia Dei Commission has indicated that this also extends to the rites and uses of religious orders. Accordingly, there can be no doubt that the traditional Benedictine Office as set out in the 1962 Monastic Breviary is approved for liturgical purposes.
There are though a few issues that do need to be considered in relation to the Diurnal.
First, while the Latin clearly has ecclesiastical approval, it is not clear whether or not the particular English translation included has approval for liturgical purposes. An edition of the Diurnal from 1963 using the same text did obtain an Imprimateur, but I haven't seen the detail of its terms, and the English may have intended to be used for study purposes only. Moreover, the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae specifies in relation to the Roman Breviary that it must be said in Latin.
Secondly, the Farnborough edition of the Diurnal lacks an official attestation that it is published in accordance with an approved edition (CL 826).
Whether either of these issues is sufficient to render the saying of the Office from the text in English devotional rather than liturgical is perhaps still debatable. But in the light of Universae Ecclesiae, the safest approach is to say the Office in Latin, and use the English as an aid to understanding.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Quick reference cards for the daily Office - Sunday
There seems to be some interest in more of a cheat sheet for page numbers of the Office in the Farnborough Monastic Diurnal, so I'm going to have a go at providing something that may be of use. If you have suggestions on alternative formats or content, do let me know and I'll see whether or not I can oblige!
Please note that this is not a substitute for working through my How to say the Office series - you really do need to become familiar with the structure of each hour and how the Office works to say the traditional Office correctly. But once you have worked through that, having a cheat sheet at your side may be helpful (note also that this material now also appears in the summary section on each hour in the series).
Secondly, note that you still need to consult the Ordo for the relevant month.
Thirdly, the simplest way to print this is to copy it into a word document, and convert all text to black.
The Office on Sunday
Sunday Matins
Not found in the Diurnal, refer to the Monastic Breviary.
Sunday Lauds (at first light)
• Starts MD 37;
• Choose the appropriate psalm schema – for most Sundays during the year it is schema 1: Psalms 50, 117, (jump over 92, 99), 62, then canticle, Psalms 148-150;
• Choose the correct antiphons (including the number of them) as this varies by season (during the year is included in the Diurnal in the Sunday section);
• The hymn varies by liturgical season and time of year – for most of time after Pentecost it is Ecce Iam Noctis, MD 55 (skip over Aeterne rerum);
• The antiphon for the Benedictus is specific to the particular Sunday, check the Ordo for the correct page number;
• The collect (prayer) is specific to the particular Sunday, check the Ordo for the page reference.
Sunday Prime (early morning)
• Starts MD 146;
• Concluding prayers MD 8;
• Note that the ‘Capitular Office’ said in monasteries (including the reading of the Rule and the Martyrology) is not included in the Diurnal.
Sunday Terce (mid-morning)
• Opening prayers MD 151;
• Hymn Nunc Sancte MD 151;
• Select antiphon (said before and after psalms) for the season, MD 151-152 or feast (see Ordo);
• Psalms MD 152-154;
• Chapter and versicle of season, MD 154ff or feast (see Ordo);
• Closing prayers as at MD 154 (from Kyrie);
• With collect for the particular Sunday, see the Ordo.
Sunday Sext (noon)
• Starts MD 155;
• Use collect set for the particular Sunday, see the Ordo.
Sunday None (mid-afternoon)
• Starts MD 159;
• Use collect set for the particular Sunday, see the Ordo.
Sunday Vespers (evening)
• Starts MD 203 (opening prayer as on MD 1);
• Antiphons for the season or day (see ordo);
• Antiphon for the Magnificat (MD 209) is particular to the day, for the correct page number see the Ordo;
• Concluding prayers MD 210-11 with collect of the Sunday (or feast) - see Ordo.
Sunday Compline (before bed)
• Starts MD 257;
• Choose the appropriate Marian antiphon to conclude the hour (during the year, Salve Regina, MD 268).
Please note that this is not a substitute for working through my How to say the Office series - you really do need to become familiar with the structure of each hour and how the Office works to say the traditional Office correctly. But once you have worked through that, having a cheat sheet at your side may be helpful (note also that this material now also appears in the summary section on each hour in the series).
Secondly, note that you still need to consult the Ordo for the relevant month.
Thirdly, the simplest way to print this is to copy it into a word document, and convert all text to black.
The Office on Sunday
Sunday Matins
Not found in the Diurnal, refer to the Monastic Breviary.
Sunday Lauds (at first light)
• Starts MD 37;
• Choose the appropriate psalm schema – for most Sundays during the year it is schema 1: Psalms 50, 117, (jump over 92, 99), 62, then canticle, Psalms 148-150;
• Choose the correct antiphons (including the number of them) as this varies by season (during the year is included in the Diurnal in the Sunday section);
• The hymn varies by liturgical season and time of year – for most of time after Pentecost it is Ecce Iam Noctis, MD 55 (skip over Aeterne rerum);
• The antiphon for the Benedictus is specific to the particular Sunday, check the Ordo for the correct page number;
• The collect (prayer) is specific to the particular Sunday, check the Ordo for the page reference.
Sunday Prime (early morning)
• Starts MD 146;
• Concluding prayers MD 8;
• Note that the ‘Capitular Office’ said in monasteries (including the reading of the Rule and the Martyrology) is not included in the Diurnal.
Sunday Terce (mid-morning)
• Opening prayers MD 151;
• Hymn Nunc Sancte MD 151;
• Select antiphon (said before and after psalms) for the season, MD 151-152 or feast (see Ordo);
• Psalms MD 152-154;
• Chapter and versicle of season, MD 154ff or feast (see Ordo);
• Closing prayers as at MD 154 (from Kyrie);
• With collect for the particular Sunday, see the Ordo.
Sunday Sext (noon)
• Starts MD 155;
• Use collect set for the particular Sunday, see the Ordo.
Sunday None (mid-afternoon)
• Starts MD 159;
• Use collect set for the particular Sunday, see the Ordo.
Sunday Vespers (evening)
• Starts MD 203 (opening prayer as on MD 1);
• Antiphons for the season or day (see ordo);
• Antiphon for the Magnificat (MD 209) is particular to the day, for the correct page number see the Ordo;
• Concluding prayers MD 210-11 with collect of the Sunday (or feast) - see Ordo.
Sunday Compline (before bed)
• Starts MD 257;
• Choose the appropriate Marian antiphon to conclude the hour (during the year, Salve Regina, MD 268).
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Why pray in Latin?
One of the perennial debates around the Office is what language you should use to pray in.
A debate on this topic appears to have been cut off elsewhere I can only assume in the interests of protecting perceived fiefdoms by virtue of leaving some misinformation in place. That's unfortunate, but I don't want to get into all of that here. Instead, some brief comments on the more important underlying issue around the use of Latin from my perspective.
1. Prayer in any language is better than none!
First, note that the most important thing is to pray - what language you use is a secondary issue. Prayer, as we all know, can take a wide variety of forms. We often use set forms (the Mass, the Divine Office, particular prayers) to help us. Sometimes the content might be what we are focusing on. Sometimes it is more the general intent behind the prayer.
In the case of the Divine Office, it is not necessary to be deeply conscious of the meaning of each word or phrase each time you say it (whether in your native language or some other). Far more important is the intent of praising and worshipping God.
2. When it comes to liturgical prayer, the important thing is to follow the approved rubrics
There are two broad types of prayer - liturgical (such as the Mass) and devotional (the rosary, meditation, etc). The Office can be said either as a devotion or as liturgy. If it is said devotionally, you have a fair amount of freedom as to how you say it. However, the Church strictly regulates the liturgy in order to protect its integrity. That includes the Divine Office (aka Liturgy of the Hours, etc).
In the Catholic Church, Latin is the official, normative language of the liturgy. Translations of the Latin have to be approved for liturgical use (not just study use) by the proper authorities.
3. Praying in Latin has advantages when it comes to liturgy
Since Vatican II, the use of the vernacular has been permissible for both the Mass and the Office. Sacrosanctum Concilium clearly intended the use of the vernacular to be rather limited, particularly when it came to the Office, and Popes from Paul VI onwards have stressed the desirability of preserving the tradition; instead, use of English has become the norm.
But use of the Latin is worth considering for a number of reasons. A number of religions use 'sacred languages' (Jews use Hebrew; Muslims, Arabic for example) in order to help create the sense of 'sacred space and time' - to help us focus on the sense of God's otherness to us. The use of 'hieratic' language reminds us that we are worshipping, not just chatting amongst friends. That's important in a world that is reluctant to kneel before its God. And in the Western Church, the Latin of the Vulgate achieved that position by virtue of being a neutral language that transcended individual cultures.
In the Western tradition, use of Latin as a universal language of the Church was regarded as a counter to the chaos of Babel, a practical means of continuing the gift of understanding engendered at that first Pentecost.
By using the Latin text, you are using the same words St Benedict would have sung in his monastery, and the same texts that generations of monks, nuns and oblates have used down the centuries until our own. You are entering into a tradition.
And by learning at least a smattering of Latin, you will find it easier to understand the great spiritual works of the West (including the Benedictine Rule) which assume the use of the Latin Vulgate as their starting point.
4. You don't have to be a great Latinist
The best way to learn a language is actually by immersion in it! Start using it, and with a bit of effort and few aids, you will gradually pick up a lot by osmosis.
The translation contained in the Monastic Diurnal is a very useful starting point for getting the sense of the text, even as you say the Latin. And there are some excellent resources around to help you gain a greater understanding of it, such as the very good Simplicissimus course specifically geared at helping people learn enough Latin to follow the Mass and Office.
You might also want to consider the suggestions outlined at my post on this subject in my how to learn the Office series.
5. Translation is one thing, understanding is another
It is also important to keep in mind that just understanding the literal meaning of a text is not enough. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paras 115-119) stresses that Scriptural texts (including the psalms, chapter verses, many of the antiphons etc in the Office) has both a literal and a spiritual sense, and that the spiritual includes the allegorical, moral and anagogical meanings of the text. There is real value in looking at commentaries and treating the Office as a source of 'lectio' to penetrate its deeper meanings.
6. Do pray the Office!
Finally, by way of a summary, on an email list I was once a member of, a monk said that when they were novices they were taught about a hierarchy of 'attentions' for the Office, which I've adapted a little here. When thinking about the Office we should pay:
(1) Attention to the WORDS -- getting the rubrics right, so that we say the correct texts at the correct time; using the appropriate body postures; and saying or singing the words correctly;
(2) Attention to the SENSE -- focusing on the "what " we were saying, the translation of the words;
(3) Attention on GOD -- not worrying about words or sense but simply praying before the Divine Majesty.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Are we praying liturgically? ***updated
A topic that regularly comes up is, are we - and religious - praying liturgically when we say the Divine Office?
A degree of confusion arises on this, I suspect, because of some uncritical reading of pre-Vaticna II liturgical textbooks that don't take into account either Pius XII's Mediator Dei or the subsequent developments on this front reflected in the 1983 Code of Canon Law.
Yes, we are praying liturgically!
In my view it is absolutely clear cut that nuns, lay brothers and sisters pray the Office liturgically and always have. It is also clear, in my view, that laypeople can indeed perform liturgy, whether leading approved services in the absence of a priest, when baptising or when saying the Office.
After all, when we 'assist at mass' (ie attend) we are indeed participating liturgically within our proper sphere of action.
By virtue of our baptism, all Christians can pray liturgically in principle. As the Catechism of Trent says:
In the Mass, for example, while the people genuinely participate in the sacrifice by joining their intentions to those of the ministerial priest, they offer it differently to the priest at the altar standing in persona Christi, without whom the true sacrifice of the Mass is not possible.
In some cases, such as the Mass, ordination as a priest is a requirement to lead the liturgy. In other cases though, the Church can make decisions about who can lead and play active liturgical roles, and these decisions can change over time for pastoral reasons.
In the case of the Divine Office, between the Council of Trent and Vatican II, the laity were not able to participate in the Divine Office unless they attended it when said by a religious or cleric. The delegation to say the Office was restricted in order to protect the integrity of the liturgy from the danger of heresy.
This changed, however, with Vatican II, and the current Code of Canon Law explicitly extends the previous provisions delegating clerics and religious to say the Office to the laity, but on the basis that it is optional for them, not an obligation.
The Catechism
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
“1174 The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, “the divine office.” This celebration, faithful to the apostolic exhortations to “pray constantly,” is “so devised that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praise of God.” In this “public prayer of the Church,” the faithful (clergy, religious, and lay people) exercise the royal priesthood of the baptized. Celebrated in “the form approved” by the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours “is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father.
1175 The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself “continues his priestly work through his Church.” His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: priests devoted to the pastoral ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in prayer and the service of the word; religious, by the charism of their consecrated lives; all the faithful as much as possible: “Pastors of souls should see to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually.”
It is worth though, looking briefly at what lies behind the Catechism's statements.
What is liturgy
Anyone wishing to understand what is and isn't liturgy, and just why the Church regulates it, should go immediately and read Pius XII's Mediator Dei.
Most of the time of course it is crystal clear what is liturgy and what isn't - because it takes place in a Church, led by a priest, following set forms approved by the Church.
But there are cases where the distinction is not always clear, and the Office in particular has been a somewhat blurred line from the time that private recitation of the Office was permitted for priests in the middle ages. A wide variety of Offices have sprung up with varying degrees of formal approval. And the situation is further complicated by the fact that just who the Church has formally delegated to say the Office has changed over history.
Let me make a few key points to help clarify the situation.
Church law on liturgy
The Code of Canon Law (cl 834.1) defines liturgy as "the exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ" which brings a complete worship "offered to God by the head and members of the mystical body of Christ." Canon 835 sets out the hierarchy of the sanctifying office of the Church, carried out in a special way through the liturgy, starting with bishops, then covering priests, deacons, and "the other members of Christs faithful...each in his or her own way actively sharing in liturgical celebrations..."
The inclusion of the "members of the mystical body" makes it clear that we are talking here about the priesthood of all the faithful, not just the ordained priesthood. This is confirmed by Canon 835&6, which explains that Christian worship is exercised by the common priesthood of the faithful.
The sub-paragraph 2 of cl 834 makes it even clearer: "This worship takes place when it is offered in the name of the Church, by persons lawfully deputed and through actions approved by ecclesiastical authority."
That laypeople can be so deputed (subject of course to other theological constraints such as on sacraments requiring ordained clergy to confect them) is confirmed by Cl 230.3 ("Where the needs of the Church require and ministers are not available, lay people can...preside over liturgical prayers...").
So what makes liturgy liturgy is not who says it, but whether or not the Church has deputed them to say it, and whether or not they follow the forms approved by the Church.
So who is deputed by the Church to say the Office?
With the Council of Trent a distinction arose between saying the Office liturgically and devotionally (that hadn't previously been articulated and) that stayed in place until Vatican II. Between Trent and Vatican II it is reasonably clear that the Church delegated the saying of the Office liturgically to religious (including communities of women alone) and priests. The laity participated when they attended an official celebration of the Office, but were only saying the Office 'devotionally' if they said it privately, whether alone or in a group.
Vatican II changed that. In the documents of the Council itself (see for example SC 83-100), and more particularly in a series of subsequent liturgical laws, it effectively abolished the idea of liturgical/devotional distinction based on who was saying the Office by delegating all of Christ's faithful to say it.
The ideal situation of course is to attend the Office at a monastery or Church under the leadership of clerics or religious.
But where this is not possible or practical, as the General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours points out, "Lay groups gathering for prayer, apostolic work, or any other reason are encouraged to fulfill the Church’s duty, by celebrating part of the liturgy of the hours."
Canon 1174 says much the same thing more plainly. First it reaffirms the primary delegation, which is based on who is obliged to say the Office (viz religious and priests), not clerical status.
But in the next sub-paragraph it invites all of Christ's faithful to take part in the liturgy of the hours. The various standard commentaries on the Code all confirm that this means that the faithful are now duly delegated to say the Office even when praying alone. Beal, Corrigen and Green, A New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, 2000, for example says:
And the laity are indeed duly deputed to say the Office as part of the official prayer of the Church.
Approved actions
There is however a second necessary component to something being liturgy, viz whether the forms used are approved by the Church.
There are many people who opt for a devotional Office either in order to say an older version of the Office or in order to adopt their own personal preferences as to which parts of it they like. The former practice, though in my view undesirable, I think can be justified on the basis that what was once approved is unlikely to be dangerous. I have severe doubts about the latter approach though, in view of Pope Pius XII's warnings on this subject:
"The Church has further used her right of control over liturgical observance to protect the purity of divine worship against abuse from dangerous and imprudent innovations introduced by private individuals and particular churches. Thus it came about -- during the 16th century, when usages and customs of this sort had become increasingly prevalent and exaggerated, and when private initiative in matters liturgical threatened to compromise the integrity of faith and devotion, to the great advantage of heretics and further spread of their errors -- that in the year 1588, Our predecessor Sixtus V of immortal memory established the Sacred Congregation of Rites, charged with the defense of the legitimate rites of the Church and with the prohibition of any spurious innovation.[48]"
The Benedictine Office according to the 1962 rubrics clearly has been approved for liturgical use, at least in Latin, as confirmed by the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae.
By contrast, a number of modern Offices, such as the Benedictine Daily Prayer, are explicitly devotional, not liturgical.
Does it really matter whether or not it is liturgical prayer?
Mediator Dei says yes: "Unquestionably, liturgical prayer, being the public supplication of the illustrious Spouse of Jesus Christ, is superior in excellence to private prayers."
Pope Pius XII goes on to say however that "But this superior worth does not at all imply contrast or incompatibility between these two kinds of prayer. For both merge harmoniously in the single spirit which animates them, "Christ is all and in all."[38] Both tend to the same objective: until Christ be formed in us.[39]"
You may also be interested in reading my related post on the liturgical status of the 1962 Office.
Last updated 3.11.17
A degree of confusion arises on this, I suspect, because of some uncritical reading of pre-Vaticna II liturgical textbooks that don't take into account either Pius XII's Mediator Dei or the subsequent developments on this front reflected in the 1983 Code of Canon Law.
Yes, we are praying liturgically!
In my view it is absolutely clear cut that nuns, lay brothers and sisters pray the Office liturgically and always have. It is also clear, in my view, that laypeople can indeed perform liturgy, whether leading approved services in the absence of a priest, when baptising or when saying the Office.
After all, when we 'assist at mass' (ie attend) we are indeed participating liturgically within our proper sphere of action.
By virtue of our baptism, all Christians can pray liturgically in principle. As the Catechism of Trent says:
...all the faithful are said to be priests, once they have been washed in the saving waters of baptism. (On Holy Orders)However, the degree and way we in which we participate in any particular form of the liturgy differs depending on our 'rank, office, and actual participation' (Sacrosanctum Concilium 26).
In the Mass, for example, while the people genuinely participate in the sacrifice by joining their intentions to those of the ministerial priest, they offer it differently to the priest at the altar standing in persona Christi, without whom the true sacrifice of the Mass is not possible.
In some cases, such as the Mass, ordination as a priest is a requirement to lead the liturgy. In other cases though, the Church can make decisions about who can lead and play active liturgical roles, and these decisions can change over time for pastoral reasons.
In the case of the Divine Office, between the Council of Trent and Vatican II, the laity were not able to participate in the Divine Office unless they attended it when said by a religious or cleric. The delegation to say the Office was restricted in order to protect the integrity of the liturgy from the danger of heresy.
This changed, however, with Vatican II, and the current Code of Canon Law explicitly extends the previous provisions delegating clerics and religious to say the Office to the laity, but on the basis that it is optional for them, not an obligation.
The Catechism
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
“1174 The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, “the divine office.” This celebration, faithful to the apostolic exhortations to “pray constantly,” is “so devised that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praise of God.” In this “public prayer of the Church,” the faithful (clergy, religious, and lay people) exercise the royal priesthood of the baptized. Celebrated in “the form approved” by the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours “is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father.
1175 The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself “continues his priestly work through his Church.” His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: priests devoted to the pastoral ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in prayer and the service of the word; religious, by the charism of their consecrated lives; all the faithful as much as possible: “Pastors of souls should see to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually.”
It is worth though, looking briefly at what lies behind the Catechism's statements.
What is liturgy
Anyone wishing to understand what is and isn't liturgy, and just why the Church regulates it, should go immediately and read Pius XII's Mediator Dei.
Most of the time of course it is crystal clear what is liturgy and what isn't - because it takes place in a Church, led by a priest, following set forms approved by the Church.
But there are cases where the distinction is not always clear, and the Office in particular has been a somewhat blurred line from the time that private recitation of the Office was permitted for priests in the middle ages. A wide variety of Offices have sprung up with varying degrees of formal approval. And the situation is further complicated by the fact that just who the Church has formally delegated to say the Office has changed over history.
Let me make a few key points to help clarify the situation.
Church law on liturgy
The Code of Canon Law (cl 834.1) defines liturgy as "the exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ" which brings a complete worship "offered to God by the head and members of the mystical body of Christ." Canon 835 sets out the hierarchy of the sanctifying office of the Church, carried out in a special way through the liturgy, starting with bishops, then covering priests, deacons, and "the other members of Christs faithful...each in his or her own way actively sharing in liturgical celebrations..."
The inclusion of the "members of the mystical body" makes it clear that we are talking here about the priesthood of all the faithful, not just the ordained priesthood. This is confirmed by Canon 835&6, which explains that Christian worship is exercised by the common priesthood of the faithful.
The sub-paragraph 2 of cl 834 makes it even clearer: "This worship takes place when it is offered in the name of the Church, by persons lawfully deputed and through actions approved by ecclesiastical authority."
That laypeople can be so deputed (subject of course to other theological constraints such as on sacraments requiring ordained clergy to confect them) is confirmed by Cl 230.3 ("Where the needs of the Church require and ministers are not available, lay people can...preside over liturgical prayers...").
So what makes liturgy liturgy is not who says it, but whether or not the Church has deputed them to say it, and whether or not they follow the forms approved by the Church.
So who is deputed by the Church to say the Office?
With the Council of Trent a distinction arose between saying the Office liturgically and devotionally (that hadn't previously been articulated and) that stayed in place until Vatican II. Between Trent and Vatican II it is reasonably clear that the Church delegated the saying of the Office liturgically to religious (including communities of women alone) and priests. The laity participated when they attended an official celebration of the Office, but were only saying the Office 'devotionally' if they said it privately, whether alone or in a group.
Vatican II changed that. In the documents of the Council itself (see for example SC 83-100), and more particularly in a series of subsequent liturgical laws, it effectively abolished the idea of liturgical/devotional distinction based on who was saying the Office by delegating all of Christ's faithful to say it.
The ideal situation of course is to attend the Office at a monastery or Church under the leadership of clerics or religious.
But where this is not possible or practical, as the General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours points out, "Lay groups gathering for prayer, apostolic work, or any other reason are encouraged to fulfill the Church’s duty, by celebrating part of the liturgy of the hours."
Canon 1174 says much the same thing more plainly. First it reaffirms the primary delegation, which is based on who is obliged to say the Office (viz religious and priests), not clerical status.
But in the next sub-paragraph it invites all of Christ's faithful to take part in the liturgy of the hours. The various standard commentaries on the Code all confirm that this means that the faithful are now duly delegated to say the Office even when praying alone. Beal, Corrigen and Green, A New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, 2000, for example says:
The liturgy of the hours is the prayer of the whole Church, and all the faithful are deputed to celebrate this liturgy. (pg 1406)Similarly, Caparros and Thorn's Code of Canon Law Annotated (2004) says:
Paragraph 2 [of Canon 1174] is addressed to the rest of the faithful and invites them to take part in the liturgy of the hours, since it is an action of the Church as a whole and of each faithful according to their participation in the priesthood of Christ (cf SC 95-100).In short there is no requirement that a priest or deacon be present in order to make something 'liturgy'.
And the laity are indeed duly deputed to say the Office as part of the official prayer of the Church.
Approved actions
There is however a second necessary component to something being liturgy, viz whether the forms used are approved by the Church.
There are many people who opt for a devotional Office either in order to say an older version of the Office or in order to adopt their own personal preferences as to which parts of it they like. The former practice, though in my view undesirable, I think can be justified on the basis that what was once approved is unlikely to be dangerous. I have severe doubts about the latter approach though, in view of Pope Pius XII's warnings on this subject:
"The Church has further used her right of control over liturgical observance to protect the purity of divine worship against abuse from dangerous and imprudent innovations introduced by private individuals and particular churches. Thus it came about -- during the 16th century, when usages and customs of this sort had become increasingly prevalent and exaggerated, and when private initiative in matters liturgical threatened to compromise the integrity of faith and devotion, to the great advantage of heretics and further spread of their errors -- that in the year 1588, Our predecessor Sixtus V of immortal memory established the Sacred Congregation of Rites, charged with the defense of the legitimate rites of the Church and with the prohibition of any spurious innovation.[48]"
The Benedictine Office according to the 1962 rubrics clearly has been approved for liturgical use, at least in Latin, as confirmed by the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae.
By contrast, a number of modern Offices, such as the Benedictine Daily Prayer, are explicitly devotional, not liturgical.
Does it really matter whether or not it is liturgical prayer?
Mediator Dei says yes: "Unquestionably, liturgical prayer, being the public supplication of the illustrious Spouse of Jesus Christ, is superior in excellence to private prayers."
Pope Pius XII goes on to say however that "But this superior worth does not at all imply contrast or incompatibility between these two kinds of prayer. For both merge harmoniously in the single spirit which animates them, "Christ is all and in all."[38] Both tend to the same objective: until Christ be formed in us.[39]"
You may also be interested in reading my related post on the liturgical status of the 1962 Office.
Last updated 3.11.17
Saturday, January 2, 2010
January 2: St Thomas of Canterbury (in some places), Bishop and martyr
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| c13th manuscript illumination |
"...He faced a hostile government and refused to bend. He teaches us in our own day how vital it is to stay faithful to the Truth. For the Christian, the Truth is a Divine Person named Jesus Christ. We are called to bear His name and, in the words of the Apostle, “walk just as he walked.”
However, Thomas Becket is a special witness for our beloved Bishops. Today they face the growing hostility of a State which has no tolerance for their insistence on the fundamental human right to life from conception to natural death.Like Thomas, they must refuse to bend.
Thomas Becket was born in London in 1118 to wealthy and respected parents. He was well educated and socially connected from his birth. At the age of 24 he obtained a coveted position with Theobald, the Archbishop of Canterbury. He quickly excelled in his work and climbed the ranks of ecclesiastical appointments. He was ordained a deacon in 1154 and appointed an Archdeacon of Canterbury.
At a time when Church and State were connected in a manner seldom seen any longer, he caught the attention of King Henry II who sought his advice and counsel regularly. He was appointed the Chancellor of England by the King and is noted to have grown quite comfortable with the trappings of office, living a rather lavish life.
When Archbishop Theobald died, Thomas Becket was nominated by the King for consideration as Archbishop. He was elected Theobald’s successor in 1162. The grace of Episcopal office deeply affected Thomas, as it so often does. After all, Bishops, are successors of the Apostles.
Accounts reveal that Bishop Thomas radically changed his lifestyle, embracing the way of simplicity. He adopted ascetical practices and sought to grow closer to the Lord, increasing his prayer and devotion. He began to sleep on the floor, and simplified his once lavish diet. He gave away many of his possessions to the poor and began to prefer their company.
Thomas was drawn by the Holy Spirit and the grace of his office into a deeper conversion in Christ. He became an example to the faithful by “walking just as He walked” in the words of the beloved disciple John which we hear at Mass on his Feast. However, as is so often the case in the history of the relationship between the Church and the State, frictions began to emerge with the King. The Bishop’s loyalties were tested.
Within two years, the frictions boiled over. Bishop Thomas was hated by the King who had formerly been his benefactor and champion. Thomas opposed the King’s increasing infringements on the rights of the Church and the Clergy and the King grew angry and felt threatened.
As a result of his fidelity to placing the Lord first Thomas experienced a great spiritual renewal and earned the admiration of the faithful. However, this was accompanied by intense persecution from the King. He was forced into exile to France. Bishop Thomas returned six years later when it appeared that the King’s wrath had subsided. It was short-lived.
The Bishop continued to place the Lord and His Church first in his exercise of office. He refused to take sides with the King in his repeated efforts to assert the primacy of his crown - and undermine the authority, teaching, discipline and Canon law of the Church. An account tells us that an exasperated King shouted out in the company of some of his knights "will no-one rid me of this troublesome priest?"
Four knights took the exclamation to heart. They rode to the Cathedral of Canterbury to do just that; Reginald FitzUrse, William de Tracey, Hugh de Morville and Richard le Breton. On December 29th 1170 they murdered/martyred the Bishop right within Canterbury Cathedral. Reports are that after they committed the evil act one of them shouted "Let us away. He will rise no more."
One story recounts that while the Bishops body was still on the cathedral floor, the faithful had gathered to seek his intercession and collect portions of his clothing and drops of his blood. His heroic virtue in life and conformity to Jesus Christ in his martyrs’ death, led to his quick canonization.
He stands in our day as an example for all Bishops – indeed all who must endure a hostile State – of the apostles clear words “This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.” In an excerpt from a letter the Bishop wrote to his Brother Bishops we read these words:
“If we who are called bishops desire to understand the meaning of our calling and to be worthy of it, we must strive to keep our eyes on Him whom God appointed High Priest forever, and to follow in His footsteps. For our sake He offered Himself to the father on the Altar of the Cross. He now looks down from heaven on our actions and secret thoughts, and one day He will give each of us the rewards his deeds deserve.
As successors of the Apostles, we hold the highest rank in our churches; we have accepted the responsibility of acting as Christ’s representatives on earth; we receive the honor belonging to that office, and enjoy the temporal benefits of our spiritual labors. It must therefore be our endeavor to destroy the reign of sin and death, and by nurturing faith and uprightness of life, to build up the Church of Christ into a holy temple in the Lord.
"There are a great many Bishops in the Church, but would to God we were the zealous teachers and pastors that we promised to be at our consecration, and still make profession of being.”
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Office in Advent
This post deals with some of the peculiarities of the Office in Advent.
The role of Advent
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the liturgical season of Advent is a time for the faithful to:
The Office in Advent
You can find detailed notes on how the Office operates during Advent compared to throughout the year via the following links:
Ribbons
The Office in Advent is quite complex, and a time when ribbons need to be deployed, no matter how familiar you might be with the Office.
My suggestion would be to place your ribbons as follows:
Sundays in Advent are all first class, with their own proper antiphons and proper texts (chapter, hymn etc). In general, the Lauds antiphons are used for all of the hours (ie from I Vespers on Saturday until II Vespers), using the normal principles (that is, the fourth antiphon is omitted at Vespers; the first antiphon is used at Prime, the second at Terce, etc, skipping the fourth as usual). These antiphons are then used for the minor hours throughout that week (MD 13*ff puts them together to make it easier to find the right antiphon for the relevant hour).
Weekdays up to 17 December/fourth week of Advent
The ordinary days of Advent are of the third class. As usual, the collects are from the previous Sunday (with the exception of the Ember days in week three of Advent, which have their own particular collects).
A few key things to particularly take note of:
The other key point to note is that on days when a feast is celebrated (such as the Immaculate Conception) a commemoration of Advent is always made at both Lauds and Vespers.
The Monastic Diurnal is rather unhelpful on this, as, presumably in the interests of space, it doesn't include the versicles and collect on the same pages as the relevant canticle antiphons, but the principle is to use the Benedictus or Magnficat antiphon that would otherwise have been said on that day, followed by the versicle from the relevant Advent Office, followed by the collect of the week or day), all said immediately after the collect of the feast.
From 17 December....
In the last part of of Advent the liturgy intensifies, adding a little complexity.
First, at Vespers, the beautiful 'O Antiphons' (MD 35*), one for each day, are sung with the Magnificat. These displace the Magnificat antiphon that would otherwise be said on these days (in the third week of Advent). There are numerous recordings of these wonderful pieces of chant available online, do listen.
Secondly, whereas previously Lauds and Vespers used the 'throughout the year' antiphons, there is now a set used at these hours (and the rest as per the normal rules) for the psalms for each day of the week (MD 37*ff).
Thirdly, a couple of the Benedictus antiphons are said on specific dates (see MD 41*).
In all cases, following the Ordo provided here should be of assistance!
Compline
Throughout this season, the Marian antiphon at the end of Compline is Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265, with the accompanying prayers that immediately follow (labelled for use up until 24 December).
A cheat sheet for the hours
Here is a summary of the effects of the Ordinary of Advent on each hour (Monday to Saturday, no feasts or memorials), up until 16 December.
Matins
Opening as usual (Domine labia mea aperies…)
Psalm 3
Invitatory antiphon for Advent (MB 14), Regem venturum Dominum with Ps 94
Hymn for Advent: Verbum supernum prodiens
Nocturn I: psalms and antiphons of the day
Versicles for Advent, MB 14
3 readings and responsories (for the particular day and week of Advent)
Nocturn II: psalms and antiphons of the day
Chapter and versicle for Advent
Closing prayers
Lauds
Opening prayers and invitatory psalms as usual
Psalms and antiphons of the day (up until 17 December)
Chapter, responsory and hymn for Advent, MD 9*
Canticle antiphon for the day and week of Advent
Collect of the previous Sunday, MD 11*
Prime
Opening prayers
Antiphon for week of Advent: Week I (Iucundare/Be glad), MD 13*
Psalms of day
Chapter, versicle and closing prayers as usual
Terce
Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Urbs/Sion), MD 13*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 14* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*
Sext
Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Ecce/Behold), MD 14*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 14* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*
None
Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Ecce/Behold), MD 15*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 15* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*
Vespers
Opening prayers as usual
Psalms and antiphons of the psalter
Chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle of Advent, MD 15*- 17*
Magnificat antiphon for the day and week of Advent/Magnficat
Compline
Starts MD 256
Marian Antiphon: Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265
The role of Advent
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the liturgical season of Advent is a time for the faithful to:
- prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,
- thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and
- thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.
The Office in Advent
You can find detailed notes on how the Office operates during Advent compared to throughout the year via the following links:
- Antiphons for the psalms Part I;; Antiphons Part II;
- Canticle antiphons and collects Part I; Canticle antiphons and collects for Advent
Ribbons
The Office in Advent is quite complex, and a time when ribbons need to be deployed, no matter how familiar you might be with the Office.
My suggestion would be to place your ribbons as follows:
- to the relevant parts of the 'Ordinary of Advent', MD 9*ff;
- on the day of the week in Advent;
- as well as the relevant hour of the psalter.
Sundays
Sundays in Advent are all first class, with their own proper antiphons and proper texts (chapter, hymn etc). In general, the Lauds antiphons are used for all of the hours (ie from I Vespers on Saturday until II Vespers), using the normal principles (that is, the fourth antiphon is omitted at Vespers; the first antiphon is used at Prime, the second at Terce, etc, skipping the fourth as usual). These antiphons are then used for the minor hours throughout that week (MD 13*ff puts them together to make it easier to find the right antiphon for the relevant hour).
Weekdays up to 17 December/fourth week of Advent
The ordinary days of Advent are of the third class. As usual, the collects are from the previous Sunday (with the exception of the Ember days in week three of Advent, which have their own particular collects).
A few key things to particularly take note of:
- at Lauds and Vespers: use the correct chapter, hymn, responsory etc from the Ordinary of Advent (MD9*;15*) NOT from the psalter for the day;
- at Lauds and Vespers use the Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons prescribed for the day and week;
- at the minor hours, use the antiphon set for that hour for the relevant week (MD 13*ff) and from Terce to None, the chapter and versicle for Advent (set out in the psalter).
Feast days
The other key point to note is that on days when a feast is celebrated (such as the Immaculate Conception) a commemoration of Advent is always made at both Lauds and Vespers.
The Monastic Diurnal is rather unhelpful on this, as, presumably in the interests of space, it doesn't include the versicles and collect on the same pages as the relevant canticle antiphons, but the principle is to use the Benedictus or Magnficat antiphon that would otherwise have been said on that day, followed by the versicle from the relevant Advent Office, followed by the collect of the week or day), all said immediately after the collect of the feast.
From 17 December....
In the last part of of Advent the liturgy intensifies, adding a little complexity.
First, at Vespers, the beautiful 'O Antiphons' (MD 35*), one for each day, are sung with the Magnificat. These displace the Magnificat antiphon that would otherwise be said on these days (in the third week of Advent). There are numerous recordings of these wonderful pieces of chant available online, do listen.
Secondly, whereas previously Lauds and Vespers used the 'throughout the year' antiphons, there is now a set used at these hours (and the rest as per the normal rules) for the psalms for each day of the week (MD 37*ff).
Thirdly, a couple of the Benedictus antiphons are said on specific dates (see MD 41*).
In all cases, following the Ordo provided here should be of assistance!
Compline
Throughout this season, the Marian antiphon at the end of Compline is Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265, with the accompanying prayers that immediately follow (labelled for use up until 24 December).
A cheat sheet for the hours
Here is a summary of the effects of the Ordinary of Advent on each hour (Monday to Saturday, no feasts or memorials), up until 16 December.
Matins
Opening as usual (Domine labia mea aperies…)
Psalm 3
Invitatory antiphon for Advent (MB 14), Regem venturum Dominum with Ps 94
Hymn for Advent: Verbum supernum prodiens
Nocturn I: psalms and antiphons of the day
Versicles for Advent, MB 14
3 readings and responsories (for the particular day and week of Advent)
Nocturn II: psalms and antiphons of the day
Chapter and versicle for Advent
Closing prayers
Lauds
Opening prayers and invitatory psalms as usual
Psalms and antiphons of the day (up until 17 December)
Chapter, responsory and hymn for Advent, MD 9*
Canticle antiphon for the day and week of Advent
Collect of the previous Sunday, MD 11*
Prime
Opening prayers
Antiphon for week of Advent: Week I (Iucundare/Be glad), MD 13*
Psalms of day
Chapter, versicle and closing prayers as usual
Terce
Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Urbs/Sion), MD 13*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 14* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*
Sext
Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Ecce/Behold), MD 14*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 14* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*
None
Opening prayer and hymn as usual;
Antiphons for the week of Advent (Week I, Ecce/Behold), MD 15*;
Psalms for day;
Chapter and versicle for Advent, MD 15* or psalter;
Closing prayers as usual;
Collect of the week, MD 11*
Vespers
Opening prayers as usual
Psalms and antiphons of the psalter
Chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle of Advent, MD 15*- 17*
Magnificat antiphon for the day and week of Advent/Magnficat
Compline
Starts MD 256
Marian Antiphon: Alma Redemptoris Mater, MD 265
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Office of the Dead
The Diurnal includes the texts for the Office of the Dead (starting from MD (135), and saying it on behalf of a particular soul, selected souls, or all souls in purgatory is a great spiritual work of mercy. For those with ambitions to say Matins but whose Latin (or stamina) is not yet up to the task, saying Matins of the Dead each day might be a good and worthy way to work up to the full thing. It is also a particularly beautiful and haunting Office.
What is the Office of the Dead?
The Office of the Dead consists of first Vespers (ie said the night before), Matins and Lauds, and is said for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. It can be said for one person, or for many.
It is a very ancient Office, and probably took on its current form around the seventh century. It became very popular in the middle ages, with many monasteries earning considerable income by saying it on behalf of laypeople.
It can be said any day, but traditionally it was not said on the equivalent of second and first class feasts, but was said:
The Office can of course be said instead of the normal Office (unless you are a priest or religious bound to the recitation of the Office). But if you want to say it as well, say the normal Office of Vespers first, then Vespers for the Dead; Matins and Lauds of the day, then Matins and Lauds of the Dead. You might also choose just to say one of these hours, not all three.
The Office for the Dead has no introductory texts, you just launch into the antiphons and psalms as written. There are though two things you need to decide in advance:
Vespers of the Dead
Vespers of the Dead can be found on MD (181). It consists of:
What is the Office of the Dead?
The Office of the Dead consists of first Vespers (ie said the night before), Matins and Lauds, and is said for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. It can be said for one person, or for many.
It is a very ancient Office, and probably took on its current form around the seventh century. It became very popular in the middle ages, with many monasteries earning considerable income by saying it on behalf of laypeople.
It can be said any day, but traditionally it was not said on the equivalent of second and first class feasts, but was said:
- on the day of burial, and third and seventh day after the funeral;
- on the anniversary of the death;
- Pius V recommended it be said on the the first free day in the month, the Mondays of Advent and Lent, on some vigils, and ember days; and
- All Soul's Day.
The Office can of course be said instead of the normal Office (unless you are a priest or religious bound to the recitation of the Office). But if you want to say it as well, say the normal Office of Vespers first, then Vespers for the Dead; Matins and Lauds of the day, then Matins and Lauds of the Dead. You might also choose just to say one of these hours, not all three.
The Office for the Dead has no introductory texts, you just launch into the antiphons and psalms as written. There are though two things you need to decide in advance:
- if you are saying Matins, whether to say all three 'Nocturns" or choose the one appropriate for the day of the week (you will find Sunday, Monday and Thursday on MD (137); Tuesday and Friday on MD (145); and Wednesday and Saturday on MD (154);
- which collect to use - there is a selection from MD (174) onwards, make your choice depending on who you are saying it for and when. Mark your selection with a ribbon.
Vespers of the Dead
Vespers of the Dead can be found on MD (181). It consists of:
- five psalms each with an antiphon;
- a versicle - MD (185);
- Magnificat with antiphon, MD (185-6);
- the Our Father, said kneeling, intercessory prayers and the selected collect - MD (187)
- conclusion - MD (187).
Matins of the Dead
Can be found on MD (136)ff.
It consists of:
- the invitatory psalm (94) with antiphon said responsorially (follow the text as set out);
- one or three nocturns. Each nocturn consists of three psalms each with an antiphon, and three readings each followed by a responsory.
- the collect and conclusion - MD (163).
Note that there are instruction on what to do if Lauds is not said, or Lauds is separated from Matins on MD (163).
Lauds of the Dead
Lauds of the Dead can be found on MD (163). Apart from stripping out the introductory sections of normal Lauds, it follows the same basic pattern for the psalms and canticles. The concluding prayers for the hour are on MD (173).
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