Does a Priest Have to Say the Divine Office (Breviary) Daily?

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

TheLiturgy of the Hours(Latin:Liturgia Horarum) orDivine Office(Latin:Officium Divinum) orWork of God(Latin:Opus Dei) orcanonical hours, often referred to as theBreviary, is the official set of prayers "marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer".It consists primarily ofpsalmssupplemented byhymns, readings and other prayers. Together with theMass, it constitutes the official public prayer life of the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours also forms the basis of prayer withinChristian 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 ofreligious institutesgenerally oblige their members to celebrate at least parts and in some cases to do so jointly ("in choir").Thelaityare 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 theEucharist, has formed part of the Church's public worship from the earliest times. Christians of bothEasternandWesterntraditions (including theCatholic,Eastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodox,Anglican, andLutheranchurches) celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours under various names. WithinCatholicism, the Liturgy of the Hours, once contained within what was called theRoman Breviary, is in its present form found in what in English editions is called eitherThe Liturgy of the Hours(arranged in four volumes) orThe Divine Office(in three volumes).

In Greek the corresponding services are found in theὩρολόγιον(Horologion), meaningBook of Hours. WithinAnglicanism, the Liturgy of the Hours is contained within the book of Daily Prayer ofCommon Worshipand theBook of Common Prayer, as well as in theAnglican Breviary. WithinLutheranism, 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 includeLutheran Worship, theLutheran Book of Worship, andEvangelical Lutheran Worship. Other names for the Liturgy of the Hours within theLatin liturgical ritesincludeDiurnal and Nocturnal Office,Ecclesiastical Office,Cursus ecclesiasticus, or simplycursus.

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". TheApostlesobserved 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, andcanticles.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,Complineseems to have been the last to appear, because the 4th centuryApostolic ConstitutionsVIII 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 atcock-crowing".An eighth office,Prime, was added byBenedict of Nursiain 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 fromLatin(hora) nona,to mean midday, not 3 in the afternoon:

Matins(during the night, at midnight with some); also calledVigilsorNocturnsor, in monastic usage, the Night Office

Laudsor Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)

Primeor Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)

Terceor Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)

Sextor Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 noon)

Noneor Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)

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

Complineor 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 SaintJohn Cassian'sInstitutesandConferences,which describe themonasticpractices of theDesert Fathersof Egypt.

Liturgy of the Hoursof Pope Paul VI

After theSecond Vatican Council, PopePaul VIpromulgated 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:

TheOfficium lectionis, or Office of Readings, (formerlyMatins) — 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 theversiclefrom 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 thedoxology. The verse is omitted if the hour begins with the Invitatory (Lauds or Office of Reading). TheInvitatoryis 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 ahymn. The hymn is followed bypsalmody. 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 byantiphons, and each concludes with the traditional Catholicdoxology.

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. BeforePope 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 theBenedictus.

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 theMagnificattook the place of theBenedictus. On some days in Pius X's arrangement, but now always, there followPrecesor 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 (Kyrieand 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, alectionaryfor 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 IIImade them official in theRoman Curia, and the itinerantFranciscanfriarsadopted theBreviarium Curiaeand soon spread its use throughoutEurope.

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, theCouncil of Trententrusted to the Pope the revision of the breviary.With hisApostolic ConstitutionQuod a nobisof 9 July 1568,Pope Pius Vpromulgated an edition of the breviary, known as the Roman Breviary, which he imposed in the same way in which, two years later, he imposed hisRoman Missal. Using language very similar to that in the bullQuo 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 VIIImade 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 seeReform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X.

Finally, a new revision was made byPope Paul VIwith his Apostolic ConstitutionLaudis Canticumof 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 theLiturgia Horarum, editio typica altera, promulgated in 1985 (printed between 1985 and 1987, and reprinted in 2000). This uses theNova VulgataLatin Bible for the readings, psalms and canticles rather than theClementina.

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 theSeptuagintnumbering and (in parentheses) that of theMasoretictext. And new texts, taken from theMissale 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 alltransitional deaconsare obliged to pray the Office daily according to the approved liturgical books that apply to them.Permanent deaconsare 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'sEpiscopal 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 byJohn XXIIIor the Breviary of Paul VI. Additionally,religious institutescan choose to use exclusively the traditional Breviary instead of the Liturgy of the Hours, without prior approval from theHoly 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 ConstitutionQuod 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 bullQuo primumwith 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 VIIImade 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."