A. M. DNct Ay cl j Joie-pl^ ~J. f \ i s r x e r i ATTOCSiücKO«> A Ì 3 I A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DIVINE OFFICE B Y REV. JOSEPH J. AYD, S.J. W O O D S T O C K C O L L E G E W O O D S T O C K , M D . N E W Y O R K THE DEVIN-ADAIR COMPANY 3mprimi fiotesit ANTHONY J . MAAS, S . J . . Praep. Prov. Marylandiae Neo-Eboracensis J^ifnl <0bsitat ARTHUR J . SCANLAN S .T .D . Censor Librorum imprimatur >J< JOHN CARDINAL FARLEY, D . D . Archbishop of New York COPYRIGHT ,^1918, BY THE DEVIN-ADAIR COMPANY Deadened The Divine Office and the Roman Breviary INTRODUCTION "Divinum Officium imitatio est coelestis concentus." St. Bonaventure. Just as the M a s s is the one great sacrifice of the Church, so is the Divine Office her one great public prayer. Whert\the cleric or priest recites it, he is not hon- oring God merely in his own name: he is, though alone and praying silently, the representative and spokesman of all the faithful on earth. " T h e Divine Office," writes Father A. B. O'Neill, " i s the prayer of the Church, and the priest, with Breviary in hand, is the Church's ambassador, dowered with her credentials and charged with the mission of proffering to God the homage of her worship and her gratitude." T h e "Breviarium Romanum" contains this Divine- Office, which all priests and all clerics in sacred orders are obliged to recite daily. The word " B r e v i a - r i u m " (abridgment) indicates that the contents are a kind of epitome. About the n t h century an official and considerable shortening was made in the Office that had been recited up to that time, and the Office-book brought into use then was called a "Breviarium." The earliest MS. containing the entire canonical Office is of the year 1099, and is preserved in the Mazarin library. The Breviary is divided, for convenience, into four volumes, corresponding t o each season of the year: Pars Hiemalis, Pars Verna, Pars Aestiva, Pars Autum- nalis. In the introduction to the Pars Hiemalis will be found, besides the usual matter, the " D i v i n o A f f i a t u " of Pius X , which went into effect Jan. 1st, 1913» and the collection of general rubrics governing the recitation of the Office. The Apostolic Constitution " D i v i n o A f f i a t u " introduced a momentous change in the Office, for it set aside a distribution of the Psalms, respected in the Office for more than a thousand years. It had a twofold purpose: 1st, to bring about the recitation of the entire Psalter (150 Pss.) within the week, and to so arrange the parts of the Office as po lighten the burden of saying it; 2nd, to restore the seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year to their proper place of honor, without, however, depriving the Saints of the honor due them. When recited privately, i. e., outside of choir, the order relative to the different Hours is not obligatory, though it is of strict obligation to recite the whole Office, from Matins to Complin, before midnight. No ceremonies are obligatory in private recitation, though they are " laudabi l i ter" observed, when convenient. Matutinum et Laudes ante Missam recitari debent, secundum rubricam (I, i). Attamen haec obligatio ne sub levi quidem est, si honesta causa subsit, ut esset major devotio. Pronuntiatio debet esse vocalis, sed non est necesse, ut recitans se audiat. Recitandae praeterea sunt Horae "digne, attente ac devote, sed sufficit, secundum Layman, Croix, Noldin. Ojetti, aliosque, attentio externa. U t quis satisfaciat, Horae recitari possunt quocumque in loco et quocumque situ. Rubricae vero quae stare, genuflectere, etc., jubent, ad chorum pertinent. D 'Ann I I I , 150. Each volume of the Breviary is divided into: L T h e Ordinarium: containing prayers to be said before and after the reci- tation of the Office; particular rubrics; Absolutions and Blessings for the Lessons in Matins; Benedictus; Magnificat; Nunc dimittis; Preces; ferial Chapters; etc. II. T h e Psalterium: containing the common parts of the Office for Sunday and the days of the week. From it every Office takes something. The large Breviaries reprint ferial and dominical Chapters in the Psalter. HI. The Proprium de Tempore: containing the "Scriptura Occurrens" (Script. Occ.), i. e. selections from Sacred Scripture arranged according to the Sundays and ferias of the Ecclesiastical Year; parts proper to the Ecclesiastical seasons; also Antiphons, Prayers proper to each Sun- day, and hence Prayer proper to ferias, etc.—cf. each volume of the Breviary. IV. T h e Proprium Sanctorum: containing parts of Office proper to the fixed Feasts of the Blessed Virgin, the Saints, and a few of our Lord. V . The Commune Sanctorum: containing or indicating parts of Office not found in the Proprium Sanctorum. Then follow the "Commune Dedicationis Ecclesiae," "Commune Festorum B. M. V . , " "Officium S. Mariae Virginis in Sabbato," etc. VI. T h e Proprium of Religious Orders, Congregations, Dioceses; which should be consulted for any Office peculiar to them. Offices may be divided into: (A): Offic. prop.,—dupl. iae et 2ae classis, dupl. maj. , semidupl. (B): Offic. ut in Psalt. et prop, loco,—dupl. maj. , dupl., semidupl. Sunday: Dom., de ea, in the Ordo. Ferial: ide ea, de eo; only i Noct. in Mat. (9 Antt. , 9 Pss. and 3 Lessons). Simple: simpl. (B); only 1 Noct. in Mat. (9 Antt. , 9 Pss. and 3 Lessons). N o and Vesp. General directions for reciting the Office: 1) Open Ordo at date and see the nature of the Office of the d a y — i t is indi- cated after the letter assigning the color of vestments. Then look first at the Proper of the Office in the Breviary; what is not given there will be found in the Common, Psalter and Ordinary.—In using the schema opposite, simply rim the eye down the column in which the Office of the day is classified and take the part from the section of the Breviary therein indicated. 2) When directed elsewhere in the Breviary, read that part only you were directed there to take. In the Schema: Feast means: take part from the Proper or the Common of the Office. P . de T . means: take part from the Proper de Tempore. Cf. I l l above. Psalt. (S) m e a n s j t a k e p a r t from Sunday in the Psalter. Psalt. ¿ ^ M P i ^ B B U l a r t from current feria in the Psalter. Pr- SundS^^ieans: take-prayer, unless proper, from preceding Sunday in the P. de T . The Ordo will always indicate when the Suffragium and Preces are to be said. The Ordo will always note any exceptions to the Schema. is v ' - (A) (B) S U N D A Y FERIAL S I M P L E M A T I N S Aperi, Domine.t etc Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Pater, Ave, Credo, etc " " • * Invitatorium (twice) Feast Feast Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Feast Venite (altera, with I n v . ) . . . . Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary H y m n Feast Feast Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Feast i s t Nocturn 9 Antt . and 9 Pss. f Antiphon (part or entire). . Feast Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. f. e. I Psalm, Gloria, Ant . (entire) u u " « " * a « Vers., Resp., Pater (no Amen) u u u « « " « Absolution Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary [ Jube, Domine, etc., Bene- 1 diction * " » J Lesson, Tu autem Feast Script. Occ. Script. Occ. Script. Occ. Script. Occ. (Responsorium u a u a « | " " 2nd Nocturn (3 Lessons) (2 Lessons: ( Antiphon (part pr entire). . Feast Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) 3rd from 1 Psalm, Gloria, Ant . (entire) " « M « « Feast, Vers., etc., as in ist N o c t . . . . a u u - " Te Deum) Lessons, etc., as in ist N o c t . . . Feast P . de T . 3rd Nocturn ( Antiphon (part or entire). . Feast Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) ^ I Psalm, Gloria, Ant . (entire) a u " « Vers., etc., as in i s t N o c t . . . . a " " « " Lessons, etc., as in ist N o c t . . « Feast P. de T . Te Deum (after last Lesson).. Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary (If you stop here, cf. Rubric) LAUDS Pater, Ave (unless Mat. pre- cedes) Deusf in adjutorium, e t c . . . . . | Antiphon (part or entire). . Feast Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) Psalt. f . c. Psalt. f. c. 5 i Psalm, Gloria Psalt. (S) « « " « a „ « « 1 Antiphon (entire) Feast « « a » u « Chapter, D. G., Hymn, Vers. and Resp u Feast « « « .. Feast Antiphon (part or entire) " P. de T . P. de T . « Benedictus, Gloria Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Antiphon (entire) Feast Feast P. de T . P. de T. Feast Preces (if Prec. fer. in Ordo) Ordinary Dom. Vob., Oremus: Prayer . . Feast Feast P. de T . Pr. Sunday Feast Commemoration (if a n y ) . . cf. date cf. date cf. date cf. date cf. date Suffragium (if Suffr. in Ordo) Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Dom. Vob., Ben. Dom., etc. .| Ordinary Ant. finalis B. M . V. (cf. Rubric) Ordinary • • 'Je m Special V ^Cotections f i a t . jfy s^fefnh \S>y / (A) (B) S U N D A Y FERIAL S I M P L E P R I M E Pater, A v e , Credo, etc. (al- ways) H y m n Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. f . c. Antiphon (part only) Feast (Lds.) a a u u a a 3 Pss. (4, if Sch. I I used in Lds.) Psalt. (S) a u a u " " " « Antiphon (entire) Feast (Lds.) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. f. c. Chapter ,D.G., Resp. brev., etc. Reg. Saec. Reg. Saec. Reg. Saec. Pacem Reg. Saec. Preces (if Prec. fer. or Prec. in Ordo) Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary Dom. vob., Oremus: Domine Deus Ordinary " • " " Dom. vob., Pretiosa, etc u 9 f u u Deus in adjut. (3, no blessing) " a " * Gloria, Kyrie, Pater u a a f Respice.etc., Oremus: Dirigere " " Jube Dom. etc.. Dies et actus a a f Lectio brevis Feast (N.) Feast (N.) » « Feast (N.) T u autem Domine, etc Ordinary Ordinary « Ordinary Ad jiit. nost. etc., Benedicite.. u u Dom. nos benedicatf. * a « f (Pater and Amen, if you stop here) LITTLE H O U R S Pater, A v e , etc. (always) Hymn Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. (S) Psalt. f. c. Psalt. f. c. Antiphon (part only) Feast (Lds.) « a « « " » 3 Psalms, Gloria Psalt. (S) " " • " 0 u * ' Antiphon (entire) . Feast (Lds.) a « •u „ a « » Chapter, D. G., Resp. brev., etc. u Feast " " Feast Dom. vob., Oremus: Prayer . . Dom. vob., etc (Pater and Amen, if you stop here) Feast Feast P. de T . Pr. Sunday Feast NJB. In (A), antiphons for Prime and Little Hours (Terce, Sext, Nones) are antiphons i , 2, 3 and 5 respectively of Lauds of the Feast. For Psalms to be said in Prime, cf. Rubric. The Ordo always indi- cates when 4 Psalms are to be said. This is always the case when Sch. II of Pss. is used in Lauds. In Prime, the Lectio brevip for (A), (B() and Simple is the Chapter of Nones in the Proper or the Common pf the Office. In Prime, the Verse in the Resp. brev. must be changed during certain seasons of the year. The Rubric and asterisk * in the Ordo indicate when. • \ ' ' • • Prime, Little Hours and Complin have Hymn "e jusdem metri"—• hence the doxology (last stanza) is changed when Ordo indicates. V E S P E R S ( l s t or 2nd) Pater, A v e , etc. ( a l w a y s ) . . . . . ( Antiphon (part or entire). . S j Psalm, Gloria [Antiphon, entire Chaptet, D. G Hymn, Vers, and Resp Antiphon (part or entire) Magnificatf Antiphon (entire) Preces (if Prec. fer. in Ordo).. .; Dom. vob., Oremus: Prayer . . Commemoration (if any) Suffragium (if Suffr. in Ordo) Dom. vob., etc. (Pater and Amen, if you stop here) C O M P L I N Jube, Domine, etc., Noctem etc., etc Antiphon (part only) 3 Pss., Antiphon (entire) Hymn, Chapter, D . G. , Resp. br Salva nos Nunc dimittis.f G l o r i a . . . Salva nos (entire) Preces (if Prec. in O r d o ) . . . Dom.vob.,etc., Oremus: Visita Dom. vob., Ben. Dom., D. G. Benedicatf et c u s t o d i a t . . . . . . Ant. finalis B. M. V Pater, Ave, Credo Sacrosanctae, etc., Pater, A v e (A) Feast Ordinary Feast Feast cf. date Ordinary Psalt. (S) Psalt. (S) Ordinary (B) Psalt. f. c. a a Feast Ordinary Feast Feast cf. date Ordinary Ordinary Psalt. f. c. Ordinary SUTTDAY FERIAL Psalt. (S) P . de T . Ordinary P . de T . P . de T . cf. date Ordinary Ordinary Psalt. (S) Ordinary Psalt. f. c. P . de T . Ordinary P. de T . Ordinary Pr. Sunday cf. date Ordinary Ordinary Psalt. f. c. Ordinary N-ii I h e Ordo will always indicate which Vespers to say in case of con- currence. Consult the notes following. There is but a single Suffragium in Vespers, and is the same as that in Lauds. During the Paschal season this is replaced.by the Commemoratio de Cruce. Complin always ends as above, even when Matins immediately follow. The Antiphona finalis varies with the season. When the Sacrosanctae, Pater and Ave are recited, kneeling, after the Office, pardon is obtained for the faults committed during the recitation. For the Officium Stae. Mariae Virginis in Sabbato—cf. the Breviary after the Common of the Blessed Virgin. SUMMARY (A) ! Offic. prop.: Matins: everything from the. Feast Lauds: everything except th'e Psalms from the Feast Psalms from Sunday in the . Psalter (S) Pr ime: Antiphon and Lectio brevis from the Feast Hymn, Psalms, etc., from Ordinary and the Psalter(S) Little Hours: Ant. , Chapter, Vers, and Resp., Prayer Feast Hymn, Psalms Psalter (S) Vespers: everything except Magnificat from the. Feast Complin: everything from Sunday in the Psalter(S) (B): Offic. ut in Psalt. et prop, loco: Matins: Invitatory and Hymn, Lessons of 2nd and 3rd Noct. from Feast Antiphons, Psalms, Vers, and Resp Psalter f . Lesson of 1st Nocturn Script. Occ Lauds: Antiphons and Psalms from the Psalter f. c Chapter, Hymn, Ant. ad Ben., Prayer from the. Feast Pr ime: everything except Lectio brevis from the . .Psalter f . Lectio brevis is the Chapiter of Nones of the Feast Little Hours: Hymns, Antiphons, Psalms from the Psalter f. Chapter, Vers, and Resp., Prayer from the Feast Vespers: Antiphons and Psalms from the Psalter f. Chapter, Hymn, Ant. ad Mag., Prayer from the Feast Complin: everything from the Ordinary and the Psalter f . Sunday Office: de ea, Dom.: Differs from (B) semiduplex only in: Matins: the 9 Lessons, and Resp. for the 3 Noct. from the Prayer, Ant. ad Ben. and Mag. from the Everything else from the Ordinary and the Ferial Office.* de ea, de eo (Sabb.): Differs from (B) semiduplex only in: Matins; only 1 Noct. (9 Antt . and 9 Pss. and then tne 3 Lessons) Prayer, unless proper, from the preceding Sunday in the P . de T . Everything else, including Preces, from the Ordinary and the. .Psalter f. The Chapter for Prime is " P a c e m " in Ordinary or the Psalter f. Simple Office: simpl. (B) or simpl. in Ordo: Differs from (B) semiduplex only in: Matins: only 1 Noct. (9 Antt . and 9 Pss. without interruption) Lessons 1 and 2 from the Script. Occ 3rd Lesson from the Feas* No 2nd Vespers. . . . .P . de T . . . . P . de T . . . . . Psalter (S) A FEW NOTES 1) Commemorations are made in Lauds, and is t and 2nd Vespers. The following must be said in the order given: Lauds: Antiphon (entire) ad Benedictus of the Office commemorated; Verse and Response immediately preceding this Antiphon; Oremus: then prayer of the Office commemorated. Vespers: Antiphon (entire) ad Magnificat or the Office commemorated; Verse and Response immediately preceding this Antiphon; Oremus: then prayer of the Office commemorated. A kind of Commemoration is also made m Matins, by replacing the regular 9th lesson by a special one. Indicated thus in the Ordo: Lect. 9 de hom. fer. : ist lesson of the current feria from the P. de T. Lect. 9 de hom. vigil.: 1st lesson of .the vigil, containing the Gospel and homily. Lect. 9 de hom. Dom.: 7th lesson of the Office of Sunday in the P. de T . Lect. 9 de S. (name) : the Saint's history compressed into a single lesson. 2) Most Offices have two Vespers, one at the beginning called i s t Vespers, the other at the end called 2nd Vespers. Only one Vespers is said each day. i s t Vespers ("Vesp. de seq."), if said, are always said on preceding day; 2nd Vespers ( "Vesp ." or " A d Vesp."), if said, are always said on the day itself. In case of Concurrence: a) One of the Vesp. is said entire, the other entirely omitted; or b) One of the Vesp. is said entire, the other commemorated, indicated in Ordo: a) Vesp. de seq. com. praec. : 1st Vesp. of the .day following, using, however, to-day's Antt. and Pss. except in (A), and commemorating to-day's 2nd Vesp. 0) Ad or In Vesp. com. seq.: recite to-day's 2nd Vesp., making merely a commemoration from to-morrow's 1st Vesp.; or c) The two Offices may each share equally in the Vesp., indicated thus: Vesp. a cap. de seq. com. praec.: recite to-day's 2nd Vesp. as far as the end of the Pss., then to-morrow's 1st Vesp. from the Chapter to the end of the Office, commemorating to-day's 2nd Vesp. 3) The abbreviations used in the Ordo are explained in its introduction. An Office merely commemorated is said to be simplified, since simples are regu- larly only commemorated. 4) In doubles and higher Offices, the antiphons are said entire before and after the Psalms in Matins, Lauds and Vespers. In semidoubles and lower, the Antiphons are said entire only after the Psalms. The "Çrloria Patri ," etc. is said after every Psalm, unless a Rubric forbids. " T u aûtem Domine, miserere nobis. Deo Gratias," after all Lessons. 5) For further information regarding the Divine Office, cf.: A History of the Roman Breviary (3rd e d . ) — B y Mgr. P . Battifol. The New Psalter and Its U s e — B y Rev. E. Burton and Rev. E. Myers. , Notes on the New Rubrics—By Rev. A. J. Hetherington.