It starts with the Invitatory.Īfter the Invitatory, we sing a hymn. In the Roman Office it is called the Office of Readings. This is the first and longest of the liturgies. The Hebdom says, ‘O God, come to my assistance’, and the monks reply, ‘O Lord, make haste to help me’, followed by the Glory Be. The rest of the Hours start with an Introductory. As with all psalms, it ends with the Glory Be. The Hebdom then gives an antiphon, which the monks repeat, and then the Hebdom recites a psalm, with the monks repeating the antiphon at the end of each verse. The person leading the liturgy for the week, known as the Hebdom, says, ‘O Lord, open my lips’, and the monks reply, ‘And my mouth shall declare your praise’. This is Matins, except for Sunday, when we start the day with Lauds, because we pray Vigils on Saturday evening. The first Office of the day starts with an Invitatory. Over the course of two weeks, we pray all 150 psalms, nearly 40 of them every week. Within that structure there is a lot of variation, which is why Little Hours last less than 10 minutes and Matins lasts about half an hour. There is an Introduction, a hymn, some psalms, a reading from Scripture, and some prayers, followed by a Dismissal. The Structure of the HoursĮach ‘Hour’ (the name for the different prayer times) has a similar structure. Consider, for example, the hymn for Morning Prayer (see left) on the newly established Feast of Mary Magdalene, “The Golden Dawn is Breaking Fast” ( Aurora surgit lucida), reprinted from the Lumen Christi Hymnal.T he Ealing Abbey Horarium (timetable of prayer). In the retranslation of the current edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, it is possible the Bishops may include a greater variety of these ancient hymns in vernacular translation. If hymns of such a caliber accompany the hour, it is understandable why the Church’s history and instructions recommend them so highly. The Divine Office’s traditional hymns are, as cited above, ancient, beautiful, powerful, and poetic. While the GILH does allow for local Bishops’ conferences to “introduce fresh compositions,” the first and normative choice is to “adapt the Latin hymns to suit the character of their own language” (n.178). Still, the hymns the GILH has in mind are not those found in our current English-language version of the Liturgy of the Hours. In short, not only does the GILH not permit omitting the hymn, but it provides ample reason to include it. On the contrary, “Even when the hours are recited, hymns can nourish prayer, provided they have doctrinal and literary excellence but of their nature they are designed for singing and so, as far as possible, at a celebration in common they should be sung” (n.280). Neither does the GILH give the option to neglect the hymn when the psalmody is recited. Note that the Instruction emphasizes the special value for public celebrations but does not consider the hymn optional when praying privately. The purpose of the hymn is to set the tone for the hour or the feast and, especially in celebrations with a congregation, to form a simple and pleasant introduction to prayer” (n.42). Nor does the GILH suggest that public versus private celebration of the hour permits the hymn from being omitted: following the introduction to the hour, “an appropriate hymn is sung immediately. As a constituent part of the ritual for the hours, it ought not be omitted any more than any other part. Furthermore, in the office hymns are the main poetic element created by the Church” (n.173). The beauty of their language often adds to this power. But they also are an element for the people in fact more often than the other parts of the office the hymns bring out the proper theme of individual hours or feasts and incline and draw the spirit to a devout celebration. By their mystical and poetic character they are specifically designed for God’s praise. On the contrary, the GILH reminds us the Office-and not the Mass-is the traditional context for the Catholic hymn tradition: “A very ancient tradition gives hymns the place in the office that they still retain. Q: Is it permissible to skip the hymn in the Divine Office when reciting it in private, or with a small group? Even if it’s not sung, need it be recited?Ī: The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (GILH) does not indicate the option to omit the hymn.
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