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Transcript of The Liturgy of the Hours History and Development A Few Thoughts and Perspectives Prepared by Jill...
The Liturgy of the HoursHistory and DevelopmentA Few Thoughts and Perspectives
Prepared by Jill Maria Murdy
Created March 1999, Adapted, June 1999, October 2005 Based upon the works of Guiver, Taft, Bradshaw,White, Cheslyn-Jones and
other sourcesas well as the lecture notes of John Allyn Melloh and Mary Forman
History and Development
• Early Jewish and Christian Prayer• Cathedral Office• Desert Monasticism• Urban Monasticism• Medieval Developments and Beyond• The Influence of Vatican II• What Does It Have To Do With Us?
I. Early Jewish and Christian PrayerFirst to Third Centuries
Early Jewish and Christian Prayer• Temple Sacrifices
– Morning– Evening– Ended with
destruction of temple 70 AD
Early Jewish and Christian Prayer• Shema
– Synagogue or Home– Beginning and End of
Day (2x)– Deut. 6:4-9, 11:13-
21; Num. 15:37– “Hear O Israel! The Lord is
our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength”
Early Jewish and Christian Prayer• Amidah, Tefillah or Shemonah
Esreh– Eighteen berakah– Three Blessings Paying Homage to
God– Middle Twelve (thirteen) are Requests– Last Three Express Gratitude for
God’s Graciousness
Early Jewish and Christian Prayer Scripture Themes• Day and Night• Morning• Evening• Three Times a Day• Seven Times a Day• Persevere in Prayer• Light Lamps
The Didache 50-70 AD
• Our Father• Doxology• Pray Three Times a Day
Clement of Rome
• We should do in order everything the Master commanded...at set times and hours
• First to add symbolic meanings to times of day…..night and day as symbol of resurrection
Clement of Alexandria d. 215• True Christian Prays Always• 3, 6, 9 Hours• Rising, Retiring, Night,• Before, During, After Meals• Orientation to the East--Christ Our
Light• Night as Eschatological Prayer• “Vigilers”
Origen d. 254 • Demonstrates Primitive
Egyptian Pattern• Prayer Facing East• Pray Without Ceasing
(1 Thess 5:17)• Speaks of Daniel Praying 3 X
(Dan 6. 10)• Peter 6th Hour (Acts 10.9-
11)• Evening (Psalm 140)
Tertullian d. 220 or later• North Africa• Description becomes classic system of
daily prayer• Beginning, End of Day--obligatory prayer• 3,6,9, recommended• Night Suggested• Prepares Groundwork for Light Rite• Morning and Evening…..Parallels Temple• Psalms 110-118 145-150 responses
Cyprian d. 258
• Carthadge---North Africa• Confirms Tertullian’s 3, 6, 9• Adds Allegory to times
– morning-Christ’s Resurrection– 6-9 Christ’s Crucifixion– sunset-Coming Christ
• Viewed the 3,6,9 as more important than morning and evening
Apostolic Tradition 215
• Hippolytus of Rome• Christological Hours• On Rising• 3,6,9 hours• Agape• Retiring• Midnight• Cockcrow
Apostolic Tradition 215
Private PrayerOn Rising
3,6,9 Hours
RetiringMidnightCockcrow
Common Assembly
Morning Instruction
Evening Agape
II. Cathedral Office
The People’s Office
Cathedral Office
• 312 AD Emperor Constantine becomes Christian
• Christian Worship becomes part of daily Roman life
Cathedral Office
“It is impossible to find anywhere, among all the sects, two churches that agree exactly in their prayer ritual…..
Socrates Church History (439-450)
Cathedral Office
• Symbol and Ceremony– light lucenarium– incense Psalm 140– processions
• Chant– responsories (people knew by heart)– antiphons– hymns
Cathedral Office• Diverse Ministries
– bishop– presbyter– deacon– reader– psalmist
• Limited use of familiar psalms• Praise and Intercession NO Liturgy Word• (service of PRAISE, not LEARNING)
Eusebius of Caesarea 313 (263-339)• “Throughout whole world in the
churches of God hymns, praises, and true divine delights are arranged for God at morning sunrise and in the evening.”
• Psalm 140 Evening• Psalm 62 Morning
Egyptian Sources
• Athanasius of Alexandria (294-373)– Cathedral Vigils, with monks and laity– Readings, Responsorial Psalmody, Prayers
• John Cassian (on People’s Office)– “those that live in the world observe with
utmost care…rising before light” morning
• Paphnutius (Desert)– “used to go to M/E hear Scriptures,
Gospel”
Egyptian Sources
• Canons of Hippolytus 336-340 Arabic– Roles of ministers– Prayer, psalms, reading, prayers– Everyone should go to church– Pray at home when you can’t get
there– Rise for cockcrow
Cappadocia
• Basil the Great• St. Macrina• St. Gregory of
Nyssa• Peter of Sebaste
How would you like to be the black sheep in this family???
Cappadocia
• Death of St. Macrina [984B-986b)• Lighting of Lamps• Pagan Greeting of Light…
Christianized– Chaire phos agathon (hail good light)– Chaire phos philon (hail friendly light)
• Death of St. Basil
Phos Hilaron
O joyous light of the holy glory of the immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ!
As we come to the setting of the sun and behold the evening light,
We praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God!
It is fitting at all times that you be praised with auspicious voices, O son of God, giver of life.
That is why the whole world glorifies you.
Cappadocian Worship• Vespers
– Lucenarium– Psalm 140– Lessons and Homily– Intercessions and Petitions
• Vigils– Is 26– Psalm 118– Antiphonal Psalms; prayers– Responsorial Psalms; Prayers
Antioch• John Chrysostom (about 390)Baptismal
Catechesis– Morning praise God for what has been
done– Evening examen “attain master’s pardon
for 10,000 faults committed in day”– Psalm 140 daily, Psalm 62 daily– incense and lamp lighting was atonement– intercessions– pray daily…kneeling, with hands in air
Antioch
• The Apostolic Constitutions – written Greek 380 by Syrian from Antioch
area– Morning Psalm 62, gloria, prayers– Evening Psalm 140, 121 , Nunc Dimitus,
prayers– Vigils Service gospel, 3 psalms– Pray standings– Reiterates 3,6,9 as prayer wherever you are
Cathedral Office-Revisited
• Anton Baumstarck (1872-1948) coined “Cathedral”
• Common Prayer of people, celebrated in local church, presided by Bishop
• Invariable structure (locally)• Limited Psalmody• Time of Day• External Symbols
People’s VS Monastic Office• morning/evening• small number psalms• no readings• ceremonies,
processions• music and singing• hierarchical in nature• celebrating prayer of
Church
• seven Times -pray always
• psalter-in order• systematic bible reading• minimum external
observance• music restrained/absent• abbot presides, not
ecclesiastical• praying in tradition of
particular community
III. Desert Monasticism
From Lay Movement to Monasticism
Desert Monasticism
• Single-minded Christians who took a more rigorous approach to their faith were called devout ones or devoti, began living together, but still worshipped locally
• Egyptian hermits, who escaped to the desert
Desert Monasticism
• The Tradition of Scetis
• John Cassian • Born about 360• Lived in Scetis
Region 380-399• Writing 20 years later
for Gallic community
John CassianPsalmody• 12 psalms group one for each hour of day• Seated: One stands and reads psalm• Standing: Silent prayer with arms extended• Prostration: Praying all the while• Standing: Silent prayer with arms extended• Collect by presider• 12th psalm Alleluia • Gloria Patri
John CassianLessons• Two Readings from the Bible• Weekdays
– OT Reading– NT Reading
• Saturday, Sunday, and Paschaltide:– Epistle or Acts– Gospel
Taken from Robert Taft: LOH in East and West
John Cassian
• Monday-Friday: office done by solitary monks in cells
• Saturday, Sunday: monks gathered for offices, Eucharist, agape, and supplies
Pachomius d. 346
• First Cenobitic Foundations 320 Nile Valley N. of Thebes
• morning: all gather for common synaxis
• evening: each house prays together
• all night vigils: private
Pachomius d. 346• Seated: scripture read by monk at ambo• Standing:
– signal, sign of cross – Our Father with arms extended,– signal, sign of cross
• Prostrated: penitential prayer in silence• Standing: sign of cross , prayer in
silence signal to be seated• Cycle probably repeated six times
Pachomius d. 346• Sunday: Spiritual Conferences and
Eucharist• Monks were expected to rise and recite
5-10 psalms in cells before morning synaxis if they did not keep vigil
• Prayer at beginning and end of day common to Cathedral and Monastic traditions
• Desert strove to foster continuous prayer
Desert Monasticism
• “The point was not with whom one prayed, nor where, not in what form, nor at what fixed times, nor in how many common synaxes, but that one’s very life be totally prayer. “ Robert Taft
• Apophthegmata Patrum “If you will, you shall become all flame”
Jerusalem
• Egeria • Nun Traveling on Pilgrimage 381-384• From Spain• Ends up in Jerusalem before Holy Week
384• Our source for much liturgical
information, especially LOH, Holy Week
• You Go Girl !!!
Jerusalem-Egeria
• Clear sense of the roles of laity, monks, bishops
• Taste of the ceremonial aspects
IV. Urban Monasticism
East and West
Urban Monasticism
East and West
Urban Monasticism-East• Palestine-John Cassian’s Institutes (417-
418)– adds little hours 3 psalms, 3 prayers– adds matins– cathedral vespers– vigil 3,3 repeated throughout night
• cockcrow-night psalms as Egypt, Lauds(Ps 148-150)• sunrise Pss 50,62,89 with prayers• 3,6,9 • Evening vesperal psalmody, with cathedral
elements
Urban Monasticism-East
• Palestine and Antioch basically took monastic offices and added Cathedral elements to them.
• Cappadocia approaches from other perspective; beginning with a Cathedral office and adding one hour of continuous psalms– Basil
Urban Monasticism-West• Ordo Monasterii North Africa 395• Matins - Pss 62,5,89• Terce-Sext-None
– 1 responsorial, 2 antiphon, reading, conclusion
• Lucernarium – 1 responsorial, 4 antiphonal, 1 responsorial,
reading, conclusion
• Nocturns Number of psalms and readings varied seasonally (length of night)
Urban Monasticism-West
• Cassian-Gaul 417-425• adds Gloria Patri to each of the
psalms-rather than groups of psalms
• does not end nocturnes with laudes (ps 148-150)….uses them at Matins
Urban Monasticism-West
• Caesarius and Aurelian of Arles about 534• modified Cassian• add hymns, kyrie to each office, petitions• combines cathedral/little hours• adds Prime• feasts…monks celebrated cathedral hours
in public oratory• full monastic cursis, plus Cathedral hours
Urban Monasticism-West
• St. Columban 543-615• Difficult night schedule
– beginning, middle of night 12 psalms each– matins 36 on weekdays 75on Saturdays– CHORA-2 psalms with antiphon, 1 without
• six hours a day (3 psalms each)• closest to Benedict’s “our holy
Fathers prayed psalter in a single day”
Urban Monasticism-West• Isidore of Seville 560-633• 3 psalms-prostrate after each psalm• responsorial• 2 scriptures• lauds• Hymn • Prayer• Each psalm ends with Gloria Patri, prostrate• 2/3 soloists chanted rest responded in
choir
Rule of Master
• Each hour had basically same structure• Antiphonal and Responsorial psalms• Epistle• Gospel reading/canticle• intercessions• psalms in order • inpositio: psalm, Gloria Patri,
prostration, silent prayer
Roman Office(reconstruction) 8th cent ordo romanii
• Weekly distribution of psalms• 1-107 continuous at vigils• 108-150 at vespers• continuous scripture reading• minor hours had fixed psalms• 12/24psalms at nocturns, 6 at
matins, 6 at vespers, 3 at little hours
Rule of Benedict 540
• Weekly distribution of psalms
• 150 Continuous Psalms distributed throughout day (except compline)
• continuous scripture reading/after six psalms
• introduced hymnody• 12 psalms at Sunday Vigils
Rule of Benedict 540
Liturgical Day
Rule of Benedict 540
• Much more humane distribution of psalms
• Became the standard Western monastic office by 11th century
V. The Middle Ages in the West
Rising Monasticism/ClericalismDeclining “People’s Office”
The Middle Ages in the West• Cathedral-City Churches• 6th - 7th Century- Small Country
Churches– Required priests, deacon, minor orders– mass book, lectionary, gospel, sanctoral,
antiphoner, psalter– (would need at least three for divine
office)– (still no printing presses)
The Middle Ages in the West
Large books all would gather round
The Middle Ages in the West
• Charlemagne (742-814)• Began “Romanizing” process in his empire• People’s office transformed to monastic:
“The layman must not read the lesson in church or sing alleluia, but just the psalm and response.”
The Middle Ages in the West• Priests become celibate, caste
apart from laity• laity reduced to silent onlookers• office becomes long and complex
DUTY of clerics• Charlemagne (802) “ring the bell”• “have the books”
The Middle Ages in the West• Because of number of books/roles
involved in Divine Office, no ONE person could possess the whole liturgy
• 12 century-development of breviary• Monastic, than Friars Minor• Spread throughout the West
The Middle Ages in the West• Breviary Implications• Very few could
afford books• If priest bought own
book, would hold at seat, and no longer needed all the other ministers
Western Developments
• People’s office was taken away from them, but they felt a need to continue prayer– Rosary (originally 150 X psalm verse)– Jesus prayer (150 X)– Our Father (150 X)– Same verse multiple X (2076 = # psalm
verses)– One line of each psalm
Western Developments
• Book of Hours• Marian Themes• Limited Psalms• Office of Dead• Penitential
Psalms• Particular
Themes
Office Reforms• RB-Benedict of Aniane 817• Roman-Cardinal Quinonez
(1485-1540)– revamped office for private
recitation– offices not 200 years old go to
breviary
• Council of Trent (1546 - 1563)• Pius V New Roman Office
(1568)
Office Reforms
• Pius X 1911– redistributed psalter– pruned sanctoral cycle
Office Reforms-other traditions• Ulrich Zwingli-Swiss-daily service to
edify, not penitential• Martin Bucer-abolished monasticism
(Strasbourg)• Luther-attempted to return hours to
people• Thomas Cramner-Book of Common
Prayer• Taizé 1963 Ecumenical musical
The Influence of Vatican II
Constitution on Sacred Liturgy• Morning and Evening-hinges for daily
office• Matins, any 1 hour, and prime suppressed• Four week cycle• Better use scripture/fathers of the church• Encourage laity to recite divine office
The Influence of Vatican IIGeneral Instruction Liturgy of Hours GILOH 1971• Four week psalms• Fitted to hours• Hymns• Minor hours reduced to midday prayer• Biblical canticles increased• Invitatory recommended first hour of
day.
Liturgy of Hours Structure
• Opening Verse– Lord open my lips AM– God come to my
assistance (others)
• Glory Be• Hymn• Psalmody• OT/NT Canticle• Psalm of praise • Scripture
• Response• Gospel Canticle• Prayer• Lord’s Prayer• Concluding• Blessing
Benedictine Confederation 1971Whatever form the Office of any monastery
or congregation may take, it must be the center and the source of the spiritual life of each community, for the building up of a vital local church which stands before God as a body and because of this leads the individual members to a living dialogue with God, in which there is a perfect balance between inner recollection and external action. . . .”
Of Time Made Holy 1978As bearers of a great liturgical tradition,
communities of Benedictine women must confidently assume their places as liturgical centers, as public manifestations of the praying Church, as prophetic interpreters of a living faith. Concentration then must be on the development of liturgical celebrations that are vital, meaningful, and relevant rather than on structures or regularity that can easily become legalistic observance or formalism.
Sacred Heart Monastery 1999
Sacred Heart Monastery 1999
Liturgy of Hours Elsewhere
May the Divine Assistance remain also with you……….
And with our absent brothers and sisters…………..
Amen!
Jill Maria Murdy
• http://www.jillmaria.com• Jill Maria holds an MA in liturgy
from Notre Dame.• She has nearly twenty years
experience in praying the Liturgy of the Hours as a former Benedictine Nun.
Resources
• Robert Taft, Beyond East and West• Paul Bradshaw, Daily Prayer in the
Early Church• http://www.liturgyhours.org/• http://www.universalis.com/-500/today.
htm• GILOH
http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwgilh.htm
• http://www.yale.edu/adhoc/research_resources/liturgy/hours.html
• http://fdlc.org/Publications/Sample/44860LiturgyofHoursSample.pdf