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