The Divine Office - Rev. E. J. Quigley
The following lines, giving the rules for terminations, are well known
and are useful, as a help to the memory:--
_Per Dominum_ dicas, si Patrem quilibet oras
Si Christum memores, _Per eundem_, dicere debes
Si loqueris Christo, _Qui vivis_ scire memento;
_Qui tecum_, si sit collectae finisin ipso
Si Flamen memores _ejusdem_ die prope finem
When there are several collects an ending or conclusion is added to the
first and last only. _Dominus vobiscum_ is said before the first collect
only, but each collect is preceded by the word _Oremus_, unless in the
Office for the Dead.
_Explanation of the Rubric_. Where a feast is transferred either
occasionally or always and its collect contains words such as _Hanc
diem, hodiernom diem_, it is not allowed to change the wording, without
permission of the Congregation of Rites (S.R.C., 7th September, 1916).
If the collect of a commemoration be of the same form as the prayer of
the feast, the former is taken from the common of saints, in
proper place.
_Dominus vobiscum_. This salutation is of great antiquity. It was the
greeting of Booz to his harvestmen (Ruth, ii. 4). The prophet used the
selfsame salutation to Azas. And the Angel Gabriel expressed the same
idea, _Dominns tecum_, to the Blessed Virgin. It was blessed and
honoured by our Lord Himself, when to His apostles he said "Ecce ego
vobiscum sum omnibus diebus" (St. Matt. 28. 20). This beautiful
salutation passed into Church liturgy at an early date, probably in
apostolic times. Its use in liturgy was mentioned at the Council of
Braga (563), and it is found in the Sacramentarium Gelasianum (sixth
century). These words are called the divine salutation. They mean that
the priest who utters them is at peace with all clergy and people and
thus wishes God to remain with them--the highest and holiest of wishes.
For the presence of God, Who is the source of every good and the author
of every best gift, is a certain pledge of divine protection and of that
peace and consolation which the world cannot give. This formula is used
even in private recitation of the Office, as the priest prays in union
with and in the name of the Church.
The words _Et cum spiritu tuo_ add a new and further significance to the
salutation; for it is the spirit, the human soul, that prays, and when
the spirit prays in the name of the Church for her children, its work
is a work of high spiritual order, demanding the use of all the
soul's powers,
_Oremus._ This exhortation is of very great antiquity, and in this form
is found in the liturgies of St. James and of St. Mark. In those days it
was said by the priest in a loud voice. The priest, the mediator,
following the example of the great Mediator, Christ, calls others to
join with him in prayer. St. Augustine tells us, that sometimes after
pronouncing the word _Oremus_, the priest paused for a while and the
people prayed in silence, and then the priest "collected" the united
prayers of the congregation and offered them to God, hence the name
_collect_ (St. Augustine, Epistle 107), (_cf._ Probst., _Abendl
Messe_, p. 126).
_Invocation and Conclusion_. Prayer is addressed generally to God the
Father. This practice is in accordance with the example and doctrine of
Christ, "Father, I give Thee thanks" (St. John, xi, 41); "Amen, amen, I
say to you; if you ask the Father anything in My name, he will give it
to you" (St. John, xvi. 23). "And He taught us to say 'Our Father.'" In
the early ages of the Church, seldom was prayer addressed to God, the
Son. Innocent III. tells us that the reason for the practice was a fear
that such prayer might lead the catechumens, the Jews or the Pagans
converted to Christianity, to allege or to believe that Christians
worshipped several Gods. However, with the advent of the early heresies,
it became necessary to formulate prayers witnessing the divinity of
Christ and His equality in all things to the Father and the Holy Ghost.
In some of the great prayers of the liturgy, the three Persons of the
Holy Trinity are named to show their equality and unity of nature and
substance. Nearly all the prayers of this kind are the products of the
Church during the storms of early heresy against the divinity, nature or
personality of Christ.
The conclusions of the prayers generally contain the words _Per Dominum
nostrum Jesum Christum_, because all graces come through Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Saviour, Who pleads, as Mediator between God and Man, as He
Himself has said, "No man cometh to the Father but by Me" (St.
John, xiv. 6).
Hence, in every collect, we may distinguish five parts: the invocation,
the motive, the petition, the purpose, the conclusion.
(1) The Invocation takes some form such as _Deus, Domine_.
(2) The motive is commonly introduced by the relative _qui_; e.g., Deus,
_qui corda fidelium sancti spiritus illustratione docuisti_.
(3) The petition, the body or centre or substance of the prayer, is
always noted for the solemn simplicity of language, which marks
liturgical prayer, e.g., _Multiplica_ super nos misericordiam tuam.
(4) The purpose is an enforcement of the petition. It has reference,
generally, to the need of the petitions and is marked usually with the
word _ut_. "Multiplica super nos misericordiam tuam, _ut_ quae, nobis
agendis praecipis, te miserante adimplere possimus" (prayer for feast of
St. Patrick).
(5) The _conclusion_ varies, e.g., "Per Dominum nostrum," "Per eundem
Dominum," etc.
"Those who pay intelligent attention to the liturgical chant at High
Mass, and in particular to the chant of the celebrant, will be able to
discover for themselves that the intonations used in the singing of the
collect and the Post-Communion serve, as a rule, to mark off two at
least of the main divisions indicated. Two inflections, a greater and a
lesser, occur in the body of the prayer, the greater for the most part
coming at the close of the 'motive,' while the lessor concludes the
'petition' and produces the purpose of the prayer. When the prayers are
correctly printed, as in the authentic 'Missale Romanum,' the place of
the inflexions is indicated by a colon, 'punctum principals,' and a
semicolon, 'semi-punctum,' respectively. These steps, it will he
observed, indicate, not precisely 'breaks in the sense' (as Haberl
incorrectly says) but rather the logical divisions of the sentence,
which is not quite the same thing" (Father Lucas, S.J., _Holy Mass_,
chap, vi.).
The question is often asked, why _Dominus vobiscum_ is said after the
collect, or prayer. Writers on liturgy reply that it is so placed
because Christ frequently used the salutation _Pax vobis_, and the
priest in public prayer holds the place of Christ, and as he, the
priest, used this formula of salvation before the collect to obtain the
spirit of prayer and the grace of God, he repeats it so that these gifts
may be retained.
In the collects, the fatherland of the saints is rarely found, because
the saints' true home and fatherland is heaven, where they were born
again to life eternal, and their fatherland is not this valley of exile
where they spent their temporal life. Nor are their surnames given in
the collects (see the collect of St. Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantel
given on p. 180). But it is not infrequent in the collects to find
certain appellations characterising a saint or noting some special
prerogative or wonderful gift of grace. The Church's collects record the
wonderful gifts of St. John Chrysostom ("the golden-mouthed"), St. Peter
Chrysologus ("qui ob auream ejus eloquentiam Chrysologi cognomen adeptus
est") (_Rom. Brev_.). Sometimes the nation or earthly home of a saint is
given in a collect to distinguish one saint from another. This is seen
in the case of saints bearing the name of Mary, which if used absolutely
or unqualifiedly refers to the Mother of God. See the collects for St.
Mary Magdalen, St. Mary of Egypt, etc.
The collect or prayer is placed at the end of the Hours to collect or
gather up the fruits of all the prayers that precede; to beg from God
that His grace may follow our actions as it precedes them; that the
prayer may be a shield and buckler against all temptations which may be
encountered. The prayers at Prime and at Compline never vary, to remind
us, the old writers tell us, that all our acts should be invariably
referred to God. In the early ages of the Church, all public prayers,
both in Mass and in Office were offered up by both priests and people
with outstretched arms. This practice is observed still, in a certain
way, in Mass.
_Benedicamus_ is the prayer to thank God for all His graces.
_Fidelium animae_. This prayer is said after every Hour, unless where
the hour is said in choir and followed immediately by Mass. It Is
omitted, too, before the Litany.
De Precibus (Title XXXIV.). These are prayers which are said at some of
canonical Hours, before the collect or oratio. They commence with Kyrie
eleison or Pater Noster. They consist of versicles and responses and
these differ from other versicles and responses, which are generally
historic, e.g., In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum, Amavit eum Dominus
et laudavit eum. But the versicles and responses of the _preces_ are
always a call to God or an exhortation to praise God (e.g., Fiat
misericordia tua, Domine), super nos, Quemadmodum speravimus in te (see
Prime, infra, page 193). These prayers are of great antiquity, mention
of them being found in the works of Amalare (ninth century).
They are said in some Offices in Vespers, Compline, Lauds, Prime and
Little Hours. Before the reform of the Breviary by Pope Pius X,, the
Preces at Vespers contained six short prayers and the Psalm, Miserere.
In the new Breviary nine short prayers are given in the Preces--the six
former prayers being retained and three new ones, Pro Papa; Pro
antistite; Pro benefactoribus, being added. The Miserere is omitted. The
same additions were made in Lauds and the Psalm, De Profundis omitted.
In Prime and the Little Hours, the preces are unchanged standing in the
new Breviary as in the old.
_Rubrics_. The Preces are recited in the Office of--
(1) Prime and Compline on certain days;
(2) Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline of certain
feasts.
The preces feriales at Lauds and Vespers are the same in structure. They
have the same structure in Terce, Sext, None, but differ in character.
The preces dominicales at Prime and Compline have a form of their own,
additions being made in the preces of Prime when said on a feria.
1. The Preces Feriales are said at Lauds on Ferias of Lent, Advent and
Passiontide, Ember days, except Ember day at Pentecost and on Vigils
(except on Vigil of Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Friday after
Ascension and Vigil of Pentecost)--when the Office on those days is of
the current feria.
2. At Prime (i) Preces Dominicales are said in all semi-doubles,
simples, Ferial Offices.
(i) They are said at Little Hours if said at Lauds.
(ii) At Prime, Preces Feriales are said if they have been said at Lauds.
3. At Vespers Preces Feriales are said (1) on ferias of Advent and Lent
when office is of feria.
4. At Compline, Preces Dominicales are said on all (i) semi-doubles,
(ii) simples, (iii) all Ferias, _unless_ at Vespers a double or an
octave was celebrated.
SOME TEXTS AND INTENTIONS WHICH MAY HELP TOWARDS THE DEVOUT
RECITATION OF LAUDS.
1. "And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come
to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen."
They said to one another, "Who shall roll us back the stone from the
door of the sepulchre?" (St. Mark, xv.).
2. "And looking, they saw the stone rolled back.... And entering the
sepulchre they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a
white robe; and they were astonished. Who sayeth to them, Be not
affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth Who was crucified. He is risen,
He is not here" (St. Mark, xv.).
3. "Behold Jesus sayeth to her (Magdalen) 'Woman, why weepest thou?'"
4. "Behold Jesus met them (the women) saying to them 'All hail.'"
(5) "See my hands and feet, that it is I myself, handle and see" (St.
Luke, xxiv.).
6. "Bring hither thy hand and put it into My side and be not faithless."
7. "My Lord and my God" (St, John, xx.).
_General Intentions_. The wants of the Church, peace among
nations--vocations to the priesthood--Church students--souls in
Purgatory.
_Personal Intentions_. A glorious resurrection; fervour in saying the
Office; fervour in saying Mass; fervour in priestly work; forgiveness
of all sin.
_Special Intentions_. For Catholic Ireland; for the conversion of
America; for peace throughout the world.
PRIME (TITLE XV.).
_Etymology_. The name _Prime_ is derived from the Latin _prima_ because
this part of the Office was said at the first hour of the day, 6 a.m.,
with us, following the old Roman distribution of the day.
_Origin_. It was stated by some writers that this Hour was established
by St. Clement and should therefore date from almost apostolic times.
But modern writers, following the statement of Cassian, date the origin
of this Hour from about the year 382. It was believed, too, that the
monastery indicated by Cassian as the cradle of Prime was the monastery
of Bethlehem, St. Jerome's monastery. But it was probably established
not there, but in a monastery in the neighbourhood, Dair-er-Raociat
(convent of the shepherds) or in Seiar-en-Ganheim (enclosure of the
sheep). Cassian tells us the reason that led to the introduction of this
Hour. Lauds ended at dawn, and the monks retired to rest. As no other
choir work called them until Terce, at 9 a.m., some of them were
inclined to rest until that hour and to neglect the spiritual reading
and manual work laid down by their rule. To prevent this prolonged rest,
it was decided to introduce a short choir service, the recital of a few
psalms, and then the monks went to work until Terce (_Cath.
Encyclopedia_, "Prime").
_Contents_. Originally the matter for Prime was drawn from Lauds and was
a repetition of part of Lauds. Prime consists of two parts. The first
part consists of hymn, psalms, little chapter and collect. The prayers
and confiteor inserted before the collect and said on certain days are
adjuncts. The second part contains the Martyrology (when Prime is said
in choir) and other prayers peculiar to the Hour. "The reason for this
divergence may be traced to the fact that Prime is of monastic
institution and the second portion, which is said in the chapter house,
has reference to monastic customs. The Martyrology and Necrology having
been read, prayers were said for the dead recommended to the Community,
as benefactors, friends, patrons, protectors, etc. Then followed a
special prayer in preparation for manual labour of the day, and a
chapter of the rule was read, on which the Abbot briefly commented or
else gave some admonition to the Community. This monastic character will
be easily recognised by a glance at the formulas used. The prayer,
'Sancta Maria et omnes sancti' forms a natural conclusion, to the
reading of the Martyrology, The 'Deus in adjutorium,' the 'Pater Noster'
with accompanying versicles, and the collect, are the prayers before
manual labour: 'Respice,' etc., Look, O Lord, upon Thy servants and upon
Thy works... and direct Thou the work of our hands. 'Dirige et
sanctificare,' etc., 'Vouchsafe to direct and sanctify our senses, words
and actions,' etc. Whilst the 'Dominus nos benedicat' and the 'Fidelium
animae' are the conclusion of the prayers for the dead" (Dom Cabrol,
Introduction to the _Day Hours of the Church_).
_Structure_:-i. Pater, Ave, Credo, silently. 2. Deus in adjutorium. ...
Domine ad adjuvandum .. with sign of the cross, Gloria Patri. ... Sicut
erat. ... 3. Hymn, _fam lucis_. 4. Antiphon, first words only. 5. Psalms
for the Sunday or feria as rubrics direct, with the Athanasian Creed if
it be ordered, then the antiphon in full. 6. Regi saeculorum ... or,
Pacem et veritatem. ... Deo Gratias, Christie, Fili Dei vivi.... 7.
Preces, if they are ordered in the Office of the Day, Preces Dominicales
or Preces feriales as rubrics direct. These include versicles,
responses, confiteor, misereatur... indulgentiam... versicles responses.
8. Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo. Oremus, Domine Deus..... Amen.
Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spiritu tuo. 9. Benedicamus Domino, Deo
Gratias. 10. In choir, the martyrology is here read, 11. Pretiosa...
mors.... 12. Sancta Maria et omnes Sancti.... 13. Thrice, Deus in
adjutorium meum intende, Domine ad adjuvandum... without the sign of
cross, Gloria Patri.... Sicut erat. 14. Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison,
Kyrie Eleison, Pater Noster, qui es in coelis... (in silence). Et ne nos
inducas in tentationem. Sed libera nos a malo. 15. Respice in servos
tuos.... Et sit splendor....16. Gloria Patri.... Sicut erat....Oremus,
Dirigere et sanctificare.... l7. Jube, Domine.... Deus et actus
nostros....Amen. 18. Lectio brevis, which in feast offices is the
Capitulum from None. 19. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domine (with sign
of cross on forehead, breast and shoulders); Qui fecit....20.
Benedicite, Deus; Domine nos benedicat...in pace, Amen. To the lectio
brevis at Prime, Tu autem Domine, miserere nobis, is added.
_The Athanasian Creed_. In the Roman Breviary prior to the reform of
1911, the title given to the formula of faith was Symbolum S. Athanasi.
In the new Breviaries the title stands Symbolum Athanasianum. Why was
the change made?
During the past two hundred years the authorship of this formula has
led to great discussion and its reading has led to much bitter and
heated controversy in Anglican and Protestant churches. Many contended
for its retention in Protestant services and many rejoiced at its
partial exclusion, its truncated revision and clamoured for its
rejection everywhere from service. Controversy led to the study of its
origin. In 1872 a Protestant author, Ffoulkes, maintained that it was
not composed by St. Athanasius (296-373) but by Paulinus of Aquileia
(A.D. 800). But the literature of the age of Charlemagne proves that
this creed had at the beginning of the ninth century an antiquity of at
least more than a century (Ommaney, _History and Structure of the
Athanasian Creed_, Oxford, 1897). Scholars, basing their opinions on
words found in the _Expositio Fidei Fortunati_, date the origin of
this symbol from the fifth century. It contains certain expressions
which a writer subsequent to the Council of Chalcedon (451) would have
been most unlikely to employ, and omits certain expressions which such a
writer would have been most unlikely to omit. However, it is likely that
the creed dates from the fifth century. Who its author was, is quite
doubtful. It was not St. Athanasius, it may have been St. Hilary of
Aries, or St. Vincent of Lerins, or some local bishop in southern
France, "But let us only suppose that the real author was some local
bishop--or the theologian employed by some local bishop--and that it was
composed in the first instance for purely local use in some district of
southern France--then does not the difficulty disappear, and are not
the facts of its silent and gradual adoption suitably explained? Not
coming from an author of wide reputation, it would not at first have
attracted much attention and would have been used only in the locality
of its origin; from there its use would have spread to neighbouring
districts; as it got more known it would have been more widely adopted,
and the compactness and lucidity of its statements, and the
enthusiasm-inspiring character of its style would have contributed to
make it highly prized wherever it was known. Then would come speculation
as to its authorship, and what wonder if in uncritical times an
Athanasian authorship was first guessed, then confidently affirmed and
believed?" (Father Sydney F. Smith, S.J., _The Month_, October, 1904).
This opinion is only one of several held by Catholic scholars. Dom Morin
holds strongly, and gives very good reasons for his view, that it was
written by Martin of Braga between the years 550 and 580. It was
written, he says, for the people of Galicia in Spain, who had been
recently converted from Arianism (_Journal of Theological Studies_,
April, 1911). It was adopted into Gallican liturgy and office about 980,
and in the Roman office only when the Curial Breviary was adopted.
"The liturgical use of the Athanasian Creed was Frankish in origin
(ninth century) and spread through the influence of the Cluniac reform
(tenth century), but only found its way to Rome in the Supplementary
prayers in the twelfth and thirteenth century" (Burton and Myers, _op.
cit_., p. 51).
_Rubrics_. Athanasian Creed, to be said (1) Trinity Sunday, (2) Sundays
after Epiphany, (3) Sundays after Pentecost unless there be in (2) and
(3) the commemoration of a double, or of an octave.
Why is prayer offered at this first hour of the day?
Writers on liturgy answer, 1st to offer to God the first fruits of our
day, of our work, of our devotion, following in this the example of
Christ, Who from His first entry into the world offered Himself to His
Father for the salvation of mankind. 2d To beg of Him to keep us safe
during the day, 3d To beg of Him to keep us free from sin, "ut in
diurnis actibus nos servet a nocentibus."
"May God in all our words and deeds
Keep us from harm this day.
May He in love retain us still,
From tones of strife and words of ill,
And wrap around and close our eyes
To earth's absorbing vanities.
May wrath and thoughts that gender shame
Ne'er in our breasts abide.
And painful abstinences tame
Of wanton flesh, the pride" (Hymn at Prime).
_Rubrics_. The Office of Prime begins in choir with the silent
recitation of _Pater Noster, Ave, Credo_. Then, if in choir (aloud) Deus
in adjutorium. ... Domine ad adjirvandum. ... Gloria Patri.... Alleluia,
or Laus tibi.... Then the hymn _fam lucis_ is said. The antiphon for the
day is said as far as the asterisk (*), then the Psalms of the day's
Office as arranged in the new Pian Psaltery, according to the day of the
week, except on some special feasts, when the Psalms at Prime are the
Sunday psalms. When the _ordo recitandi_ marks an Office as _officium
solemne_ (an excepted feast), the psalms at Lauds and Hours are the
Sunday psalms; and at Prime the psalm _Deus in nomine tuo_ (Psalm 53)
takes the place of Psalm _Confitemini_ (Psalm 117). At Prime, and at the
small Hours, Terce, Sext, None, only one antiphon is said. It is said in
full at the end of the last Psalm in each Hour.
The Capitulum, the little Responsory, _Christe_, _Fili Dei vivi_ ... is
then said. In this responsory the versicle _Qui sedes ad dexteram
Patris_ is sometimes changed, e.g., in paschal time it is, _Qui
surrexisti a mortuis_.
The manner of reciting this responsory is sometimes not correctly
understood, owing, perhaps, to its printed form in some Breviaries. The
normal method is to repeat the _whole_ response, then say the versicle,
and then the second portion of the response; then the _Gloria Patri el
Filio et Spiritui Sancto, without the Sicut erat_, is said, and the
response repeated. The versicle _Exsurge_ and the response _Et libera_
are then said. This is the method of recitation in all the small Hours
and at Compline.
After this responsory, if the Office be of double rite or be an Office
within an octave, or on the vigil of Epiphany or on Friday or Saturday
after Ascension, or on a Sunday on which a double is commemorated, or an
octave is celebrated, or on a semi-double feast within an octave,
_Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spiritu tuo_, and the prayer _Dominus Deus
omnipotens_ is said. But if the Office be not any of these mentioned
just now, the responsory is followed by the _Preces_.
_Preces_ (Title XXXIV.) In the Breviary there are two sets of preces,
the Preces Dominicales for Sunday and the Preces Feriales for ferial
Offices. These ferial preces of Prime differ from the ferial preces of
Lauds, and are said in Prime when the ferial preces are said in Lauds,
That is, on the ferias of Advent, Lent, Passiontide, Ember days and
Vigils. The ferial preces of Lauds are found in the Breviary,
immediately after the second set of Psalms for ferial Lauds and after
the short responsory in the psalm arrangements for the days of the week.
(See Lauds, _supra_, p. 188.)
These prayers were introduced at a very early stage of Christian
liturgy. St. Isidore writes that they come from Greek liturgy and the
opening words _Kyrie eleison_ seem to indicate remnants of an old
litany. Formerly they were read oftener during the liturgical year than
we now are called on to repeat them. They are sometimes referred to as
the _preces flebiles_, tearful prayers, because they are said in times
of penance, and are formed to excite tears. In choir recitation they are
said kneeling. When the preces or the preces feriales are said the sign
of the cross is made from the forehead to the breast, at the words
_Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini_. Then the Confiteor is said.