The Divine Office - Rev. E. J. Quigley
After reading these words we can understand how prayer offered up with
involuntary distractions is true, holy prayer. St. Thomas tells us
"_Dicendum quod in spiritu et veritate orat, qui ex instinctu spiritus
ad orandum accedit, etiamsi ex aliqua infirmitate mens postmodum
evagetur.... Evagatio vero mentis quae fit praeter propositum orationis
fructum non tollat_" (2.2. q. 83, a. 13).
Nevertheless, every effort should be made to avoid and to banish
distractions. The ways of doing this are given in all treatises on
prayer. Every priest knows them well. There are negative means and
positive means. The negative means consist in withdrawing the senses and
the powers of the soul from everything disturbing the soul's converse
with God; in guarding against any too absorbing interest in worldly
affairs, so that the mind is unmanageable and cannot be fixed on sacred
things. St. Francis of Assisi, working at a piece of furniture before
saying Terce, was, during the saying of that hour disturbed by the
thought of his manual work. When he re-entered his cell he took the bit
of work and threw it in the fire saying, "I wish to sacrifice to the
Lord the thing which hindered my prayer to Him."
The positive means of avoiding and of banishing distractions are given
above; they are to read slowly, to read every word, to read in a
becoming position, to observe choir directions, to give ample time to
each Hour. Another rule given by writers on the pious recitation of the
Office, is to pause at certain places in the psalms to renew attention
and elicit affections. Some authors recommend such pauses at the end of
the invitatory, at the end of each hymn, or after each _Gloria_. "Study
well the _Gloria Patri_," said St. Francis of Assisi, "for in it you
find the substance of the scriptures."
V. To apply the mind to what is read is another help to pious
recitation. It seems to be a useless repetition of an obvious fact that
to apply the mind to the prayers read, helps to ward off and to drive
away distractions. Such a practice is natural for a person of
intelligence, and the Church wishes and expects such intelligent and
heartfelt prayer. God said to the Jewish priests what applies to the
Christian priesthood, too: "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is
to you, if you will not hear, if you will not lay it to heart to give
glory to My name, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will curse your blessings,
because you have not laid it to heart" (Mal. ii. 1-2). Christ complained
about the Jewish people who honoured Him with their lips, but had their
hearts far from Him. And God's great servants realized this fully. St.
Paul said, "And he that speaketh by a tongue (the gift of speaking
strange tongues) let him pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a
tongue my spirit prayeth, _but my understanding is without fruit_. What
is it then? I will pray with the spirit. I will pray also with the
understanding. I will sing with the spirit, I will sing also with the
understanding" (I. Cor. xiv. 13-15). St. Gregory the Great said that
true prayer consists not only in the articulation of the words, but also
in the attention of the heart; for to obtain the divine graces our good
desires have greater efficacy than mere words (_Moral, lib_. 22. _cap_.
13). Peter de Blois wrote of the priests of his time, "_Labia sunt in
canticis et animus in patinis_! Their lips are in the psalms, but their
heart is in the dishes!" (_Selva_). "_Age quod agis_," says the
_Imitation of Christ_.
VI. It is advisable not to dwell on the literary excellence of the
Breviary during the recitation of the Office. It is a useful thing that
priests should recognise the authorship of the psalms recited, their
probable dates, the circumstances of their composition, the sublimity of
their thought, the peculiarity of their Hebrew style, the rhythm and
poetry of the Hebrews. But the _dwelling_ on these thoughts leads to
distractions. Again, some priests, like the clerics of the Renaissance
and post-Renaissance times, despise and dislike the Breviary for its
alleged barbarous style. These unworthy and foolish sentiments are met
with, very rarely. They are opposed to the priestly spirit, which should
love and respect the Scripture extracts, God's inspired words. The
homilies from the Fathers are well chosen, and suitable for the greatest
prayer and for the greatest prayerbook the world has ever known. The
hymns are the wonder and study of scholars of every religion. St.
Augustine, after his conversion even, felt a repugnance for the holy
Scriptures as unequal to Cicero in form. But in his mature age and
considered judgment, the saint reversed his judgment; "_non habent_," he
wrote of the Pagan classics, "_illae paginae vultum pietatis, lacrymas
confessionis spiritum contribulatum cor contritum et humiliatum_"
(Confess. Bk. 7, c. 21).
VII. To think of Christ's Passion is another aid to good Breviary
recitation. We have seen in the theological part of this book (page 4)
the seven principal stages of the Passion which correspond with the
seven principal parts of the Office. And this devout thought on some
scene of the Passion is recommended by all writers on the Divine Office,
as an easy and very profitable means and aid to attentive and devout
saying of the Hours. It is a means practised by thousands of priests.
St. Bonaventure recommended that at each Hour some thought of the
mysteries of the life and death of Christ should be held in mind. Thus,
Matins, the night Office, might be offered up in honour of the birth and
infancy of Christ; Lauds, in honour of His resurrection; Terce, in
honour of the coming of the Holy Ghost; None, in memory of Christ's
death; Vespers, in thanksgiving for the Eucharist.
VIII. To remember the presence of God, of our angel guardian, and of the
demons, is a practice recommended by writers on recitation of the Office
in or out of choir. This thought of the presence of God was one of the
aids recommended by St. Benedict to his religious, to aid their devout
fulfilment of the great work of reciting their Hours worthily,
attentively, and devoutly. Centuries after St. Benedict's death we find
St. Bonaventure repeating this advice to his novices. Blessed Peter
Faber, S.J., to make his Breviary prayer more fervent, used to picture
to himself the presence of his guardian angel at his side recording his
pious and holy thoughts, and the demon recording his distractions.
"Dearly beloved priest," wrote St. Alphonsus, "when you take the
Breviary in your hand, imagine that an angel stands on one side to
register your merits in the Book of Life if you say the Office with
devotion, and on the other a devil who, if you recite it with
distraction, writes your faults in the book of death. With this thought
excite yourself to say the Office with the greatest possible devotion.
Endeavour, then, not only at the beginning of the Office, but also at
the beginning of each psalm, to renew your attention, that you may be
able to excite in your heart all the sentiments that you shall read"
(_Selva_).
ARTICLE IV.--AFTER SAYING THE DIVINE OFFICE.
1. Give God thanks for His goodness in permitting us to join in the
great work, for hearing our prayer, and for His helps and graces during
its duration.
2. Ask God's pardon for faults committed in the course of this prayer of
His Church.
3. Devoutly recite the "_Sacro-sanctae et Individuae Trinitati_ ...
Amen. V. _Beata viscera_....R. _Et beata ubera_...." This prayer, which
is generally printed in Breviaries immediately before the Psalter, is to
be said kneeling, where this is physically possible. This is necessary
in order to gain the indulgence granted by Pope Pius X. to all persons
obliged to recite the Divine Office. It is not of obligation and its
omission is not sinful. It forms no part of the obligatory Office. "It
must be said kneeling, but at the request of Cardinal Asquini, Prefect
of the Congregation of Indulgences, Pope Pius IX. was pleased to make
one exception (July 12, 1865) in favour of persons who were not able to
say it kneeling--_infirmitatis tantum causa_. Hence, travellers or
persons on a journey are not exempted, for they can say it kneeling at
the end of the journey. It is sufficient to say the '_Sacro-sanctae_'
once only, that is, at the end of Compline, with the intention of
obtaining pardon of all the defects a person may have been guilty of in
saying the entire Office. Yet it may be repeated after each Hour, e.g.,
after Matins, and Lauds, after the small Hours and after Compline; in
each case one would thereby get forgiveness for the faults committed
during the part of the Office recited. This explanation has been given
by the Holy Father (Pius IX.) himself. The usage amongst the chapters at
Rome, as at St. Peter's, St. Mary's, etc., is to recite it every time
they leave the choir" (Maurel, S.J., _Le chretien e claire sur la nature
et l'usage des Indulgences_). The beauty and sublimity of this prayer is
not always appreciated. Its translation here may inspire fresh thoughts
of fervour. "To the most holy and undivided Trinity, to the humanity of
our Lord Jesus Christ crucified, to the fruitful virginity of the most
glorious Mary ever a Virgin, and to the company of all the saints, be
given by every creature eternal praise, honour, power and glory, and to
us the remission of all our sins. Amen. Blessed be the womb of the
Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father. And blessed be
the breasts which gave suck to Christ, our Lord."
In connection with this prayer an interesting question is discussed in
the _Irish Ecclesiastical Record_ (No. 540. December, 1912). Is this
prayer merely a sacramental? Has it an indulgence attached to it at all?
The querist quotes _The new Raccolta_, in answering the second part of
his query but wishes to know if it be an indulgence how it produces its
effects. "For either the defects committed in reading the Divine Office
are voluntary or involuntary. If voluntary they are sins and
consequently cannot be touched by an indulgence; if involuntary they are
not sinful and therefore stand in no need of an indulgence." In a very
long reply Dr. John M. Harty sums up, "For our part we adhere to the
view which says that the efficacy of the privilege annexed by Leo X. and
Pius X. to the _Sacro-sanctae_ is derived from an indulgence. At the
same time we think that these prayers are also sacramentals, since they
are official prayers of the Church. Under this aspect, they obtain the
ordinary benefits which are attached to sacramentals, and, accordingly
lead to a remission of sin and temporal punishment by means of sorrow
and satisfaction, which are elicited under the influence of the
abundant graces given by God, through the intercession of the Church.
They also placate God, so as to render Him willing to grant His favours
even though defects exist in the recitation of the Office.... Though
these defects are not produced _ex opere operato_, they nevertheless are
real, and are an encouragement to priests, whose human frailty prevents
the perfect performance even of the most sacred functions of their
priestly office."
PART III
THE CANONICAL HOURS.
CHAPTER I.
MATINS.
_Etymology_. The word _Matins_ is derived from _Matuta_, the Latin name
for the Greek goddess of morning. The word used in the Roman Breviary is
_matutinum (i.e., tempus)_. It is the old name for Lauds, _Laudes
matutinae_. The word was also used to denote the office of Vigils.
Hence, the word was used in three senses, to denote the nocturns and
lauds, to denote Lauds only and to denote the vigil office. In
liturgical study the word was confusing, and sometimes it is the context
only which gives the author's meaning. This, the principal Hour of the
Church's public prayer, was, in the early days of Christianity, said at
night, and was called _Nocturnum_ and _Vigiliae_.
_Origin_. The night office of vigils dates from the very earliest days
of Christianity. It derived its name from the vigils or night watches of
the soldiers, who divided the night, from six o'clock in the evening to
six o'clock in the morning, into four watches of three hours each. The
nightly meetings of the Christians came to be called by the name
_vigils_, but the meetings were not begun at the stated hours of
military vigil and did not finish with them. Why these meetings of
Christians were held at night, and in what their religious exercises
consisted in, both in matter and form, is an unsolved problem. But it is
certain that they resembled the services of the Jewish synagogue in the
readings from Scripture, psalm-singing and prayers, and differed from
those services by having readings from the Gospels, the Epistles, and
from non-canonical books, such as the Epistle of St. Clement. The
Eucharistic service always formed part of them. Indeed, the very name,
Synagogue was given to these assemblies of Christians, as we see from
the Pastor of Hermes. In their common prayer, they faced towards the
East, as the Jews did towards Jerusalem. They had precentors and
janitors as in the Jewish rites. Their services consisted of the
readings from the Mosaic law, from Gospels and Epistles, exposition of
Scripture, a set sermon, long and fervent "blessings" or thanksgiving
and psalms. Before there were any written gospels to read, we gather
that the reading of the Old Law, of the Prophets and the Psalms, was
followed by a set sermon on the life and death of Christ (Bickel, _Messe
und Pascha,_ p, 91). From St. Basil (fourth century) it is concluded
that two choirs sang the Psalms. Cassian writes that the monks of the
fifth century celebrated the Night Office with twelve psalms and
readings from the Old and the New Testaments. Hence, "we find the same
elements repeated, the psalms generally chanted in the form of
responses, that is to say, by one or more cantors, the choir repeating
one verse which served as a response, alternately with the verses of the
psalms, which were sung by the cantors, readings taken from the Old and
the New Testaments and, later on, from the works of the Fathers and
Doctors; litanies, supplications, prayers for divers members of the
Church, clergy, faithful, neophytes and catechumens; for emperors,
travellers; the sick; and generally for all the necessities of the
Church, and even for Jews and for heretics. It is quite easy to find
these essentials in our modern Matins" (Dom Cabrol, _Cath.
Encyclopedia_, art. "Matins").
Matins on account of its length and position in the Breviary is the most
important part of the daily Office. And, on account of the variety and
beauty of its elements, is considered the most remarkable.
The prayer _Pater Noster_ begins the Office. It is the Lord's
prayer, _divina institutions formata_, when Christ told His
Apostles "_Sic vos orabitis_" (St. Matt. vi. 9). It is the most
excellent of all prayers, being most excellent in its author, its form,
its depth of meaning, its effects. The prayer consists of a preface,
"Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." And in the body of the
prayer are seven petitions--three for the honour and glory of God, in
and by ourselves, and four for our own wants, spiritual and temporal.
Very excellent matter on the greatest of prayers is to be found in the
_Catechism of the Council of Trent_ (translation, Duffy, Dublin)
and in _A Lapide_ (St. Matt. vi.). Writers on liturgy say that the
recitation of the _Pater Noster_ as the opening prayer of Matins
was _not obligatory_ until the beginning of the twelfth century. It
is said that the monks were wont to say a _Pater Noster_ at each
altar in the church before entering their stalls for Office recitation.
This practice delayed the beginning of the Office in choir, and a rule
was made that those who wished to say this prayer must say it in their
stalls, in a low tone. Of course, in the Breviary of Pius V. (1568) this
practice became obligatory on each person bound to read the Hours.
_Ave Maria_. This is a leading prayer amongst the great prayers of the
Mass and the Office. It, too, is excellent in its authors, its form
(clear, short devotional), in motive (in honouring Mary, Mother of God,
and in begging her intercession). It is divided into three parts, the
words of the angel, of St. Elizabeth and of the Church, Devout thoughts
on this prayer have been penned by countless clients of Mary in every
age. Priests are familiar with many such writings, great and small, but
_A Lapide_ (St. Luke I.) bears reading and re-reading. The prayer, as it
stands in the Breviary to-day, is not of very ancient date. "In point of
fact there is little or no trace of the Hail Mary as an accepted
devotional formula before 1050.... To understand the developments of the
devotion, it is important to grasp the fact that the _Ave Maria_ was
merely a form of greeting. It was, therefore, long customary to
accompany the words with some external gesture of homage, a genuflexion,
or at least an inclination of the head.... In the time of St. Louis the
_Ave Maria_ ended with the words _benedictus fructus ventris tui_: it
has since been extended by the introduction both of the Holy Name and of
a clause of petition.... We meet the _Ave_ as we know it now, printed in
the Breviary of the Camaldolese monks and in that of the Order de
Mercede C. 1514. ... The official recognition of the _Ave Maria_ in its
complete form, though foreshadowed in the Catechism of the Council of
Trent, was finally given in the Roman Breviary of 1568" (Father
Thurston, S.J., _Cath. Encyclopedia_, art. "Hail Mary.")
_Credo_. The Apostles' Creed is placed at the beginning of Matins,
because Matins is the beginning of the whole Office, and faith is the
beginning, the _principium_ of every supernatural work. St. Paul teaches
us that it is necessary for us to stir up our faith when we approach
God, "For he that cometh to God must believe that He is." In reciting
the Creed we should think of the sublime truths of our faith, and our
hearts should feel, what our lips say, "For with the heart we believe
unto justice; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"
(Rom. x. 10). We should remember too, that this formula of faith comes
to us from Apostolic times and that it has been repeated millions of
times by saints and martyrs; their sentiments of belief, of confidence
in God and love of God should be ours.
_Domine labia mea aperies_. The practice of this beautiful invocation
dates from the time of St. Benedict (480-553). In his Office it stood
after the words _Deus in adjutorium_. These words _Domine labia mea
aperies_, taken from the Psalm _Miserere_, remind us of God purifying
the lips of Isaias His prophet with a burning coal, of how God opened
the lips of Zachary to bless God and to prophesy. "And immediately his
mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke blessing God" (St.
Luke, i. 64). Very appropriately, does the priest reciting the Divine
Office ask God to open his lips, to fortify his conscience, to touch
his heart.
_Deus in adjutorium_. These words, the opening words of Psalm 69, were
always and everywhere used by the monks of old, says Cassian, who called
this short prayer the formula of piety, the continual prayer. The Church
repeats it often in her Office. St. John Climacus says it is the great
cry of petition for help to triumph over our invisible enemy, who wishes
to distract us and to mar our prayer. It should be said with humility
and with confidence in God. In repeating these holy words we make the
sign of the Cross; for, all grace comes from the sacrifice of the Cross;
and besides, it is a holy and an ancient practice to begin all good
works with the sacred sign.
_Gloria Patri_. This little prayer indicates the purpose and end of the
recitation of the Office, the glory of the Holy Trinity. "Bring to the
Lord glory and honour; bring to the Lord glory to His name" (Psalm 28).
The many repetitions of this formula in the Church liturgy shows the
great honour which she pays to it, and the trust she places in its
efficacy. It was especially loved by St. Francis of Assisi, who said
that it contained all wisdom.
This form of doxology, "Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost," was adopted to repel Arianism, by giving to the faithful a
compact theological formula by which they could end every dispute. Some
authors quote St. Ephrem (circa 363) as the originator of this much-used
prayer. The form would seem to be of Syrian origin, translated into
Greek and later into Latin (Dom Cambrol, _Dictionnaire d' Archeologie
Chretienne_, I., 2282, _et seq.,_ word Antienne, Liturgie; _Month_,
May, 1910).
_Invitatory_. _Venite Adoremus_.... The cry of the Church calling on all
to adore and praise God, Who has done all for us, Who is the Great
Shepherd, and we, the sheep of His fold, should not harden our hearts as
did the ungrateful Jews. We should pray for all, Catholics, infidels
and sinners.
"A message from the saints. Let us imagine, like St. Stephen at his
martyrdom, we are privileged to see the heavens opened, and before our
eyes the City of God, with its twelve gates all of pearl, and its
streets of pure gold, as it were transparent glass, is laid bare, and
that we see the angels in their legions, and the redeemed of the Lord
around the throne of God. Thousands of thousands are ministering to
Him," as St. John tells us, "and ten thousand times a hundred thousand
stand before Him," and we hear the voice of God, as the noise of many
waters in company with that great multitude which no man can number, out
of every tribe and nation, clothed in white robes, with palms in their
hands, coming into Sion with praise, with everlasting joy upon their
heads, for from their eyes God has wiped away all tears, and sorrow and
mourning have fled away.
"There are the white-robed army of Martyrs, holy Confessors, too, men of
renown in their generation, and Virgins, the Spouses of Christ: there
are those who have come through great tribulation, who once, perchance,
were far from God, but have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb
and are now numbered among the people of God, sitting in the beauty of
peace and in the tabernacle of confidence and in wealthy rest. Let us
bring them all before us in vision. They have overcome the beast and are
standing by the sea of glass, having the harps of God; the Prince of
Pastors has appeared to them and they have received a never-failing
crown of glory and by the Lamb of God they have been led to fountains of
the waters of life." Let us listen as they sing their canticle to God,
"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, who is and who was and who is to
come"; let us listen as they sing to us, for we are fellow citizens with
them, and where they are we also must be if we remain faithful to the
end. What do they sing, "O come let us praise the Lord with joy; let us
joyfully sing to God, our Saviour" (_Sing ye to the Lord_, pp.
94-95--Rev. R. Eaton).
The authorship of this psalm--which is said daily in Matins--is
attributed to David in the Septuagint and Vulgate. Its Latin form in the
invitatory differs slightly from the Vulgate text. The Breviary retains
here the text of St. Jerome's revision and the Vulgate contains the
second and more correct revision.
_Hymns_. The hymn is an answer to the invitation given to us in the
invitatory, to praise God and to rejoice with Him. It is a song of joy
and praise. Hymns were introduced into the Divine Office in the Eastern
Church before the time of St. Ambrose (340-397). To combat the Arians,
who spread their errors by verse set to popular airs, St. Ambrose, it is
said, introduced public liturgical hymn-singing in his church in Milan,
and his example was followed gradually through the Western Church. (See
Note A, _infra_.)
The final stanza of a Breviary hymn is called the doxology ([Greek:
doxa] praise, [Greek: logos] speech), a speaking of praise. Hymns which
have the final stanza proper, the _Ave Maris stella_, Lauds hymn of the
Blessed Sacrament, Matins hymn for several Martyrs, the first Vesper
hymn of the Office of Holy Cross, and the Vesper hymns of St. Venantius
and St. John Cantius, never change the wording of the stanza.
But, _where the metre of the hymn_ admits such a change as possible in
the last stanza.
(a) From Christmas to Epiphany _Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui natus es de
Virgine_ is inserted in all hymns, even on saints' offices.
(b) From Epiphany till end of its octave, _Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui
apparuisti gentibus_.
(c) From Low Sunday till Ascension Thursday, on Pentecost Sunday and its
octave, all hymns end in _Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio qui a mortuis_.
This is the ending for all hymns of saints' feasts in Paschal times,
excepting those hymns mentioned above.
(d) From Ascension to Pentecost (except in the hymn _Salutis humanae
Sator_) the doxology is _Jesu tibi sit gloria, Qui victor in
coelum redis_.
(e) Feast of Transfiguration has _Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui te revelas
parvulis_.