Ummm what is the office of readings? Im super new to this
It is one of the Offices of the day along with Lauds (Morning Prayer), Mid-day Prayer, Vespers (Evening Prayer) and Compline (Night Prayer).
Its historical roots come from the office of Vigils (also sometimes called Matins) that, in its monastic origins, was the Night Office and was essentially a “night (prayer) watch” (hence the term Vigils). In monastic usage, generally Vigils is still prayed either in the night, very early in the morning, or anticipated the previous evening.
In secular usage (e.g. for diocesan clergy), more often than not it was being prayed the day before by anticipation or in the morning. With the reforms of the breviary that resulted in the Liturgy of the Hours as we now know it (in 1970), the office of Vigils (Matins) became the Office of Readings. It was considerably shortened, and the rubrics now allow for it to be prayed at any time of the day. However in community prayer as well as private use, it is laudable to retain its nocturnal character and pray it the previous evening (anticipated), at night or very early in the morning.
Historically, Vigils (in the monastic usage) after the invitatory and hymn, had two nocturnes of 6 psalms each; after the First Nocturne was a long bible reading; after the Second Nocturne, typically a reading from the Church Fathers or a hagiographic reading of the saint being celebrated that day. On Sundays, feasts and solemnities, there was a 3d Nocturne consisting of 3 O.T. canticles, a gospel reading and the hymn Te Deum (except on Sundays of Lent). Depending on the season (St. Benedict allowed for shorter summer nights in designing this Office), the readings would have 3-4 responsories between sections of the readings (winter), or just one at the end of the reading (summer).
With the reform of the breviary, in the LOTH the structure became:
Inivitatory or opening verse (depending if first office of the day)
Hymn
Three psalms or psalm sections of more or less equal length
A long bible reading followed by a responsory
A reading from the Church Fathers or the saint being celebrated, followed by a responsory
A collect.
Optionally, on Sundays, feasts or Solemnities, the LOTH has provisions for “Vigils”, essentially the old 3d nocturne, in order to retain its nocturnal quality. This is, however, optional and tends to be used mostly in religious communities.
In may ways it is my favourite Office; partly because of my monastic affinities and the fact that the Night Office has historically been the most important Office in monasteries, but also because of the richness of the scriptural and patristic/hagiographic readings.
