Breviaries

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futureKC123

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Hello,
I am looking to but a better LoTH, I really like the idea of the Diurnale Romanum but the Diurnale Monasticum also sounds promising. I am worried if i go with the Monastic one I might not be able to follow the calender. I go to a Latin Mass parish but I’ve heard the Benedictine calender and the Roman one are different. I am also worried that my Latin may not be suffecient for the Roman Diurnal. Also how do these compare with the time the Liturgium Horarium takes? I say that now but am worried being a full-time student would prohibit me from doing what a monk does with the Monastic Diurnal.
So, which one would you suggest and do you have anymore information?
Thank,
FKC
 
The problem with the Diurnal is that there is no “St Joseph’s Guide” for it that I can find.
There are online ordos, but they are confusing (at least to me :o )
 
Grace & Peace!

Baronius Press has published a really beautiful English-Latin Roman Breviary in three volumes. I think they’re out of stock at the moment, and it is a bit pricey, but you can read more about it here: newliturgicalmovement.org/2012/03/review-roman-breviary-in-english-and.html. The Monastic Diurnal (which doesn’t include Matins and is therefore much more accessible to folks working in the world) may be a better and more affordable option. There’s an English-Latin here from St. Michael’s Press: farnboroughabbey.org/press/dirunal.php. There’s also this lovely English-Latin online resource: breviary.net/

There’s also a Diurnal published by Lancelot Andrewes Press, which is Western Rite Orthodox, and is skewed more toward an Anglican style of worship (Prayer Book Collects are included when they differ substantially from the Roman Collects, KJV is used for scripture and the Coverdale Psalter–which I find to be peerlessly beautiful–is used; also, propers for some of the feasts reflect a more Anglican understanding of the feast–i.e., references to the Immaculate Conception may be missing or alternatives provided). Still, the offices are taken from pre-VII Roman sources. The Anglican Breviary (which includes Matins) is a similar product, but independently published. I mention these options as you may have a love for the Coverdale Psalter or other things Anglican (who knows?), but also so you know what to avoid if these things are not for you! If you do decide they’re what’s right for you, however, you might want to discuss them with your priest in order to get his permission to use them. I’ve a feeling, though, that you’d be better off with the Baronius or the St. Michael’s Abbey offerings, and unless you have tons of time (and money!) on your hands, I’d encourage you to look most closely at the St. Michael’s Monastic Diurnal.

Whatever you choose, the important thing is your commitment not to praying all of the hours every day, but to sanctifying the day. From personal experience, it’s just not possible for me to pray all of the hours. But praying Lauds and Vespers is pretty easy and straightforward (and gradually adding Compline is a terrific way to really end the day). I’m an Anglican as well, so I gradually found myself drawn back to the classic prayerbook pattern of Mattins and Evensong (supplemented with propers and hymns from the Anglican Breviary), but if I’m late or have overslept, the shorter breviary offices have proved welcome ways to sanctify the day.

You clearly understand how important the Office is, how it’s a real treasurehouse of spiritual riches–that’s terrific! What’s needed now is for you to become rooted in the prayer and for the prayer to become rooted in you–this happens not through over-committing ourselves to the various hours, but through sensibly committing ourselves to abiding by a rule of prayer which takes our practical situation into account or which is, in other words, do-able. Perhaps your priest can help you develop a practical and flexible rule which incorporates the diurnal or the breviary?

Blessings on your journey!

Under the Mercy,
Mark

All is Grace and Mercy! Deo Gratias!

(PS re: time–the Diurnal office will likely take a bit more time than the much-shortened LoTH if I recall correctly. But I might not be recalling correctly…anyway, I would budget between 15-20 minutes for the major offices–Lauds and Vespers–and around 8 to 10 for the lesser offices. When you’re first starting out, though, I’d tack on 5 minutes to account for flipping about, finding one’s place, and frequent consulting of the rubrics!)
 
I’ve prayed them all (LOTH English, Liturgia Horarum in Latin, Roman Diurnal, and Monastic Diurnal).

Unless you’re fluent in Latin, I wouldn’t use the Diurnale Romanum. If you have to run to your Latin/English dictionary too often, then it stops being prayerful and becomes more of a translation exercise. You say you attend a Latin Mass parish. That’s awesome. I don’t, butI would if there was one in my town. This would influence my choice of an Office greatly since it’s better to be in sync with your local parish calendar.

I’d recommend either the Monastic Diurnal or holding out for the second printing of the Baronius Press Breviary. Both are Latin/English, and both follow the 1962 calendar. The MD doesn’t deviate from the Roman Breviary much at all. Most of the differences center on minor feast days. Otherwise, the antiphons and majority of the liturgical year are identical. The psalter is arranged differently, but big deal.

Finally, don’t stress about not being able to do the whole office. As a layman, you are not obligated to prayer every office in its entirety. God is not expecting you to neglect your vocation as a layman in the world by turning yourself into a monastic. It is merely there as a prayer aid. I’d start with Compline, then add a couple of daytime hours. Slowly work up to Lauds and Vespers. If you never get there…so what? It’s tons better than praying the LOTH in ICELated English (IMHO).

If you are dead set on sticking with the Roman Breviary, then hold out for hte second printing from Baronius Press for a Latin/English 1962 BR.
 
Grace & Peace!
Windmill said:
Finally, don’t stress about not being able to do the whole office. As a layman, you are not obligated to prayer every office in its entirety. God is not expecting you to neglect your vocation as a layman in the world by turning yourself into a monastic. It is merely there as a prayer aid. I’d start with Compline, then add a couple of daytime hours. Slowly work up to Lauds and Vespers. If you never get there…
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This is sound and practical advice!

Under the Mercy,
Mark

All is Grace and Mercy! Deo Gratias!
 
Thanks for all the replies! I am looking at the Monsatic Diurnal, however; I don’t want to get it and then not be able to follow anything. Is there an online ordo or something? Someone out there that would be willing to help me get started once I get it? Also, is there a U.S. supplier of the Diurnale Monasticum? I want to try and avoid shipping costs from the U.K.
Thanks for all of your help!
FKC
 
Grace & Peace!
futureKC123 said:
Thanks for all the replies! I am looking at the Monsatic Diurnal, however; I don’t want to get it and then not be able to follow anything. Is there an online ordo or something? Someone out there that would be willing to help me get started once I get it? Also, is there a U.S. supplier of the Diurnale Monasticum? I want to try and avoid shipping costs from the U.K.
Thanks for all of your help!
FKC
Click to expand...
FKC, you might find this site helpful: saintsshallarise.blogspot.com.au/. There’s a monthly Ordo specifically for the St. Michael’s Diurnal at the right. Also, the book itself will have a section on rubrics as well as a Kalendar (to which you can, of course, add any local feasts celebrated in your parish which may not appear on the Kalendar).

Windmill’s advice is spot-on here–start with Compline and get familiar with it. It’s the easiest office of the bunch. Don’t feel you need to dive into Lauds or Vespers until you’ve read the rubrics, familiarized yourself with them, and gotten friendly with the Kalendar and the sections of propers and commons. You’ll realize soon enough that for these two big offices, there’s a distinct pattern. For Lauds, it runs something like this:

Introductory Prayers (i.e., Open thou my mouth, O Lord, to bless Thy Holy Name etc. and O Lord, in union with that Divine intention wherewith thou didst offer praise to God on earth etc.)
Pater Noster
Ave Maria

Opening versicles
Psalm 67 (without antiphon)
3 Psalms with their antiphons
An Old Testament Canticle appointed for the day and season
Psalms 148-150 with their antiphon
Chapter
Hymn
Versicle & Response
Antiphon and Benedictus
Lord’s Prayer
Collect of the day
Commemorations
Suffrage of Saints (or Commemoration of the Cross in Eastertide)
Closing versicles
Seasonal Antiphon of Our Lady

Closing Prayers: i.e. Sacrosanctae (To God most holy in His Divine Majesty of Trinity in Unity etc.)
Pater Noster

The pattern stays the same for Vespers, except the italicized psalter section is replaced with 4 psalms and their antiphons proper to the day (or feast) and the Benedictus and its anitphon is replaced with the Magnificat and its antiphon.

For a regular feria during ordinary time (Sundays after Epiphany or Pentecost), you’ll probably spend a lot of your time in the Psalter section of the Diurnal which is laid out pretty much for use during ferias–all the info is right there! On a feast, things get only slightly tricky–the propers and psalms depend on the rank of the feast. Most First Class Feasts will use the Sunday Psalms but will have proper antiphons drawn either from the Proper of Saints or from the Common of Saints. Second Class Feasts are similar. On lesser feasts, you’ll be praying the psalms and their antiphons from the proper day of the week in the ferial psalter, but everything else from the Chapter on will be taken from one of the Commons of Saints. How do you know the rank of the feast? The Diurnal will tell you! How do you know which Common to use for what saint? The Diurnal will tell you!

For instance, tomorrow’s the Feast of St. Dominic, Confessor, a lesser feast. So you’d pray the psalms and antiphons for Saturday, but the rest of the office would be from the Common of Confessors (Not Bishops). Normally on a Saturday, you would pray the Sabbath Office of Our Lady with the psalms and antiphons of the Saturday, but everything else from the Sabbath Office Common. But since it’s Dominic’s day, you’ll probably commemorate the Sabbath office after the Collect for St. Dominic.

It may all sound complex right now, but the thing to keep in mind is this: it’s all patterns. It has everything to do with rhythm–the rhythm of the individual office, the rhythm of the day, the rhythm of the Church year, the rhythm of sanctorale. Familiarity will make all complexity vanish and after a while, it will become second nature to you. Don’t let the potential complexity hold you back! A little patience with yourself with pay off rather nicely! Again, start with Compline and work your way up (by frequent reading of the rubrics and just reading through the various sections of the diurnal) to praying Lauds and Vespers.

Re: keeping costs down, you may want to check Amazon or a similar online bookstore for a used copy in relatively good nick–make sure, though, that you don’t buy the Andrewes Diurnal if that’s not what you want!

Under the Mercy!
Mark

All is Grace and Mercy! Deo Gratias!
 
I follow www.saintsshallarise.blogspot.com too. After a while I was able to get the flow of things and was able to wean myself off the Ordo. But, I still have it bookmarked on my iPhone so I can make sure if I have a question. The MD is not as intuitive as other offices, but it is older in it’s arrangement.

I migrate between Offices, but I think I’ve settled on the MD. It truly is the most beautiful book I own.

Incidentally, here’s a short video I did for a different thread on CAF when someone was asking about a leather cover for their MD. I bought this one on Renaissance-Art.com and love it:
 
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