Breviary

[TranquilAbiding]

The revisions to the Breviary that were made during Vatican II have left a shorter set of Offices for the Divine Office.

I’ve just been wondering: did these changes to the Office leave monastic orders with alot of spare time on their hands that they didn’t have before?

Thanks.

 

[johndoe100]

“When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6)

TheCanonicalHours from the Council of Trent are available for the iPhone. And they have the night watch. Search for “divinum officium”

If the*Universalis has the Night Watch, I haven’t found them *yet?**(Psalm 63:6)

 

[Carlan]

The revisions to the Breviary that were made during Vatican II have left a shorter set of Offices for the Divine Office.

I’ve just been wondering: did these changes to the Office leave monastic orders with alot of spare time on their hands that they didn’t have before?

Thanks.

: I remember driving onto a Benedicine monastary farmland in Oklahoma a couple years back and the Monks were out working the fields, so no matter how short their Divine Office prayers have been cut, Catholic spirituality is so deep any spare time they find on their hands will no doubt be filled with prayer even while they work or relax.
peace, Carlan

 

[johndoe100]

I am pretty sure that (Psalm 63:6) in included in any Breviary whether Anglian or modern Catholic.

“When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6)

I’m not a priest or monk, but sometimes I pray the Canonical Hours after I pray the Rosary before bed. The Office is portioned out into the prayers of the night vigils, that is to say Matins and Lauds. Matins itself is subdivided into three nocturns, to correspond with the three watches of the night: nine o’clock at night, midnight, and three o’clock in the morning. The office of Lauds was supposed to be recited at dawn.

 

[curlycool89]

The revisions to the Breviary that were made during Vatican II have left a shorter set of Offices for the Divine Office.

I’ve just been wondering: did these changes to the Office leave monastic orders with alot of spare time on their hands that they didn’t have before?

The changes to the Breviary was to the one for the Roman Rite.

The Benedictions have their own monastic breviary with the scheme specified in the Rule of St. Benedict (I believe). That did not change.

I believe that there may be some options post-breviary changes for them to adapt a longer cycle (as opposed to the 1-week cycle the Rule specifies), but they’re still able to use the original monastic schema as specified by St. Benedict.

 

[OraLabora]

The “standard” Benedictine Office is still the one specified by St Benedict with one exception, it is now permitted to distribute the psalms of Prime into other Hours (usually Vigils or the minor hours).

However the individual abbeys are permitted to adopt other Offices. The minimum is a two-week cycle (approx. 75 psalms per week). Those that exercise a heavy external Uapostolate (e. g. teaching, parish work) may use the current 4-week LOTH.

One thing to keep in mind is that the previous choir Office using the Benedictine schema became so elaborate over time due to so many feasts and octaves, special days, etc. tha two classes of monks developed: choir monks, all well-educated priests or deacons and monks on their way to becoming priests, and less educated lay brothers that did the manual work of the monastery. They usually had their own “little Office”.

This was contrary to the wishes of St Benedict where all are supposed to be equal in the monastery except for service at the altar.

The traditional Benedictine Office thus benefits from the simplification of the liturgical calendar though it still remains a very heavy Office (approx. 250 psalms a week).

The most popular formula is that developed by Notker Fueglister in the 60’s. It does the entire psalter in 1 week (with a couple of 2-week variants). It is used at the abbey I’m affiliated with. But there is much variation. Last weekend I was at Douai Abbey in the UK. They use a 4-week cycle for Matins and the midday office and the 1-week Monastic antiphonary for Vespers which they do in Latin. They also use monastic Compline in English.

My main point though is that this simplification helped facilitate the return to St Benedict’s original Benedictine charism by abolishing the dual class of monks. At our abbey, since about 30 years the lay brothers became full professed members of the monastic community.

And that’s a very good thing!

 

[Carlan]

The “standard” Benedictine Office is still the one specified by St Benedict with one exception, it is now permitted to distribute the psalms of Prime into other Hours (usually Vigils or the minor hours).

However the individual abbeys are permitted to adopt other Offices. The minimum is a two-week cycle (approx. 75 psalms per week). Those that exercise a heavy external Uapostolate (e. g. teaching, parish work) may use the current 4-week LOTH.

One thing to keep in mind is that the previous choir Office using the Benedictine schema became so elaborate over time due to so many feasts and octaves, special days, etc. tha two classes of monks developed: choir monks, all well-educated priests or deacons and monks on their way to becoming priests, and less educated lay brothers that did the manual work of the monastery. They usually had their own “little Office”.

This was contrary to the wishes of St Benedict where all are supposed to be equal in the monastery except for service at the altar.

The traditional Benedictine Office thus benefits from the simplification of the liturgical calendar though it still remains a very heavy Office (approx. 250 psalms a week).

The most popular formula is that developed by Notker Fueglister in the 60’s. It does the entire psalter in 1 week (with a couple of 2-week variants). It is used at the abbey I’m affiliated with. But there is much variation. Last weekend I was at Douai Abbey in the UK. They use a 4-week cycle for Matins and the midday office and the 1-week Monastic antiphonary for Vespers which they do in Latin. They also use monastic Compline in English.

My main point though is that this simplification helped facilitate the return to St Benedict’s original Benedictine charism by abolishing the dual class of monks. At our abbey, since about 30 years the lay brothers became full professed members of the monastic community.

And that’s a very good thing!

Thank you very much for this knowledge, and my better understanding of it all.
Peace, Carlan

 

[johndoe100]

NOTE: The current Bible used for the modern Mass is the NABRE which uses the Hebrew numbering of the Psalms. That means that you will have to add one verse, and (Psalm 63:6) becomes (Psalm 63:7)

 

[TranquilAbiding]

“When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6)

TheCanonicalHours from the Council of Trent are available for the iPhone. And they have the night watch. Search for “divinum officium”

If the*Universalis has the Night Watch, I haven’t found them *yet?**(Psalm 63:6)

Thanks Johndoe. I can’t find a divinum officium app in the app store. However, I did purchase and download BrevMeum. It contains the office of Matutinum with the Nocturns. Excellent! All hours are in Latin and English.

I have Universalis, too. It has the Office of Readings.

 

[TranquilAbiding]

Thanks also for the quote from Psalms about the night watch, Johndoe.

 

[TranquilAbiding]

: I remember driving onto a Benedicine monastary farmland in Oklahoma a couple years back and the Monks were out working the fields, so no matter how short their Divine Office prayers have been cut, Catholic spirituality is so deep any spare time they find on their hands will no doubt be filled with prayer even while they work or relax.
peace, Carlan

Excellent point, Carlan. And very true. Thank you.

 

[HonoraDominum]

Thanks Johndoe. I can’t find a divinum officium app in the app store. However, I did purchase and download BrevMeum. It contains the office of Matutinum with the Nocturns. Excellent! All hours are in Latin and English.

I have Universalis, too. It has the Office of Readings.

Brevarium Meum app is the one that uses the database from DivinumOfficium.com, so you purchased the right one. The database for that app is constantly proofed and updated, so if you are praying the Latin, you should be praying the same prayers as those who are obligated to pray the Hours due to their religious vocation and who have opted to use the 1962 liturgical norms.

 

[TranquilAbiding]

The “standard” Benedictine Office is still the one specified by St Benedict with one exception, it is now permitted to distribute the psalms of Prime into other Hours (usually Vigils or the minor hours).

However the individual abbeys are permitted to adopt other Offices. The minimum is a two-week cycle (approx. 75 psalms per week). Those that exercise a heavy external Uapostolate (e. g. teaching, parish work) may use the current 4-week LOTH.

One thing to keep in mind is that the previous choir Office using the Benedictine schema became so elaborate over time due to so many feasts and octaves, special days, etc. tha two classes of monks developed: choir monks, all well-educated priests or deacons and monks on their way to becoming priests, and less educated lay brothers that did the manual work of the monastery. They usually had their own “little Office”.

This was contrary to the wishes of St Benedict where all are supposed to be equal in the monastery except for service at the altar.

The traditional Benedictine Office thus benefits from the simplification of the liturgical calendar though it still remains a very heavy Office (approx. 250 psalms a week).

The most popular formula is that developed by Notker Fueglister in the 60’s. It does the entire psalter in 1 week (with a couple of 2-week variants). It is used at the abbey I’m affiliated with. But there is much variation. Last weekend I was at Douai Abbey in the UK. They use a 4-week cycle for Matins and the midday office and the 1-week Monastic antiphonary for Vespers which they do in Latin. They also use monastic Compline in English.

My main point though is that this simplification helped facilitate the return to St Benedict’s original Benedictine charism by abolishing the dual class of monks. At our abbey, since about 30 years the lay brothers became full professed members of the monastic community.

And that’s a very good thing!

Thank you for this detailed and very good explanation! I have read of the choir monks versus the lay monks in my studies.

 

[TranquilAbiding]

For a detailed historical study of the Breviary check out “From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours: The Structural Reform of the Office 1964-1971” by Stanislaus Campbell, F.S.C. I came across it on a Google search and requested it through my library.

 

[OraLabora]

For a detailed historical study of the Breviary check out “From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours: The Structural Reform of the Office 1964-1971” by Stanislaus Campbell, F.S.C. I came across it on a Google search and requested it through my library.

I have it and it’s an excellent read. While somewhat critical of the current LOTH, on the other hand it will help dispel many myths about it as well. I’m not so critical of the LOTH. There are things about it I really like, some that bother me, but on the whole I think it sticks reasonably well to tradition and fulfills it’s secular mission to both the clergy and to making the Divine Office more attainable by lay Catholics. I have some more detailed commentary in this thread: Which Divine Office?

 

[TranquilAbiding]

I have it and it’s an excellent read. While somewhat critical of the current LOTH, on the other hand it will help dispel many myths about it as well. I’m not so critical of the LOTH. There are things about it I really like, some that bother me, but on the whole I think it sticks reasonably well to tradition and fulfills it’s secular mission to both the clergy and to making the Divine Office more attainable by lay Catholics. I have some more detailed commentary in this thread: Which Divine Office?

Thanks for the insight and for the thread link