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Caldera599
Guest
For the traditional Roman Breviary, at what times are the canonical hours said?
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F
firead
Guest
The middle colum is the Traditional Names & Hours - the ones on the right are the ones going by the current schedule.
(None is an hour that rhymes with “bone”, not the word that sounds like nun).
(None is an hour that rhymes with “bone”, not the word that sounds like nun).
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firead
Guest
- Matins (during the night, often along with lauds; at midnight with some); also called Vigils or Nocturns or, in monastic usage, the Night Office
- Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)
- Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)
- Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)
- Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 noon)
- None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)
- Vespers or Evening Prayer (“at the lighting of the lamps”, generally at 6 p.m.)
- Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.)
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OraLabora
Guest
There is some variation around the hours which were established in the “pre-clock” days. Lauds was always timed to be at dawn. Pre-clock, with the seasons this could vary from about 4 am 'till 6 or 7 am depending on locale. St. Benedict allowed for shorter readings at Vigils/Matins for the summer season, something that still exists in the monastic lectionary.
Also, often Matins or Vigils was recited by anticipation the previous evening. In the original monastic usage, Lauds at first referred to the three Laudate psalms at the end of Lauds (148, 149, 150) then became a distinct Office often said immediately after Vigils, or as the Rule of St Benedict said “after a brief pause to attend to natural needs” (Vigils/Matins being very long!)
“Vigils” is still the term used in monastic usage whereas in the Roman Breviary it has been replaced by the Office of Readings that can be said at any time (and still used as “Vigils” if desired).
Also, often Matins or Vigils was recited by anticipation the previous evening. In the original monastic usage, Lauds at first referred to the three Laudate psalms at the end of Lauds (148, 149, 150) then became a distinct Office often said immediately after Vigils, or as the Rule of St Benedict said “after a brief pause to attend to natural needs” (Vigils/Matins being very long!)
“Vigils” is still the term used in monastic usage whereas in the Roman Breviary it has been replaced by the Office of Readings that can be said at any time (and still used as “Vigils” if desired).
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Caldera599
Guest
With my old LOTH books I usually only said Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. MP was at 8:45 or so and EP was at 6 pm. Would that work at all?
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detoutcoeur
Guest
Hi,
As long as MP is in the morning, and EP in the evening, that seems fine.
Have a look at this link: universalis.com/n-liturgy-choose.htm
Choose a regular time each day for your use of the Liturgy. This may be the morning, before the cares of the day overwhelm you; or it may be the evening, after the day’s work is over and you can give your undivided attention to the things of the spirit. Whatever time you choose, stick to it. Don’t keep changing your mind about when you do things. A regular schedule is essential.
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OraLabora
Guest
Yes that’s fine. Nowadays, we’ve replaced the elastic concept of time based on the sun with metered time based on the clock. Just about all religious communities I know of celebrate the canonical hours at fixed times. Some may have differences for feast days, for example (and our abbey, having recreation on Thursdays, Vespers is postponed until 7 pm on that day). Carthusians really emphasize Vigils and say that hour (which lasts a very long time) starting at something like 11 pm.
In a monastery in the fairly northern latitudes, sunrise can be as early as 4 am in summer and as late as 8 in winter (by today’s measures). The Rule of Saint Benedict stipulates Lauds at dawn, and indirectly Vespers when the lamps would be lit for the evening, which of course could be very early in northern latitudes in winter.
8:45 am might be a bit late for MP, but still within bounds. Here is a very wide interpretation (my own), based on a monastic structure where there are Vigils instead of the Office of Readings (I’m currently on my “summer” hours; note I’m only doing one mid-day prayer for summer, either at the hour of Terce or Sext):
previous evening (by anticipation) to 6 am: Vigils (6 am for me except 7:30 on Sunday)
Lauds: 6 am-9 am (6:30 am in summer or 7:30 am in winter, 8 am on Sundays)
Terce/mid-day: 8 am-11 am (9:45 am if I am not able to make it mid-day prayer at Sext)
Sext/mid-day: 11 am-2 pm (noon for me)
None/mid-day: 2 pm-4 pm (I don’t recite None in summer)
Vespers: 4 pm-8 pm (6 pm in summer, 5 pm in winter)
Compline: 7 pm-10 pm (flexible, nominally 8:15 pm in winter, 9:15 pm in summer)
There’s no hard rule. As I stated these are my own “rule of thumb” so that if, say, I’m out between 4 pm and beyond 8 pm, I will omit Vespers and delay Compline if necessary (I have a handy recording of Monastic Compline on my iPhone that I can play and sing along with in my car), otherwise if I’m still “within bounds” by doing so, I’ll delay the Office to when I can recite it.
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Caldera599
Guest
Thanks, this is very helpful.
C
Caldera599
Guest
Well I managed to say todays Matins, Lauds and None so far.
C
Caldera599
Guest
If you’ll tolerate one last question, but are these parts of compline appropriate for a layperson to recite?
AndMay the almightyand merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution and remission of our sins. Amen.
. The almighty and merciful Lord,
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OraLabora
Guest
Yes in both cases. For the final blessing, it’s in the General Instructions:
For the penitential act, the only one that really makes sense in private recitation is the Confiteor. The other rites of the Mass are in verse/response format and best said in a presider or cantor/people response form.
For the penitential act, it doesn’t specify in the General Instructions. However if you look at the rites for celebration of a communion service without a priest, the (lay) leader says at the end of the penitential rite:
(source: UK Liturgy Office)
Therefore if a lay leader can say it at a communion service without a priest (s)he can also say it at Compline. It is not an act of absolution per se, but a prayer for mercy and forgiveness.
Note that at Compline, the examination of conscience is not compulsory, but very much recommended. In private recitation it isn’t necessary to use or recite aloud a penitential act, a period of silence and silent recitation of an act of contrition or the Confiteor would be very acceptable.
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