Current psalmody for Terce, Sext or None?

[Ahlman]

The General Instruction for the Liturgy of the Hours says in numer 81 that “Those who pray more than one hour [during the day] should use the current psalmody at one hour and the complementary psalmody at the others.” It doesn’t say when to use the current psalmody for which hour, except for those days when the complementary psalms are included in any other hour of that day.

My question is: what is the most usual way to do? Do you always use the current psalmody for sext so that the complementary psalms for sext are hardly ever used compared to the others, or do you spread it out so that the current psalmody are used just as often for terce and none as for sext? How is it usually done by the contemplatives that prays all seven hours every day?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I rarely have a chance to pray all three daytime hours, so it is usually not an issue for me.

When I do pray more than one daytime hour, I usually pray the current day’s psalms for the first daytime hour that I pray, and the complementary psalmody later in the day. (So I guess I almost never use midmorning prayer from the complementary psalmody.) This is just my habit; I don’t think it really matters.

At the monastery/retreat house where I usually make my annual retreat, the nuns pray all seven hours. They often use the psalms for a different week of the psalter as a substitute, rather than always using the complementary psalmody. (For example, if it is Monday of Week III, they may use the psalms from Monday Week III at midmorning, the psalms from Monday Week II at noon, and the psalms from Monday Week IV at midafternoon.) This allows for more variety.

If you’re not bound (e.g., as a priest or member of a religious order) to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, I think you have a certain amount of freedom in how you approach it. Members of a religious order should follow their rule.

 

[Ahlman]

Is there any other orders except for discalced Carmelite nuns that pray all three prayers during the day according to the ordinary Liturgy of the Hours? Benedictines, Cistercians and Trappists have their own divine offices, and I don’t know of any other orders that are obliged to pray all three (terce, sext and none) every day.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Is there any other orders except for discalced Carmelite nuns that pray all three prayers during the day according to the ordinary Liturgy of the Hours? Benedictines, Cistercians and Trappists have their own divine offices, and I don’t know of any other orders that are obliged to pray all three (terce, sext and none) every day.

The Passionists (at least the nuns in Whitesville, KY) pray all three and use the ordinary Liturgy of the Hours (they do have a supplement for Passionist saints and special feasts).