Good Friday Vespers

[Tremble]

If I watched the Liturgy of the Passion Livestream, since it is not possible to attend in person because the churches are closed, should I say Good Friday Vespers or not?

 

[OraLabora]

Are you bound to the Office? (i.e. a deacon, priest, bishop or religious)

I did my own mini-Good Friday liturgy at 3 pm in my oratory. I read the readings, sang the tract, and the gradual Christus Facus Est, read aloud the universal prayers, chanted procession chant Ecce lignum, unveiled my crucifix and adored it, then sang the antiphon Crucem Tuam, and the hymn Crux Fidelis, said the Pater Noster, and the concluding prayer. No communion, I’m not a priest.

So yes, I dispensed myself from Vespers. I’m not bound though my oblate statutes require I say as much of the Office as befits my condition in life, so I have no qualms about my decision.

So it’s entirely up to you. Myself, I’d think it would be redundant.

 

[TomH1]

If I watched the Liturgy of the Passion Livestream, since it is not possible to attend in person because the churches are closed, should I say Good Friday Vespers or not?

I would say no: You do not have to pray Good Friday Vespers. Can you pray Good Friday Vespers? Yes, you can if you want to do that.

The rubrics for the Divine Office make it clear that on Good Friday you omit Vespers (a.k.a. Evening Prayer) if you attend the Liturgy of the Passion. I believe that, like many in these troubled times, you did your best under the circumstances and watched and prayed along with the Liturgy because it was not possible to attend it.

 

[gotDoug]

As others have said, if you are not bound, do what you think is best for you spiritually. I myself have prayed Vespers, watched a livestream of the Liturgy, and had my own Good Friday liturgy, similar to how OraLabora described above.

It never hurts to say extra prayers. I have never prayed Vespers on Holy Thursday or Good Friday, so this was a new experience for me. I hope this is the last time I ever pray Vespers on these days because hopefully there will never be any reason to suspend public Liturgies and Masses again.
I will pray Night Prayer for Holy Saturday before watching a livestream of the Vigil. I may still do the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday, depending on how I feel, as the readings at Mass will be bi-lingual.

 

[porthos11]

If I watched the Liturgy of the Passion Livestream, since it is not possible to attend in person because the churches are closed, should I say Good Friday Vespers or not?

I followed the Celebration of Lord’s Passion on Good Friday but since I recognize that I can only unite, but not participate through TV, I recited, for the first time in my life, Evening Prayer for Good Friday (and Holy Thursday the evening before). I followed the rubric to use the General Intercessions from the Missal for the Celebration of the Passion, and I did so chanting them in the manner they are chanted during the service.

I also prayed the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday, with a significant gap afterwards so as not to join it with Morning Prayer.