Instructions/Rubrics for Vespers (OF)?

[kinderbueno]

I am by no means an expert by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH), but we are fortunate enough at least to have daily Lauds and Vespers at our parish.

As I was discussing with a friend last evening, he stated that there are no rubrics or really any kind of instruction when it comes to the OF-LOTH. However, we should extend the “hermaneutic(sp?) of continuity” as the EF does have instructions for the LOTH.

The reason for my thread opening has to do with the Vespers done during Fridays of Advent at our parish:

We do the usual call & response, the prescribed scripture readings, etc. Then there was incense used. Week one with a thurible. Week two with some sort of bowl contraption, with some lady I’ve never seen before doing what seemed like liturgical dance; prancing up and down the aisles with her bowl.

While the week two shenanigans were obviously egrigious, my question is more about the use of incense to begin with – I thought in the absence of the mass and/or Blessed Sacrament, there really isn’t a licit use for it – there is no exposition/adoration/benediction following our Vespers, BTW.

I’m specifically looking for official documents that I can bring to the parish ‘liturgist’ (don’t get me started) as to why the practice is illicit. Help! (I hope I don’t have any of my terms confused here! )

 

[Dicerning]

I am by no means an expert by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH), but we are fortunate enough at least to have daily Lauds and Vespers at our parish.

As I was discussing with a friend last evening, he stated that there are no rubrics or really any kind of instruction when it comes to the OF-LOTH. However, we should extend the “hermaneutic(sp?) of continuity” as the EF does have instructions for the LOTH.

The reason for my thread opening has to do with the Vespers done during Fridays of Advent at our parish:

We do the usual call & response, the prescribed scripture readings, etc. Then there was incense used. Week one with a thurible. Week two with some sort of bowl contraption, with some lady I’ve never seen before doing what seemed like liturgical dance; prancing up and down the aisles with her bowl.

While the week two shenanigans were obviously egrigious, my question is more about the use of incense to begin with – I thought in the absence of the mass and/or Blessed Sacrament, there really isn’t a licit use for it – there is no exposition/adoration/benediction following our Vespers, BTW.

I’m specifically looking for official documents that I can bring to the parish ‘liturgist’ (don’t get me started) as to why the practice is illicit. Help! (I hope I don’t have any of my terms confused here! )

The General instruction for the LOH is (at least in Christian prayer book) in the front of the book.

 

[Phemie]

Why would using incense at Evening Prayer be illicit? It’s part of the rubrics for Evening Prayer in the Canadian ritual “Sunday Celebration of the Word and Hours”. Incensing of the assembly can occur during the Evening Psalm (141) or after the incensing of the altar during the Magnificat.

 

[kinderbueno]

I found the General Instruction for the LOH (sorry, I guess I wasn’t searching with the right words!), and it uses the word “incense” once in the instruction in the Morning & Evening prayer section 2.2, but not about its use of which it seems silent:

1. When evening approaches and the day is already far spent, evening prayer is celebrated in order that “we may give thanks for what has been given us, or what we have done well, during the day.” [5] We also recall the redemption through the prayer we send up “like incense in the Lord’s sight,” and in which “the raising up of our hands” becomes “an evening sacrifice.”

 

[Allen537]

In your breviary, go to the section that says “The Ordinary of the Liturgy of the Hours”.

In it is contained the rubrics for each hour.

 

[Allen537]

While the week two shenanigans were obviously egrigious, my question is more about the use of incense to begin with – I thought in the absence of the mass and/or Blessed Sacrament, there really isn’t a licit use for it – there is no exposition/adoration/benediction following our Vespers, BTW.

The use of incense is licit for the liturgy of the hours, especially when it is celebrates as “Solemn Vespers”. When I was in college seminary, we had solemn vespers anytime the archbishop presided at vespers. Also, when Benedict XVI had vespers with the bishops in DC, they had solemn vespers, which included incense.

 

[kinderbueno]

The use of incense is licit for the liturgy of the hours, especially when it is celebrates as “Solemn Vespers”. When I was in college seminary, we had solemn vespers anytime the archbishop presided at vespers. Also, when Benedict XVI had vespers with the bishops in DC, they had solemn vespers, which included incense.

Thanks for your quick answers!

Did the Solemn Vespers include Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament? I just want to make sure I’m reading this right. Our Advent prayer does not.

Peace, -Mike

 

[3bar17]

From the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours; The Rites for Celebration in Common, #261. “During the Gospel Canticle at Morning and Evening Prayer the altar, then the priest and the people, may be incensed.”

 

[kinderbueno]

From the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours; The Rites for Celebration in Common, #261. “During the Gospel Canticle at Morning and Evening Prayer the altar, then the priest and the people, may be incensed.”

I guess searching with the word “incense” in the document doesn’t include the word “incensation”.

Do you think the first two (i.e. altar then priest) should be prerequisites before incensing the people?

 

[Allen537]

Did the Solemn Vespers include Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament? I just want to make sure I’m reading this right. Our Advent prayer does not.

Peace, -Mike

We did it both ways in the seminary. Sunday evenings we had a communal Holy Hour with the exposed blessed sacrament, followed by solemn night prayer, with benediction to conclude.

Thursday evenings there was solemn evening prayer, during the course of which the blessed sacrament would be exposed for a few hours of adoration, both communal and individual (we had time slots that we needed to sign up for). To conclude would be the same as sunday evenings: Solemn night prayer with benediction.

However, when the Archbishop was over for a pastoral visit, the blessed sacrament would not be exposed. There would be solemn evening prayer with a procession, incensing of altar, crucifix, ect. Then after the reading there was the Archbishop’s homily, canticle of Mary, and so on. The incense was used again, but I can’t remember when.

I guess what I’m saying is that there are different ways that incense may be used during the LOTH.

 

[Allen537]

From the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours; The Rites for Celebration in Common, #261. “During the Gospel Canticle at Morning and Evening Prayer the altar, then the priest and the people, may be incensed.”

That’s right!

This is the second time incense was used with the Solemn vespers for us.

 

[kinderbueno]

Thank you all for your help! I think my main question was answered!

I guess my only remaining question has to do with the vehicle by which the incense was used, i.e. the “bowl thingie” I mentioned in my original post.

Should incense only be used in a thurible in this (or mass) setting?

Peace, -Mike

 

[Allen537]

Thank you all for your help! I think my main question was answered!

I guess my only remaining question has to do with the vehicle by which the incense was used, i.e. the “bowl thingie” I mentioned in my original post.

Should incense only be used in a thurible in this (or mass) setting?

Peace, -Mike

I don’t know of any specific rubrics on this. A bowl would have been common in the ancient church. And I know that there are a number of priories in my order that still use the bowl as opposed to the thurible.