Leading the Office

[GoGoDiego]

We will be having our overnight retreat next month on Feb. 9-10. (February 10 is Ash Wed. this year, btw) As the class Liturgy Head, I am going to make the prayers for the duration of our retreat. Thus, I thought of doing the Divine Office as the daily prayer of the students during the retreat. I just wish to ask how to lead the office as a layperson? Any suggestions?

 

[porthos11]

We will be having our overnight retreat next month on Feb. 9-10. (February 10 is Ash Wed. this year, btw) As the class Liturgy Head, I am going to make the prayers for the duration of our retreat. Thus, I thought of doing the Divine Office as the daily prayer of the students during the retreat. I just wish to ask how to lead the office as a layperson? Any suggestions?

You would lead from your seat. If you’re (fittingly) celebrating in a chapel, you would not lead from the sanctuary, but from your pew (well, I guess the argument can be made that you can use the ambo, but definitely not the presidential chair).

All blessings are said according to the lay state, therefore, no presidential greetings (“The Lord be with you”) or blessings (“May almighty God bless you…”); you would instead use the lay/individual blessing (“May the Lord bless us, protect us from evil, and bring us to everlasting life.”)

Pick a separate person as Reader, to say the Readings (I presume you will be leading Morning/Evening Prayer).

Divide the group into two choirs for alternate recitation/chanting of the Psalms+Canticles.

 

[Maddie26]

The Divine Office is a prayer without equal but it is hard. You would need a fair bit of preparation and even rehearsal to avoid people getting confused. Even nuns practice before special ceremonies and they do it every day.

In my experience as a nun the Divine Office isn’t really something that gets “led.” There are maybe half a dozen versicles for the hebdomadry and that’s it. The reader does her part, the first chantress does hers etc. All the president does is read the Gospel on Sundays, not the other readings, and pray for the blessing at the end of Compline. It isn’t meant to be a one man show. I know priests say it on their own but it was built for communities in monasteries.

The Office is something that requires participation of all involved. You would need some very detailed sheets to read from because no way will laypeople be able to flip back and forth through a Breviary to all the right pages first time out of the box. Even for a brand new nun following along seven times a day in a community who knows what they’re doing it is confusing for weeks. The back and forth chanting of the psalms is something most people don’t see often, psalm 150 is sung together, not back and forth, and the structure of the Office is quite complex. It also takes a comparatively long time and a lot of people get restless. And even nuns who pray the Office seven times a day make mistakes. If we made a mistake we used to stand up, kneel for a moment, then stand again and return to our place. We were only allowed to do this three times per Office, to prevent disruption. Nuns sit together in their stalls and there is no distinction between them. They have assigned seating that changes each week. The only time they go into the sanctuary is to read from the lectern. Nuns are also forbidden to look around in the chapel, called “modesty of eyes” and have a special garment they wear over their habits when in chapel.

I’m sorry to sound so negative. I don’t mean to say it is impossible. Make very detailed running sheets for each person. Have a rehearsal. Show them a video, in the language you’re going to use, of the Office you’re planning. Make them feel like they are the ones praying the Office rather than sitting there while you do. Pick someone to be Reader, Hebdomadary, Chantress(to intone the psalms), candle bearers, someone whose job it is to go into the chapel beforehand and make everything ready, someone to ring the bell when its time to assemble- nuns have a bell to gather in the Chapter Room at, say, 0700, then eight minutes later a bell is rung for everyone to proceed to the chapel. Have a musicial play a processional while everyone is waiting.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[OraLabora]

The Divine Office is a prayer without equal but it is hard. You would need a fair bit of preparation and even rehearsal to avoid people getting confused. Even nuns practice before special ceremonies and they do it every day.

In my experience as a nun the Divine Office isn’t really something that gets “led.” There are maybe half a dozen versicles for the hebdomadry and that’s it. The reader does her part, the first chantress does hers etc. All the president does is read the Gospel on Sundays, not the other readings, and pray for the blessing at the end of Compline. It isn’t meant to be a one man show. I know priests say it on their own but it was built for communities in monasteries.

The Office is something that requires participation of all involved. You would need some very detailed sheets to read from because no way will laypeople be able to flip back and forth through a Breviary to all the right pages first time out of the box. Even for a brand new nun following along seven times a day in a community who knows what they’re doing it is confusing for weeks. The back and forth chanting of the psalms is something most people don’t see often, psalm 150 is sung together, not back and forth, and the structure of the Office is quite complex. It also takes a comparatively long time and a lot of people get restless. And even nuns who pray the Office seven times a day make mistakes. If we made a mistake we used to stand up, kneel for a moment, then stand again and return to our place. We were only allowed to do this three times per Office, to prevent disruption. Nuns sit together in their stalls and there is no distinction between them. They have assigned seating that changes each week. The only time they go into the sanctuary is to read from the lectern. Nuns are also forbidden to look around in the chapel, called “modesty of eyes” and have a special garment they wear over their habits when in chapel.

I’m sorry to sound so negative. I don’t mean to say it is impossible. Make very detailed running sheets for each person. Have a rehearsal. Show them a video, in the language you’re going to use, of the Office you’re planning. Make them feel like they are the ones praying the Office rather than sitting there while you do. Pick someone to be Reader, Hebdomadary, Chantress(to intone the psalms), candle bearers, someone whose job it is to go into the chapel beforehand and make everything ready, someone to ring the bell when its time to assemble- nuns have a bell to gather in the Chapter Room at, say, 0700, then eight minutes later a bell is rung for everyone to proceed to the chapel. Have a musicial play a processional while everyone is waiting.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I’ve led/organized the Divine Office before, in Gregorian chant even. It’s not that difficult provided you provide everyone with printed booklets beforehand. Mind you this was for oblates who are already familiar with the DO.

My most memorable occasion was being bus and DO leader on an excursion from Rome to Monte Cassino. I lead Lauds in Gregorian chant in the bus. Leading mostly means doing the verse in the verse/response. For the psalmody, I cantored, intoning the antiphons and alternating verses with the passengers. Of course I used the lay conclusion.

If chanting with people not entirely familiar with chant, I find that cantoring, alternating between the cantor and the assembly, works best as the assembly can pick up the melody more easily from the cantor in that manner.

 

[InThePew]

We will be having our overnight retreat next month on Feb. 9-10. (February 10 is Ash Wed. this year, btw) As the class Liturgy Head, I am going to make the prayers for the duration of our retreat. Thus, I thought of doing the Divine Office as the daily prayer of the students during the retreat. I just wish to ask how to lead the office as a layperson? Any suggestions?

In all things simplicity! As Maddie26 has said, the flicking back and forth (especially at that time of year) can be confusing for the uninitiated although I’m not sure I’d agree that it’s all that difficult. I’m guessing that most of those present won’t have breviaries so presumably you’re going to have to prepare some sheets with the psalms, etc of the office which has the benefit of eliminating the flicking back and forth part. The alternating between verses of the psalm is pretty easy for people to pick up on but I would recommend that the psalms be said and not chanted since chanting can be a struggle for those unfamiliar with the chant (or, for that matter, unfamiliar with chanting itself). The same goes for hymns - these can work, provided they’re ones everyone’s familiar with.

The other thing I’d recommend is, be mindful of where others are at in terms of their faith - in other words, don’t make it too intense or expect too much too early. So if your class usually just says a few short prayers, praying the whole office is most likely going to be a step too far. It can also be a struggle to try and fit the office around whatever else you’re doing and so, just doing Morning, Evening and Night prayer may work best - although you’ll obviously be more familiar with where others are at.

Finally, remember where you are and where’re you’re not - while formality has it’s place, sometimes it has to take a back seat to practicality! Good luck!

 

[CB_Catholic]

We will be having our overnight retreat next month on Feb. 9-10. (February 10 is Ash Wed. this year, btw) As the class Liturgy Head, I am going to make the prayers for the duration of our retreat. Thus, I thought of doing the Divine Office as the daily prayer of the students during the retreat. I just wish to ask how to lead the office as a layperson? Any suggestions?

Would not doing a simple Liturgy of the Word suffice rather than the Divine Office? It is not nearly as complicated, and the readings for the day are simple to obtain, as well as the format.

 

[GoGoDiego]

Would not doing a simple Liturgy of the Word suffice rather than the Divine Office? It is not nearly as complicated, and the readings for the day are simple to obtain, as well as the format.

I find it fitting since as youth, we aren’t that young to unite our voice in prayer, especially with the prayer of the church. As for the visual aids, I got it covered already. I typed all the prayers on powerpoint, the audio for the hymns, and indications for the parts of the people and the alternating choirs and will flash it on the projector of the chapel.

Should I lead wearing the alb?

 

[Phemie]

I find it fitting since as youth, we aren’t that young to unite our voice in prayer, especially with the prayer of the church. As for the visual aids, I got it covered already. I typed all the prayers on powerpoint and will flash it on the projector of the chapel.

Should I lead wearing the alb?

In a retreat setting you might be able to wear the alb. In a parish setting we didn’t vest our leaders of prayer.

Morning and Evening prayer are not that difficult if you have the format in a handout. I attended those at the abbey where OraLabora worships, and even given the differences in the monastery setting, the prayers in choir and the fact that they pray most of the hours in Latin and not really for the people in the pews, I still could figure out where I was most of the time.

 

[GoGoDiego]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I have two more follow up questions:

How will Vespers be integrated with Adoration? Do explain to me what will be the format.

Should I add a Benedicamus Domino with two alleluias at the conclusion of First Day (Feb. 9) Vespers, in keeping with tradition, and end all antiphons with the alleluia? Since that day is the day before Ash Wednesday.

 

[Maddie26]

In the convent we simply knelt after Office when Exposition began and took turns succeeding one another. We sang Compline, then knelt and sang Tantum Ergo while the Blessed Sacrament was being put back into the tabernacle. In my current parish we sing O Sacrament Most Holy during Exposition and Sweet Sacrament Divine afterwards. Alleluia isn’t usually added unless it is a Sunday or during the Easter Season, so no, I would not add Alleluia, although I don’t know of any strict rule forbidding its use on a feria.

 

[GoGoDiego]

Leading the office actually turned out great on which I lead it among my (pretty sizeable) group of friends. I haven’t done it as a class since the retreat personnel had a sudden change of schedule. So during breakfast, me and my friends who were finished eating headed to the chapel to recite Lauds and also during dinnertime to recite Vespers. We also prayed Midday Hour and Compline during Lunch and after the day’s sessions, respectively.

Actually, provided that I gave them the propers, they followed well given the prior orientations before we recited these prayers. Even the Retreat Master, who was a seminarian, prayed together with us during Vespers. He congratulated us after.

I am looking forward to further lead the office later this month for our religious club’s overnight leadership conference.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Leading the office actually turned out great on which I lead it among my (pretty sizeable) group of friends. I haven’t done it as a class since the retreat personnel had a sudden change of schedule. So during breakfast, me and my friends who were finished eating headed to the chapel to recite Lauds and also during dinnertime to recite Vespers. We also prayed Midday Hour and Compline during Lunch and after the day’s sessions, respectively.

Actually, provided that I gave them the propers, they followed well given the prior orientations before we recited these prayers. Even the Retreat Master, who was a seminarian, prayed together with us during Vespers. He congratulated us after.

I am looking forward to further lead the office later this month for our religious club’s overnight leadership conference.

Congratulations. Hopefully some of those who were so exposed will be interested in praying the Liturgy of the Hours on an on-going basis. Best wishes for this apostolate of making the LOTH better known and more frequently prayed.