Liceity of extending certain parts of the Liturgy of the Hours

  • Thread starter Thread starter Spyridon
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Spyridon

Guest
I’m seeking advice regarding whether it is licit to do certain things to extend the Office while praying it, from someone who is very familiar with both the LOTH and the GILH. Maybe someone like @OraLabora or @FrDavid96.

Here’s my questions:
  1. Is it licit to extend the Office of Readings into a Vigils celebration by adding the Canticles and Gospel reading from this particular weeks Sunday during a weekday. For example, this is the 5th week of Lent - could I pray the Canticles and Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Lent, and attach that after the proper readings for the day although today is Friday?
  2. Is it licit to recite more than one hymn prior to each hour? Or how about a hymn and then one of the poems from the back of the LOTH volume?
  3. Is it licit to use more Psalms in a particular hour than what is outlined in the 4 week Psalter? For example, today the Psalter is in week 1. Could I use the Psalms from week 2 immediately after the Psalms from wk 1, and do this for all the Offices and thus be on a 2 week Psalter cycle?
  4. The Biblical reading for the day in the daytime hours or say in Vespers, is it licit to extend it by reading the reading out of my NABRE Bible? For example, the reading tonight for Vespers is 1 Peter 2:21-24. Can I pop open my NABRE Bible and just read the entire 2nd chapter of 2 Peter instead?
  5. After praying the Our Father, is it licit to add the acclamation which is said after Mass that says “Deliver us O Lord we pray from every evil… For the Kingdom, the Power…” then end it with the Gloria Patri?
  6. During the Intercessory prayers, can you add other intercessions, or take one of the Litanies from the Byzantine Rite Liturgy and attach that to the LOTH intercessions?
  7. At the concluding prayer, can you recite the prayer 3 times in a row out loud?
I think these are about all the questions I have - just a note, this is for private recitation of the LOTH with either just myself or me and my wife.

If any of these options are not licit, and I do them anyway, does that mean the prayer becomes illicit and is no longer a strict act of Liturgy but just a private devotion instead?

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
I’m not an authority, so I won’t answer your specific questions… but if you’re not already, you could chant the offices, even if just by yourself at home… that definitely extends them.
 
I cannot chant or sing so that’s not an option. I can’t read music and I’m totally tone deaf and my voice is horrendous.
 
Last edited:
Plainchant is pretty straight forward. Maybe someone could coach you? Any chance of finding a monk mentor :P?
 
I’m familiar with the Byzantine style of chanting, and I often imitate it to the best of my ability while reciting the Psalmody and the readings.
 
Another way I extend it, which is something spelled out in the GILH so I know it’s licit, I’ll use incense and cense my LOTH volume at the beginning of the Gospel canticle.

This morning I prayed Vigils, Lauds, Terce and Sext back to back and managed to stretch it to 53 minutes.
 
Last edited:
I didn’t realize lay people could incense during private recitation. Interesting.
 
I’m disabled and don’t work and want to spend more time in Liturgical prayer in order to advance the peace and salvation of the World.
 
You could also do additional devotions before and after the office. You could begin or end by reciting the Mass readings of the day. You could begin or end with the Rosary. You could sing hymns before or after (but apart from) the office.
 
That’s a good suggestion.

I’m thinking the Rosary before the Office begins, then after the Office ends the Litany of Humility and Litany of the Saints.
 
twf said:
didn’t realize lay people could incense during private recitation. Interesting.
Click to expand...
GILH #261.
“During the gospel canticle at morning prayer and evening prayer there may be an incensation of the altar, then of the priest and congregation.”

The way I read that, even though there is no priest, congregation or altar to incense, it doesn’t seem like incensing my crucifix, icons, and LOTH volume would be illicit.

@OraLabora what do you say?
 
I don’t think there’s any restriction against burning incense while reciting the LOTH. I tried it a couple of times but gave it up. I chant the LOTH, and my oratory is small and not very well ventilated. My voice just choked up and I couldn’t utter a word. I even tried just using a tiny amount of incense, to no avail.
 
Spyridon you are a lay person, so there should be no hard and fast rules how you pray, no sin in what you combine or pray. Most important though is morning and evening prayer. I really enjoy each day’s Office of readings too, and learning about Saints on their special days.
If you are a priest or religious or some third orders, you would be subject to rule.

Atm I am an Aspirant and just learning LOTH. I have a guide on what to do each day from my superiors.
But if I get lost or get it wrong, no biggie. But once I join this Community, I am bound by its rule for LOTH.
 
Last edited:
There’s a version of the EF Office which is an approved English translation, but the only places I can find that online are for like $300…

If I could get that volume, I’d make that my main form of the Office.

I could also buy a Ukrainian Catholic horologion, or use the Anglican Ordinariate Office, which would be okay for occasional use, but I think it would be wrong to use one of those consistently as my main form of the Office since I’m canonically a Roman Rite Catholic.

I have no desire to learn Latin so praying the EF Office in Latin is out of the question for me.

I have recited the EF Office in an unapproved English translation, but that, of course, is not licit liturgically speaking, so I can do that as a private devotion but it doesn’t have the same effect as praying the Office Liturgically.

Devotional prayers are strictly for your own soul (except when praying intercessory type devotions).

Liturgical prayers are always devotional and sanctify your soul, but they go further and help sanctify time itself, the Church, and the entire world. Liturgical prayer is the most powerful form of prayer the Church has to offer, so it’s important to me when praying the LOTH that it is done in a way which allows the prayer to keep its Liturgical liceity.
 
OraLabora said:
don’t think there’s any restriction against burning incense while reciting the LOTH. I tried it a couple of times but gave it up. I chant the LOTH, and my oratory is small and not very well ventilated. My voice just choked up and I couldn’t utter a word. I even tried just using a tiny amount of incense, to no avail.
Click to expand...
@OraLabora.

Thanks my friend.

How about the 7 questions in my OP?

Detailed explanation would be nice, but not necessary. A simple yes or no as to liceity will suffice!
 
Roseeurekacross said:
Can you attend daily Mass
Click to expand...
Sometimes.

Obviously that’s the highest form of Liturgy itself. But even if I go to Mass at the Cathedral, between walking there, Mass itself, and walking home that’s only about 45 minutes.

Ideally, I’d like to do that, plus spend about 1.5-2 hours praying the Office, for close to 3 hours of Liturgical prayer a day…

If I lived closer to the Benedictine Abbey, I’d just attach myself to them and follow their rule and attend their Mass. But I can only get out there occasionally.
 
OK here goes.
  1. Vigils during a weekday should not have the OT canticle and gospel; that is reserved for Sundays, feasts and solemnities.
  2. Generally only one hymn.
  3. I’m not sure in general, but yes for the Office of Readings. The monastic General Instructions say that the Office of Readings for communities using the LOTH and not the Monastic Breviary, should be on a 2-week cycle. So when I pray the LOTH (as opposed to the monastic, and I’m using the monastic these days, I do 2 nocturnes as such: 1st nocturne psalms of Wk I and III during those weeks, and wk II and IV during those weeks. On Thursday of Week II and IV, I use the omitted imprecatory psalms as both days have only psalm 43(44) specified. I use psalms 57 and 82 in week II, and psalm 108 in week IV.
  4. yes it is licit to have a longer reading at Vespers, but it is not licit to substitute seasonal texts, so in other words, if your extended reading includes the appropriate lenten passages, then no problem. But substituting a reading from, say, Easter season would be an issue.
  5. I have seen it done in a monastery but not with Gloria Patri.
  6. Yes, the LOTH allows the addition of intercessions after the last one, which at Vespers is always for the dead, and other intercessions may be used other than the ones in the LOTH. The last one should be to the dead.
  7. No.
As for the incense, I answered previously, I would like to add that none of the specified gestures such as rising and bowing at the Gloria Patri, are required in private recitation, but nor are they proscribed. That applies to incense. I used to do the bows, stand where normally you would in public recitation, etc, but osteoarthritis and resulting sciatica have made that difficult these days, so I don’t. We have considerable latitude in private recitation, but we must respect the structure of the LOTH in order for it to be liturgy.

The General Instructions can give you more details.
 
My Community is a contemplative monastic Community. Our charism, if you like, is prayer.
Our founder had a great interest in Russian ways also. We are learning about that this year. And the differences in Eastern and Western ways.
I was reading some monks spend times through the year in 18 hrs prayer and reading a day.

Are you drawn to a lay third order at all?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top