Liturgy of the Hours and optional alleluias

[ggawlik]

The Liturgy of the Hours has a lot of optional alleluias, indicated like this: (alleluia). I know that we do not say them during Lent, but do say them during Easter. However, what do we do with them during Advent/Christmas and Ordinary Time? And do the rules change when one is saying a Solemnity or Feast?

Thanks!
Gail

 

[Ohana]

WEll I say the alleluias, but skip the responses in the Psalms except at the beginning and end since I always say the LOTH privately.

 

[triumphguy]

If they are in brackets they are for when the psalm is sung.

So if you are singing the LOTH then you sing the additional alleluias too.

 

[Joe_5859]

I always say them all year long except for Lent. I have no idea if that is the “correct” way, but it’s simply the way it was prayed by the group I prayed with.

 

[OraLabora]

The alleluias in brackets are meant to be added to the end of the antiphon when it is used during Easter season only.

 

[OraLabora]

I should note that they aren’t really optional but conditional. If you look at the noted ones in antiphonaries, they are preceded by T. P. followed by the chant notated version to be used.

 

[triumphguy]

From the Psalter p. 715

The following canticle is said with the Alleluia when Evening Prayer is sung; when the office is recited, the Alleluia may be said at the beginning and end of each strophe.

                                                          Canticle See Revelation 19:1-7

The Wedding of the Lamb

Alleluia
Salvation, glory and power to our God
(R. Alleluia)
His judgments are honest and true,
R Alleluia (alleluia)

If you are reading the Canticle then just say the Alleluia “at the beginning and end of each strophe.”

You won’t get the option of a psalm or canticle with Alleluias in it during lent.

 

[curlycool89]

The alleluias in brackets are meant to be added to the end of the antiphon when it is used during Easter season only.

That is correct and how I’ve always done it.

And then of course there is the Revelation Canticle that triumphguy pointed out, but that does have specific rubrics right above it that say you only say the bracketed ones if you’re singing/chanting.

Every other instance follows the above rule (only during Easter).

 

[MarkThompson]

The alleluias in brackets are meant to be added to the end of the antiphon when it is used during Easter season only.

. . .

I should note that they aren’t really optional but conditional. If you look at the noted ones in antiphonaries, they are preceded by T. P. =Tempore paschalis, “In Easter time”] followed by the chant notated version to be used.

 

[porthos11]

That is correct and how I’ve always done it.

And then of course there is the Revelation Canticle that triumphguy pointed out, but that does have specific rubrics right above it that say you only say the bracketed ones if you’re singing/chanting.

Every other instance follows the above rule (only during Easter).

There is one more case that kinda departs from the general rule, and that’s the opening versicle.

V. God, come to my assistance.
R. Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. (Alleluia)

This Alleluia is said all throughout the year, except in Lent.

 

[curlycool89]

There is one more case that kinda departs from the general rule, and that’s the opening versicle.

V. God, come to my assistance.
R. Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. (Alleluia)

This Alleluia is said all throughout the year, except in Lent.

Yes, I forgot about that one. Only omit the alleluia during Lent for that one.

In the 4-volume set, it is listed like that in Volume II (Lent/Easter) only, while in the other volumes there are no brackets. I’d imagine it’s the brackets for CP (I gave mine to someone else, so I can’t check).

 

[ggawlik]

There is one more case that kinda departs from the general rule, and that’s the opening versicle.

V. God, come to my assistance.
R. Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. (Alleluia)

This Alleluia is said all throughout the year, except in Lent.

OK, let’s see if I have this right. Most of the (alleluia)s are said only during Easter. The Revelation Canticle has special rules that are explained in the Breviary, so I’m OK with that. And finally for Evening Prayer, the first (alleluia) that comes right after the first “Glory to” is said all year round, except Lent only.

But what about after the Invitatory Antiphon? On p. 236 of The Divine Office for Dodos, Appendix K, which is the Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the (alleluia)s are included, even though this takes place on July 3, which is Ordinary Time. Is there a special rule for the Invitatory Antiphon? or is it because it is a feast???

 

[triumphguy]

p. 706

Ant: Come let us sing to the Lord, and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.?

say the alleluia.

 

[curlycool89]

But what about after the Invitatory Antiphon? On p. 236 of The Divine Office for Dodos, Appendix K, which is the Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the (alleluia)s are included, even though this takes place on July 3, which is Ordinary Time. Is there a special rule for the Invitatory Antiphon? or is it because it is a feast???

I don’t have the book (DOfD), but it must be referring to the 1-volume CP book. I checked my Vol. III page 1516 for St. Thomas and page 1659 Common of Apostles and there are no alleluias.

In the CP book, those (alleluia)s would follow the same rule as above - Easter only (It’s not possible for Easter to extend into July).

 

[curlycool89]

But what about after the Invitatory Antiphon? On p. 236 of The Divine Office for Dodos, Appendix K, which is the Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the (alleluia)s are included, even though this takes place on July 3, which is Ordinary Time. Is there a special rule for the Invitatory Antiphon? or is it because it is a feast???

I don’t have the book (DOfD), but it must be referring to the 1-volume CP book. I checked my Vol. III page 1516 for St. Thomas and page 1659 Common of Apostles and there are no alleluias.

In the CP book, those (alleluia)s would follow the same rule as above - Easter only (It’s not possible for Easter to extend into July).

 

[curlycool89]

But what about after the Invitatory Antiphon? On p. 236 of The Divine Office for Dodos, Appendix K, which is the Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the (alleluia)s are included, even though this takes place on July 3, which is Ordinary Time. Is there a special rule for the Invitatory Antiphon? or is it because it is a feast???

I don’t have the book (DOfD), but it must be referring to the 1-volume CP book. I checked my Vol. III page 1516 for St. Thomas and page 1659 Common of Apostles and there are no alleluias.

In the CP book, those (alleluia)s would follow the same rule as above - Easter only (It’s not possible for Easter to extend into July).

 

[porthos11]

OK, let’s see if I have this right. Most of the (alleluia)s are said only during Easter. The Revelation Canticle has special rules that are explained in the Breviary, so I’m OK with that. And finally for Evening Prayer, the first (alleluia) that comes right after the first “Glory to” is said all year round, except Lent only.

But what about after the Invitatory Antiphon? On p. 236 of The Divine Office for Dodos, Appendix K, which is the Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the (alleluia)s are included, even though this takes place on July 3, which is Ordinary Time. Is there a special rule for the Invitatory Antiphon? or is it because it is a feast???

No special rule for the invitatory antiphon. (Alleluia)s are said in Easter only, unless Alleluia is actually part of the antiphon (you see a lot of these on Sundays of Ordinary Time) but in this case, it’s printed as Alleluia and not (Alleluia).

In the case of St. Thomas (I don’t have my Volume III right now), I would guess the invitatory antiphon is “Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of Apostles.” There would be no Alleluia here as this is outside of Easter time. I don’t remember St. Thomas having its own Invitatory antiphon.

 

[curlycool89]

Bah, sorry for the triple post (software glitch I guess). I’ll get the mods to delete the duplicates.

 

[ggawlik]

Well, dear friends, I got the answer from the author herself! I asked Madeline Pecora Nugent why the (alleluia)s – extra alleluias in parentheses – get said during the Morning Prayer of the FEAST of St. Thomas the Apostle and NOT during the MEMORIAL of St. Justin the Martyr when both are in Ordinary Time.

She said that during Ordinary Time, the (alleluia)s are indeed said for feasts and solemnities. But if it’s only a memorial, it doesn’t get them. So the difference WAS because one was a feast and the other was a memorial.

She went on to add that although we almost never say “alleluia” during Lent, if a high Solemnity happens to fall in Lent, it’s OK to say them, but they will be written in the Office without the parentheses.

So there you go. And thank you Ms. Nugent, a truly wonderful person!!!

 

[porthos11]

Well, dear friends, I got the answer from the author herself! I asked Madeline Pecora Nugent why the (alleluia)s – extra alleluias in parentheses – get said during the Morning Prayer of the FEAST of St. Thomas the Apostle and NOT during the MEMORIAL of St. Justin the Martyr when both are in Ordinary Time.

She said that during Ordinary Time, the (alleluia)s are indeed said for feasts and solemnities. But if it’s only a memorial, it doesn’t get them. So the difference WAS because one was a feast and the other was a memorial.

She went on to add that although we almost never say “alleluia” during Lent, if a high Solemnity happens to fall in Lent, it’s OK to say them, but they will be written in the Office without the parentheses.

So there you go. And thank you Ms. Nugent, a truly wonderful person!!!

Unfortunately, the author is incorrect, especially the part about Lent. My own Volume III clearly shows no Alleluia in the Common of Apostles for Ordinary Time. And the ban on Alleluia in Lent is absolute throughout the Roman Rite. The only time one says Alleluia during Ordinary Time is if it is part of the antiphon itself.

That’s a heck of a claim on the author’s part and the onus is on her to provide documentation and references.