Liturgy of the Hours - Another Question

[catholic03]

Christ is Risen!

Forgive my many questions about this. I own the 4 Volume Liturgy of the Hours set. In my country, both the American and British versions are approved for use, but as a layperson reciting it privately it wouldn’t matter anyway. I usually pray Morning and Evening Prayer, and sometimes the Office of Readings.

Anyway, I am quite particular about following the rubrics. I haven’t read the General Instructions on the L.O.T.H., but I hope to look though them when can - which isn’t possible at the moment as Book I is at another property.

Anyway, I notice that it says in the Ordo that you don’t need to say the Invitatory Psalm if Morning Prayer follows. Does this mean you just need to say ‘Lord open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise’, before the Morning Prayer hymn?

Also, is it necessary to sing the hymn? Does any of the L.O.T.H need to be done aloud?

Thanks very much from your help.

 

[MPat]

I haven’t read the General Instructions on the L.O.T.H., but I hope to look though them when can - which isn’t possible at the moment as Book I is at another property.

It can be found, for example, in General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours | EWTN.

 

[KD8TZC]

When I pray the morning prayer, I always do the invitatory first. I was instructed that it should proceed the first prayer of the day. Unless you are required to say the hours though, you can do whatever you wish. God is pleased.

 

[catholic03]

Thanks very much.

 

[InThePew]

Anyway, I notice that it says in the Ordo that you don’t need to say the Invitatory Psalm if Morning Prayer follows. Does this mean you just need to say ‘Lord open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise’, before the Morning Prayer hymn?

Without checking, the probably assumes that you have already said the Office of Readings since the invitatory precedes the first office of the day.

Also, is it necessary to sing the hymn? Does any of the L.O.T.H need to be done aloud?

I don’t since I almost always pray it in private. Some people say that the hymn is part of the office (but this obviously runs into difficulty with unknown tunes, etc) but tbh I doubt it matters that much. As for praying out loud, none of the Office has to be but you may find it helpful to pray it sotto voce (in a quiet voice) in order to assist with concentration.

 

[OraLabora]

Anyway, I notice that it says in the Ordo that you don’t need to say the Invitatory Psalm if Morning Prayer follows. Does this mean you just need to say ‘Lord open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise’, before the Morning Prayer hymn?

Yes that is correct. You can follow with the Invitatory psalm of course, but it isn’t required. Sometimes I say the Office of Readings the evening before by anticipation if I know my morning will be overloaded (normally I do it at 5:30 am), and I do generally say the invitatory psalm.

Here is a hidden “tradition” easter egg: on Friday the first morning psalm is Psalm 50. Of the 3 optional invitatory psalms besides psalm 94, one is psalm 66. Here’s the tradition part: in the ancient Monastic Office, still in use both in pre- and post-Vatican II versions, Lauds in the morning always has psalms 66 and 50 as the first two psalms. So if on Friday you say psalm 66 for the Invitatory, you’re tipping your hat to an ancient monastic tradition.

 

[otjm]

5:30 am

What in heavens name is “5:30 am”? My clocks don’t have any such thing! :crazy_face: :crazy_face:

 

[catholic03]

Without checking, the probably assumes that you have already said the Office of Readings since the invitatory precedes the first office of the day.

I actually usually don’t say the Office of Readings, maybe only once every fortnight.

 

[catholic03]

Thanks everyone for your responses, God bless.

 

[phil19034]

Also, is it necessary to sing the hymn? Does any of the L.O.T.H need to be done aloud?

I will usually read the hymn like it’s a poem, since many of them are poems and/or prayers.

 

[OraLabora]

Not quite exact. The Invitatory is said before the Office of Readings, or Lauds, whichever is the first hour of the day. If you miss those two hours, you still say “God come to my assistance…”

Moreover if the first hour one says is Lauds, the Invitatory consists of the vers “Lord, open my lips…”, but the invitatory psalm is optional. If the Office of Readings is the first hour, then it is “Lord open my lips… plus the invitatory psalm (mandatory).”

Here is the relevant passage from the General Instruction. You have to read it carefully and precisely:

1. The invitatory is placed at the beginning of the whole sequence of the day’s prayer, that is, it precedes either morning prayer or the office of readings, whichever of these liturgical rites begins the day. The invitatory psalm with its antiphon may be omitted, however, when the invitatory is the prelude to morning prayer.

The Office of Readings can be joined to another Office, as such:

1. If the office of readings comes immediately before another hour of the office, then the appropriate hymn for that hour may be sung at the beginning of the office of readings. At the end of the office of readings the prayer and conclusion are omitted and in the hour following the introductory verse with the Glory to the Father is omitted.