Liturgy of the Hours question

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brasta_septim

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I have a question for y’all; first of all, let me explain that I am officially a Latin-rite Catholic with very Byzantine-leaning practices. That is, I conider myself sort of on the fence in between Eastern and Western Catholicism- I’m sorry, but I simply can’t decide between one or the other! 🙂

My dilemma is this- is it right for me to use a combinatio nof the Latin divine office and the Byzantine Horologion for the Daily Cycle? I have the horologion, the 1962 breviary, the newer liturgy of the hours, the menaion, and the missal, and use all of them together.

I sort of combine both structures along each other, excepting those which overlap. Here’s a basic structure for me, for Vespers as an example:
  1. Greek Introduction prayers ("Through the prayers of the holy Fathers… " up to the triple Kyrie)
  2. Latin into prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, O Lord incline unto mine aid, etc., followed by the 12-times Kyrie and the “Come, let us worship.”)
  3. The Phos Hilaron hymn, with the regular hymn for the day moved after the psalms like in the older breviary, the psalms and canticles in the newer liturgy of the hours (or those in the older one if it’s a Sunday or solemnity), followed by the Kathisma (Which I precede with the Great Litany, and followed by the small litany if it’s a Sunday or feast)
  4. Then the Reading from the newer liturgy of the hours, before which I say the prokeimenon of the day. Then the brief response (also from the newer one), and the Magnificat. After that, I say the litany of fervent supplication, and the intercessory prayers (or the Preces in the older breviary).
  5. Finally, I say the litany of completion, then the Our Father, the collect, and the commemoration of the saints in the older breviary, and end with the Troparia, Kontakia, and Apolytika of the day.
My question is, despite personal tastes of liturgy, is it acceptable for me to do this? Do I have to decide to use one or the other, instead of combining
 
brasta_septim said:
I have a question for y’all; first of all, let me explain that I am officially a Latin-rite Catholic with very Byzantine-leaning practices. That is, I conider myself sort of on the fence in between Eastern and Western Catholicism- I’m sorry, but I simply can’t decide between one or the other! 🙂

My dilemma is this- is it right for me to use a combinatio nof the Latin divine office and the Byzantine Horologion for the Daily Cycle? I have the horologion, the 1962 breviary, the newer liturgy of the hours, the menaion, and the missal, and use all of them together.

I sort of combine both structures along each other, excepting those which overlap. Here’s a basic structure for me, for Vespers as an example:
  1. Greek Introduction prayers ("Through the prayers of the holy Fathers… " up to the triple Kyrie)
  2. Latin into prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, O Lord incline unto mine aid, etc., followed by the 12-times Kyrie and the “Come, let us worship.”)
  3. The Phos Hilaron hymn, with the regular hymn for the day moved after the psalms like in the older breviary, the psalms and canticles in the newer liturgy of the hours (or those in the older one if it’s a Sunday or solemnity), followed by the Kathisma (Which I precede with the Great Litany, and followed by the small litany if it’s a Sunday or feast)
  4. Then the Reading from the newer liturgy of the hours, before which I say the prokeimenon of the day. Then the brief response (also from the newer one), and the Magnificat. After that, I say the litany of fervent supplication, and the intercessory prayers (or the Preces in the older breviary).
  5. Finally, I say the litany of completion, then the Our Father, the collect, and the commemoration of the saints in the older breviary, and end with the Troparia, Kontakia, and Apolytika of the day.
My question is, despite personal tastes of liturgy, is it acceptable for me to do this? Do I have to decide to use one or the other, instead of combining
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Depends on your intention.

Do you wish to offer the Divine Office as the Divine Office, i.e. participate in the Prayer of the Church according to your state in life? Then you must use the Divine Office as the Church prescribes; treat it as liturgy because it is. What you describe should not be done.

Do you wish to offer private prayer, i.e. your own but without intending to offer the official Prayer of the Church? Then you may do what you wish, even what you describe above.
 
It IS liturgy. If you don’t follow the rubrics, it’s private devotion. If you follow the rubrics, it is liturgy, and your prayer is the prayer of the universal Church.

The rubrics don’t allow for mixing and matching. There are options for the LOTH with respect to religious orders, in particular the monastic Office which has a different psalm schema.

Of course you can also follow the liturgy of one of the 22 other sui juris Churches. ISTM a far better approach would be to respect the verity of each tradition by saying one Office completely according to the LOTH, and the other completely according to the Byzantine liturgy, since as laity you’re not beholden to reciting all the hours.

I personally prefer to pray the LOTH as liturgy, hat is I follow a calendar and the rubrics.
 
I always just done it as private devotion- I normally consider it liturgy if I’m at an actual service, in which case I go to either the Roman Catholic one or the Eastern Catholic. Though I do follow the calendar- and not a single part of the Roman Liturgy of the Hours is left out, but just added to.
 
brasta_septim said:
I always just done it as private devotion- I normally consider it liturgy if I’m at an actual service, in which case I go to either the Roman Catholic one or the Eastern Catholic. Though I do follow the calendar- and not a single part of the Roman Liturgy of the Hours is left out, but just added to.
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Then there is no problem varying it. However, I have personally considered liturgy the higher form of worship, hence I never vary from the rubrics.
 
porthos11 said:
Then there is no problem varying it. However, I have personally considered liturgy the higher form of worship, hence I never vary from the rubrics.
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Indeed same here. Well if I do, it’s an honest mistake, not intentional. Like the time Fr. L read the reading from the wrong year at Vigils early one morning.

I do incorporate some licit monastic elements though, like the Kyrie just before the Pater Noster at Lauds and Vespers.
 
OraLabora said:
Indeed same here. Well if I do, it’s an honest mistake, not intentional. Like the time Fr. L read the reading from the wrong year at Vigils early one morning.

I do incorporate some licit monastic elements though, like the Kyrie just before the Pater Noster at Lauds and Vespers.
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Sure, since you’re religious and all practices regarding the Divine Office, including licit variations are governed by your Rule, so no problem there.

Honest mistakes don’t detract from the liturgical character of the Office either, any more than picking the wrong reading or Collect invalidates the Mass.

It’s doing things on your own accord that can detract from the Office’s public and liturgical character. If one wants to offer the Prayer of the Church, then one does so according to the law of the Church, otherwise, one can do what he wants. I just feel that no one can intend to pray the Liturgy and still do his own thing.
 
I don’t intend to pray the liturgy- even though I use the full liturgy with nothing left out, but only byzantine elements added. As I’ve said before, I will use the full, offiicial version of one rite or another if I’m actually in PUBLIC- since liturgy is, by definition, public worship.
 
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