LOTH Invitory question

[EricFilmer]

Here is the process of selecting and using the invitatory (in the 4-Volume LOTH), so hopefully this will address your questions herein at some point.

1. Today is the feast day of St. Benedict. We first turn to the Proper of Saints to see what sort of material is specifically designated for this day (i.e., page 1527 - 1530 of LOTH, Vol. 3).
2. No invitatory antiphon is designated for this specific feast day in the Proper of Saints. Because the ranking of this holy day is a memorial, we can use either the invitatory antiphon for the weekday or from the Commons (the rubric for this general rule is on page 649). In terms of today, this means that our first option is to use the invitatory antiphon for Wednesday of Week 2 on page 891. For our second option, the Proper of Saints tells us which Common to use, and for the memorial of St. Benedict, the rubric at the top of page 1528 tells us to use the invitatory antiphon from the Common of Holy Men: Religious, which is on page 1858 (actually there are two such antiphons provided on this page to choose from).
3. The first office prayed each day is either the Office of Readings or Morning Prayer (it’s up to you). You begin with “Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise” (as stated on page 649). You then recite whichever invitatory antiphon you chose, and then the invitatory psalm you want to use that day. You conclude the psalm with the Doxology (“Glory to the Father…”) and then repeat the invitatory antiphon.
4. The invitatory acts as a prelude to the office that follows it (either OR or MP). Therefore, the introduction for the next office is omitted. All this means is that you do not recite, “God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me. Glory to the Father…” for whichever office you chose to follow the invitatory. If you sing the hymn with OR / MP, then this takes place immediately after you have repeated the invitatory antiphon (after the conclusion of the invitatory psalm & the Doxology).
5. The rest of OR / MP goes as normal at this point. In other words, you still recite Antiphon 1 and the first psalm once the hymn is concluded. If you don’t sing hymns when you pray the LOTH then after you repeat the invitatory antiphon you immediately recite Antiphon 1 of OR or MP (depending on which one you start the day with). In terms of today, this means that you still recite OR’s antiphon 1 on page 892 (“We groan in pain…”) or MP’s antiphon 1 on page 897 (“O God, all your ways are holy…”).
6. As a final clarification, the invitatory and its antiphon only replace the introduction of the first office of the day (i.e., they replace “O God, come to my assistance…” & the Doxology which comes after it: “Glory to the Father…”). The invitatory and its antiphon do not replace any of the antiphons contained in OR / MP.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The Invitatory is said whether you begin the day with the Office of the Readings, or Morning Prayer. It’s the first prayer that is said,

Jim

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

The Invitatory is said whether you begin the day with the Office of the Readings, or Morning Prayer. It’s the first prayer that is said,

Jim

Yup. Unless you pray another office before the OOR/MP (Lauds)

 

[codefro]

Here is the process of selecting and using the invitatory (in the 4-Volume LOTH), so hopefully this will address your questions herein at some point.

1. Today is the feast day of St. Benedict. We first turn to the Proper of Saints to see what sort of material is specifically designated for this day (i.e., page 1527 - 1530 of LOTH, Vol. 3).
2. No invitatory antiphon is designated for this specific feast day in the Proper of Saints. Because the ranking of this holy day is a memorial, we can use either the invitatory antiphon for the weekday or from the Commons (the rubric for this general rule is on page 649). In terms of today, this means that our first option is to use the invitatory antiphon for Wednesday of Week 2 on page 891. For our second option, the Proper of Saints tells us which Common to use, and for the memorial of St. Benedict, the rubric at the top of page 1528 tells us to use the invitatory antiphon from the Common of Holy Men: Religious, which is on page 1858 (actually there are two such antiphons provided on this page to choose from).
3. The first office prayed each day is either the Office of Readings or Morning Prayer (it’s up to you). You begin with “Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise” (as stated on page 649). You then recite whichever invitatory antiphon you chose, and then the invitatory psalm you want to use that day. You conclude the psalm with the Doxology (“Glory to the Father…”) and then repeat the invitatory antiphon.
4. The invitatory acts as a prelude to the office that follows it (either OR or MP). Therefore, the introduction for the next office is omitted. All this means is that you do not recite, “God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me. Glory to the Father…” for whichever office you chose to follow the invitatory. If you sing the hymn with OR / MP, then this takes place immediately after you have repeated the invitatory antiphon (after the conclusion of the invitatory psalm & the Doxology).
5. The rest of OR / MP goes as normal at this point. In other words, you still recite Antiphon 1 and the first psalm once the hymn is concluded. If you don’t sing hymns when you pray the LOTH then after you repeat the invitatory antiphon you immediately recite Antiphon 1 of OR or MP (depending on which one you start the day with). In terms of today, this means that you still recite OR’s antiphon 1 on page 892 (“We groan in pain…”) or MP’s antiphon 1 on page 897 (“O God, all your ways are holy…”).
6. As a final clarification, the invitatory and its antiphon only replace the introduction of the first office of the day (i.e., they replace “O God, come to my assistance…” & “Glory to the Father…”). The invitatory and its antiphon do not replace any of the antiphons contained in OR / MP.

So if I understand this. Suppose morning prayer is my first prayer of the day, I pray:

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise”

Then I pray the intro psalm. (Do I read or sing the hymn afterwards)?

Then the 5 antiphons printed on the invitory page are just for my choice? So they don’t replace the antiphons that are printed on the morning prayer pages?

 

[codefro]

basically spelling it out:

my question is only of the purpose of the invitory antiphons,

 

[JimR-OCDS]

So if I understand this. Suppose morning prayer is my first prayer of the day, I pray:

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise”

Then I pray the intro psalm. (Do I read or sing the hymn afterwards)?

Then the 5 antiphons printed on the invitory page are just for my choice? So they don’t replace the antiphons that are printed on the morning prayer pages?

I’m not sure what you mean by intro psalm.

The only Psalm prayed after Lord Open My Lips, is the Invitatory, like Psalm 95.

The Five Antiphons in the Invitatory page are optional, but you generally use the Antiphon for the day.

Also, by yourself, it’s not necessary to sing the opening hymn

Jim

 

[codefro]

I’m not sure what you mean by intro psalm.

The only Psalm prayed after Lord Open My Lips, is the Invitatory, like Psalm 95.

The Five Antiphons in the Invitatory page are optional, but you generally use the Antiphon for the day.

Jijm

Ok I think I understand now.

Deo Gratias!

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

So if I understand this. Suppose morning prayer is my first prayer of the day, I pray:

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise”

Then I pray the intro psalm. (Do I read or sing the hymn afterwards)?

Then the 5 antiphons printed on the invitory page are just for my choice? So they don’t replace the antiphons that are printed on the morning prayer pages?

If you are talking about pg 649, that is Psalm 95. You pray the antiphon at each place where it says “The antiphon is repeated” (you pray it twice the first time, where it says “The antiphon is recited and then repeated”)

 

[JimR-OCDS]

If you are talking about pg 649, that is Psalm 95. You pray the antiphon at each place where it says “The antiphon is repeated” (you pray it twice the first time, where it says “The antiphon is recited and then repeated”)

Not necessarily.

Generally the antiphon is only repeated when the Psalm is sung.

We never repeated it at our OCDS retreats as we didn’t sing the Psalm.

Keep in mind, different orders will have different traditions and I got myself in trouble when I became president Formation Director of our group, when I suggested making a change in the Responsory which was according to general instructions in the Breviary, but not part of OCDS tradition.

Jim

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Not necessarily.

Generally the antiphon is only repeated when the Psalm is sung.

We never repeated it at our OCDS retreats.

Jim

You may very well be correct. I actually never repeat it when I pray it, either.

Wait, are you saying that you don’t repeat it just the first time, or that you don’t repeat it at all?

 

[EricFilmer]

So if I understand this. Suppose morning prayer is my first prayer of the day, I pray:

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise”

Correct. You have now officially started the LOTH for that day, so you don’t start it again at MP with “God, come to my assistance…” (although you will do so later in the day when you pray the other offices).

Then I pray the intro psalm. (Do I read or sing the hymn afterwards)?

If it is your custom to do a hymn (either sung or recited) with the LOTH then here is the flow (assuming that you want MP to be the first office of the day):

Invitatory Antiphon
Invitatory Psalm
Doxology
Repeat Invitatory Antiphon
Hymn of MP
MP’s Antiphon 1
MP’s first psalm
Doxology
Repeat MP’s first psalm
(etc.)

Then the 5 antiphons printed on the invitory page are just for my choice? So they don’t replace the antiphons that are printed on the morning prayer pages?

Now I can see where some confusion may be arising (and goodness knows, that can happen because the LOTH is not the most “user friendly” prayer book out there). There isn’t a list of 5 invitatory antiphons. What page are you referring to? Are you perhaps looking at the layout of Psalm 95 on page 649? If so, then those aren’t five separate antiphons, but rather it is Psalm 95 broken up in five different stanzas. In a group setting, the invitatory antiphon is repeated after each stanza (because in a group setting there are parts for a cantor and parts for a choir), but for solo prayer you only say the invitatory antiphon twice (at the beginning and end of the invitatory psalm).

For today, there are only three choices in terms of the invitatory antiphon:

1. From the weekday (page 891) or one of the two found in the Commons designated for today’s memorial (page 1858)

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I also just noticed that it says:

The psalm with its antiphon may be omitted when the Invitatory precedes Morning Prayer.

Huh?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

You may very well be correct. I actually never repeat it when I pray it, either.

Wait, are you saying that you don’t repeat it just the first time, or that you don’t repeat it at all?

Generally you say the antiphon at the beginning of all of the Psalms and not necessarily at the end, again unless it’s sung. Monasteries I’ve attended where they sing the LOTH, they repeat the antiphon at the beginning and end of the Pslams.

The only place that the antiphon is said at both the beginning and end is the Canticle and the Benedictus.

Jim

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

but for solo prayer you only say the invitatory antiphon twice (at the beginning and end of the invitatory psalm).

Eric, I don’t mean to sound like a jackass, but are you sure? It does make sense your way.

I only ask because I will begin praying it that way (when I am praying alone) if you are sure.

No disrespect intended in any way.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Generally you say the antiphon at the beginning of all of the Psalms and not necessarily at the end, again unless it’s sung. Monasteries I’ve attended where they sing the LOTH, they repeat the antiphon at the beginning and end of the Pslams.

The only place that the antiphon is said at both the beginning and end is the Canticle and the Benedictus.

Jim

Jim. I dunno. I think you may be referring as to the layout of Christian Prayer, where the antiphon is not reprinted, but it is to be repeated (as it is printed in the LotH)

 

[EricFilmer]

I also just noticed that it says:

The psalm with its antiphon may be omitted when the Invitatory precedes Morning Prayer.

Huh?

You are correct to use the icon because this rubric makes no sense (for those following along, this is on the bottom of page 650). Basically it is saying that the invitatory may be omitted if you use the invitatory. I’m guessing that there was some nuance being addressed from the General Instructions of the LOTH but something got lost in the translation, or the current rubric did not go in enough proper detail. As it stands, I would just ignore this.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

You are correct to use the icon because this rubric makes no sense (for those following along, this is on the bottom of page 650). Basically it is saying that the invitatory may be omitted if you use the invitatory. I’m guessing that there was some nuance being addressed from the General Instructions of the LOTH but something got lost in the translation, or the current rubric did not go in enough proper detail. As it stands, I would just ignore this.

I will. Thanks. Please have a look at my posts after the one you just quoted

 

[EricFilmer]

Eric, I don’t mean to sound like a jackass, but are you sure? It does make sense your way.

I only ask because I will begin praying it that way (when I am praying alone) if you are sure.

No disrespect intended in any way.

LOL, I assure you, no offense taken. In terms of my qualifications, I once studied theology as a graduate student in a facility staffed by Benedictine monks. Even though they had their own Benedictine breviaries, for the benefit of us students they taught us and led us in the use of the 4-Volume LOTH as well as Christian Prayer. We would join them for MP and EP in a small chapel each day. I did this for six years, and that’s about how long it took me to get the hang of it. As I said in another post, the LOTH is not the most user friendly prayer book out there.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

LOL, I assure you, no offense taken. In terms of my qualifications, I once studied theology as a graduate student in a facility staffed by Benedictine monks. Even though they had their own Benedictine breviaries, for the benefit of us students they taught us and led us in the use of the 4-Volume LOTH as well as Christian Prayer. We would join them for MP and EP in a special chapel each day. I did this for six years, and that’s about how long it took me to get the hang of it. As I said in another post, the LOTH is not the most user friendly prayer book out there.

I appreciate your kind response, sir. I will begin praying it that way tomorrow morning. I am a tad excited to do it the new/correct way (after over 15 years )

 

[EricFilmer]

I appreciate your kind response, sir. I will begin praying it that way tomorrow morning. I am a tad excited to do it the new/correct way.

Glad to help.