Morning Prayer in the Afternoon?

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Red_James

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A few days ago, I had a long night and was also sick with a cold so I let myself sleep in very late. By the time I got out of bed and got dressed it was already past noon. My question is, if I just woke up, and it is already afternoon, may I still pray the Morning Prayer of the LOTH, or should I start the day off by praying Midday Prayer?
 
Red_James said:
A few days ago, I had a long night and was also sick with a cold so I let myself sleep in very late. By the time I got out of bed and got dressed it was already past noon. My question is, if I just woke up, and it is already afternoon, may I still pray the Morning Prayer of the LOTH, or should I start the day off by praying Midday Prayer?
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I’m going to assume you are not bound to the Office.

I wouldn’t. Just jump to Midday Prayer. One of the ideals of the reform of the Divine Office is to respect the verity of the hour, and praying Lauds in the afternoon doesn’t do that.

If you are bound, then you follow the norms or requirements laid down by your constitution.
 
Yeah, I’m not bound; just a lay person trying to say the prayers daily.
 
CB_Catholic said:
Aren’t we supposed to do the Invitatory first for any of the Hours we start with, except Compline?
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Office of Readings or Morning Prayer only.

If you miss either of those two, don’t say the Invitatory. Just go straight to “God come to my assistance.”
 
Red_James said:
A few days ago, I had a long night and was also sick with a cold so I let myself sleep in very late. By the time I got out of bed and got dressed it was already past noon. My question is, if I just woke up, and it is already afternoon, may I still pray the Morning Prayer of the LOTH, or should I start the day off by praying Midday Prayer?
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Myself, I usually stay up into the wee hours of the morning (like tonight) and then sleep until noon or later (ah, the joys of being retired). One of the first things I regularly do once I’m up is pray Morning Prayer. I find the the prayers, particularly the hymns and the psalm with their frequent references to the passing of the night and the coming of the day, more meaningful for me at the beginning of what is my “day.” Occasionally I will pray one of the later hours for variety.

Since for you the LOTH is a totally voluntary practice, I see no reason why you shouldn’t say Morning Prayer at whatever time your day begins if you feel so inclined. Besides, to adapt a familiar phrase, “it’s always morning somewhere in the world.” 😉
 
CB_Catholic said:
Aren’t we supposed to do the Invitatory first for any of the Hours we start with, except Compline?
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  1. … The invitatory psalm with its antiphon may be omitted, however, when the invitatory is the prelude to morning prayer.
  2. If the office of readings is said before morning prayer, the invitatory precedes it, as noted (nos. 34-36)
 
I usually start with Daytime Prayer if I wake up from oversleeping. (wake up at 2 pm)
Go on starting DP and the rest.
 
felsguy said:
Since for you the LOTH is a totally voluntary practice, I see no reason why you shouldn’t say Morning Prayer at whatever time your day begins if you feel so inclined. Besides, to adapt a familiar phrase, “it’s always morning somewhere in the world.” 😉
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Yeah, I hear this line of reasoning all the time but I don’t buy it. It’s not respecting the verity of the hour. It’s morning somewhere in the world, yes. It’s not morning where you are.

Of course he’s free to do so if he wants, but it’s always good to respect the principles of the Liturgy even in individual recitation.
 
felsguy said:
Since for you the LOTH is a totally voluntary practice, I see no reason why you shouldn’t say Morning Prayer at whatever time your day begins if you feel so inclined. Besides, to adapt a familiar phrase, “it’s always morning somewhere in the world.” 😉
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porthos11 said:
Yeah, I hear this line of reasoning all the time but I don’t buy it. It’s not respecting the verity of the hour. It’s morning somewhere in the world, yes. It’s not morning where you are.

Of course he’s free to do so if he wants, but it’s always good to respect the principles of the Liturgy even in individual recitation.
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Obviously our opinions on this question differ. Might you share a little of what you mean by “verity of the hour” and “principles of the Liturgy”?

Also, are you suggesting that reciting Morning Prayer in the afternoon is somehow disrespectful?

And what of someone obliged to recite the LOTH whose schedule causes them to sleep later in the day (a hospital chaplain on night shift perhaps)?
 
felsguy said:
Obviously our opinions on this question differ. Might you share a little of what you mean by “verity of the hour” and “principles of the Liturgy”?

Also, are you suggesting that reciting Morning Prayer in the afternoon is somehow disrespectful?

And what of someone obliged to recite the LOTH whose schedule causes them to sleep later in the day (a hospital chaplain on night shift perhaps)?
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A secular hospital chaplain will follow the guidelines laid down by his bishop and diocese. If he’s religious, he will follow the norms of his constitution.

Respecting the verity of the hour (or the “truth” of the hour) is a principle laid down by the Council (SC 88) and the General Instruction. This can be loosely interpreted to mean that one can pray Morning Prayer as late as 11 AM, since it’s still morning. But 1 PM is not morning, so praying Morning Prayer does not respect the verity of the hour. More strictly, it is to be said early or upon rising. In monastic settings, it’s the dawn prayer, with Midmorning Prayer being the prayer when the sun is already in the sky in the morning hours, after breakfast.

“Principles of the liturgy” are those concepts and principles that govern liturgical prayer, and this includes the pronouncements of the Church. This includes constitutions, general instructions, particular instructions and theological concepts.

Praying Morning Prayer in the afternoon is neither sinful nor disrespectful. At worst, it is “out of character”, and since respecting the verity of the hours is a principle the Council upheld, saying Midday Prayer makes more sense.
 
When I worked the midnight shift, I got up at 8-9PM and prayed the morning office. Before I went to bed at 12-1PM, I prayed compline. And so forth. I worked that way for many years.
 
porthos11 said:
A secular hospital chaplain will follow the guidelines laid down by his bishop and diocese. If he’s religious, he will follow the norms of his constitution.

Respecting the verity of the hour (or the “truth” of the hour) is a principle laid down by the Council (SC 88) and the General Instruction. This can be loosely interpreted to mean that one can pray Morning Prayer as late as 11 AM, since it’s still morning. But 1 PM is not morning, so praying Morning Prayer does not respect the verity of the hour. More strictly, it is to be said early or upon rising. In monastic settings, it’s the dawn prayer, with Midmorning Prayer being the prayer when the sun is already in the sky in the morning hours, after breakfast.

“Principles of the liturgy” are those concepts and principles that govern liturgical prayer, and this includes the pronouncements of the Church. This includes constitutions, general instructions, particular instructions and theological concepts.

Praying Morning Prayer in the afternoon is neither sinful nor disrespectful. At worst, it is “out of character”, and since respecting the verity of the hours is a principle the Council upheld, saying Midday Prayer makes more sense.
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I certainly agree with and appreciate the beauty and the value of the longstanding arrangement of the Hours and the underlying intentions of the revision as you describe above and as expressed in Chapter Three of the General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours:
  1. The purpose of the liturgy of the hours is to sanctify the day and the whole range of human activity. Therefore its structure has been revised in such a way as to make each hour once more correspond as nearly as possible to natural time and to take account of the circumstances of life today. [57]
Hence, “that the day may be truly sanctified and the hours themselves recited with spiritual advantage, it is best that each of them be prayed at a time most closely corresponding to the true time of each canonical hour.” [58]
Red_James said:
A few days ago, I had a long night and was also sick with a cold so I let myself sleep in very late. By the time I got out of bed and got dressed it was already past noon. My question is, if I just woke up, and it is already afternoon, may I still pray the Morning Prayer of the LOTH, or should I start the day off by praying Midday Prayer?
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For the benefit of the OP who asks what he may do or should do in a particular situation, perhaps we could leave it that we agree on what he may do, offer differing opinions leading to what he should do, and again agree that either choice will add to the sanctification of his day.
 
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