Office of Readings

[Catholic4Christ]

According to the GILH, the Office of Readings may be prayed any time of the day, or even after Vespers/Evening Prayer (and preferably before Compline/Night Prayer) the previous night in anticipation of the next day. So, questions: If the OoR is prayed the previous evening, would the Invitatory still be prayed before it since this would start/anticipate the liturgical day, or would it be prayed before Lauds/Morning Prayer the next morning to start the “actual” day?

Also, the GILH permits the OoR to be combined with other hours (preferably Lauds/Morning Prayer, but not necessarily). If the OoR is prayed the previous evening, may it be joined to the beginning of the Compline of that night even though it’s the Compline of the previous day? (Note: I know the Office of Readings may be prayed before Compline of the previous night, I just don’t know if the two may be joined in the way the OoR can be joined to hours of its own day).

Any help would be awesome, guys!

 

[edward_george]

In response to your first question, the Invitatory is prayed before the first hour of the day. If you pray Office of Readings later in the day, then you’d pray the Invitatory before Morning Prayer.

In response to the second, it would seem that the Office of the Readings, because it follows from the traditional night offices, it would be prayed before Compline of the previous day. In other words, if you wanted to pray the Office of Readings after Vespers on Friday, but before Compline, you would at that point pray the Office of Saturday. It seems a bit confusing, but I think the general principle is that the liturgical day ends with Vespers.

-ACEGC

 

[Catholic4Christ]

In response to your first question, the Invitatory is prayed before the first hour of the day. If you pray Office of Readings later in the day, then you’d pray the Invitatory before Morning Prayer.

I’m sorry I wasn’t clear - I meant that if the OoR was prayed the evening of the previous day, does the Invitatory precede it?

In response to the second, it would seem that the Office of the Readings, because it follows from the traditional night offices, it would be prayed before Compline of the previous day. In other words, if you wanted to pray the Office of Readings after Vespers on Friday, but before Compline, you would at that point pray the Office of Saturday. It seems a bit confusing, but I think the general principle is that the liturgical day ends with Vespers.

-ACEGC

I got that it is prayed before the previous night’s Compline, I’m just unclear on whether it can be combined with the previous night’s Compline.

Thanks for your help!

 

[edward_george]

I’m sorry I wasn’t clear - I meant that if the OoR was prayed the evening of the previous day, does the Invitatory precede it?

I got that it is prayed before the previous night’s Compline, I’m just unclear on whether it can be combined with the previous night’s Compline.

Thanks for your help!

In response to the first–no, because the Invitatory is always prayed before the first hour of the day. If the first hour is the OoR, you pray the Invitatory before it. If Lauds is first, you pray the Invitatory before it. Here in the seminary, the idea is that a good number of men pray the OoR privately before we pray Lauds publicly, so the Invitatory is not prayed before Lauds so as not to make it redundant. The Invitatory is not essentially tied to OoR, but is prayed before it if it is the first hour of the day.

As for combining it with the previous night’s Compline, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be given what the GILH says.

-ACEGC

 

[OraLabora]

No, no invitatory. When said in the evening it is the anticipated office of the next day. It can be before, with, or after Compline.

 

[Catholic4Christ]

Thanks for the responses, guys, they’ve been helpful!

 

[sw85]

This was a great question and I felt compelled to look into some. I had never thought to pray OoR in this way but it makes life easier, huh?

Anyway, according to EWTN (emphasis mine)…

Several readers also asked if the invitatory should be recited whenever the office of readings is prayed the evening before. In principle, yes. Norm No. 35 of the Principles and Norms indicates that the invitatory should begin the whole sequence of daily prayer.

This sequence can begin with readings after vespers of the preceding day, as indicated by norm No. 59, because the day in question is the liturgical day and not the solar day.

If, however, lauds is the first office of the sequence, then the invitatory may be omitted (No. 36), even though it is commendable to maintain the invitatory, above all in community recitation.