Question about Daytime Prayer in the Little Office

[cothrige]

I have a copy of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary edited by John Rotelle, and I am trying to understand how Daytime Prayer is set up. I am hopeful that somebody here may be more familiar with the use of this text and be able to clarify this for me.

Daytime prayer is divided into Midmorning, Midday and Midafternoon, and throughout the specific parts are headed for each of these when applicable. Most of it seems clear, but one thing particularly is very hard to understand. After the hymns follows something like this:

Midmorning
Ant. All of them, united in heart, continued in prayer, with Mary the mother of Jesus.

Midday
Ant. The mother of Jesus said: Do whatever he asks of you.

Midafternoon
Ant. The Lord said to his mother: Woman, this is your son, and to the disciple: This is your mother.

Psalmody
Ant. 1 Lead me, Lord, in the path of your commandments.

Psalm 119:33-40
Psalm text follows…

What confuses me is that after the individual antiphons listed for each hour is given an “Ant. 1” before the psalm itself, with an “Ant. 2” before the next Psalm and so on. This would appear to indicate saying two antiphons, one right after the next. That doesn’t seem right to me, and so I am wondering how one should approach this. Does one say two antiphons together as printed? Or is this an option given for saying one before all the psalms, i.e. the first antiphons listed, or one before each psalm, “ant. 1” etc.? Nothing in the text that I have found seems to clarify this and so I am just not sure what the intent was on this.

Many thanks for any suggestions or information which anyone can offer.

 

[tinalewis]

Wow - I can’t believe I came across a post on the LOBVM, which I prayed for about 3 years prior to my beginning to pray Christian Prayer.

I have no idea if this is strictly correct, but this was my interpretation of how the antiphons are printed in Rotelle’s LO.

I felt that the antiphons were for the time of day, not attached to the psalms. I used to say the midmorning antiphon, for example, immediately following the "God come to my assistance . . . Glory to the father . . " and right before the hymn.

I think it’s just the placement of the antiphons that’s confusing.

So, for midmorning, I used to pray as follows:

God come to my assistance . . . Glory to the father . . .
Breathe on me, breath of God . . [hymn]
All of them, united in heart . . [midmorning antiphon, and the tone of the entire prayer session]
Lead me Lord, in the path of your commandments . . [psalm antiphon]
Psalm 119
Those who seek the Lord will be filled . . [psalm antiphon]
Psalm 34 - I
Seek and strive after peace. [psalm antiphon]
Psalm 34 - II
All of them, united in heart . . [midmorning antiphon, and the tone of the entire prayer session]
First reading: Shout for joy . . .
Second reading : Elizabeth was filled . . .
All of them, united in heart . . [midmorning antiphon, and the tone of the entire prayer session]
Concluding prayer.

I believe the reason behind this confusion is that in the Divine Office the antiphons change according to seasons and celebrations.

Best wishes in praying the LOBVM!

 

[AJV]

I have a copy of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary edited by John Rotelle, and I am trying to understand how Daytime Prayer is set up. I am hopeful that somebody here may be more familiar with the use of this text and be able to clarify this for me.

Daytime prayer is divided into Midmorning, Midday and Midafternoon, and throughout the specific parts are headed for each of these when applicable. Most of it seems clear, but one thing particularly is very hard to understand. After the hymns follows something like this:

What confuses me is that after the individual antiphons listed for each hour is given an “Ant. 1” before the psalm itself, with an “Ant. 2” before the next Psalm and so on. This would appear to indicate saying two antiphons, one right after the next. That doesn’t seem right to me, and so I am wondering how one should approach this. Does one say two antiphons together as printed? Or is this an option given for saying one before all the psalms, i.e. the first antiphons listed, or one before each psalm, “ant. 1” etc.? Nothing in the text that I have found seems to clarify this and so I am just not sure what the intent was on this.

Many thanks for any suggestions or information which anyone can offer.

This is only a guess based on how things in the Liturgy of the Hours works (since the Little Office is patterned after that).

In the Liturgy of the Hours, on most days in Ordinary Time each of the psalms has an antiphon attached to it. In the seasons, and on feasts and solemnities, there is only one antiphon that is recited before (and after if desired) all three psalms.

My guess is that a similar principle could be at work here - on less solemn days you recite the three psalms with the 3 antiphons printed before them. On more solemn days, you recite them all ‘under one antiphon’ which you select from the one corresponding to the time of day.

My other guess is that it might be that at one daytime ‘hour’ you use the 3 psalms with the antiphons printed before them. Then if you want to say any of the other 2 daytime hours, you use the appropriate one from the ‘midmorning-midday-midafternoon’ set

 

[cothrige]

My guess is that a similar principle could be at work here - on less solemn days you recite the three psalms with the 3 antiphons printed before them. On more solemn days, you recite them all ‘under one antiphon’ which you select from the one corresponding to the time of day.

My other guess is that it might be that at one daytime ‘hour’ you use the 3 psalms with the antiphons printed before them. Then if you want to say any of the other 2 daytime hours, you use the appropriate one from the ‘midmorning-midday-midafternoon’ set

Okay, that makes sense. Either of these seem sensible to me. I am really glad that somebody decided to produce a Little Office, but the instructions and helps given in this copy are really deficient. For instance, there is absolutely nothing in it regarding the invitatory, which is simply attached to the Office of Readings at the back of the volume. A little care given to rubrics and helps would have gone a very long way in my opinion.

And thanks again for the help.

 

[cothrige]

Wow - I can’t believe I came across a post on the LOBVM, which I prayed for about 3 years prior to my beginning to pray Christian Prayer.

Yes, we are a rare breed these days aren’t we?

I felt that the antiphons were for the time of day, not attached to the psalms.

Okay, I can see how that would be possible. The antiphons would be somewhat contained inside of one another, the first to the day and the next to the Psalm. That certainly seems plausible.

Thanks for the help. It is much appreciated.

 

[tinalewis]

You’re welcome and please accept my best wishes for your praying the Little Office.

(I miss it and sometimes pick it up to browse through its familiar readings and feel its familiar pages!).