Votive Offices

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

In the Liturgy of the Hours, can one substitute a votive office, say the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when it is not a feast day? Can this be done on a day that has an obligatory memorial?

How does this work, do you use the psalms from the office or the psalms of the day?

In particular, I am looking for a good commentary on these paragraphs from the General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours:

Option to Choose an Office

1. On weekdays when an optional memorial is permitted, for a good reason the office of a saint listed on that day in the Roman Martyrology, or in an approved appendix to it, may be celebrated in the same way as other memorials (see nos. 234-239).
2. For a public cause or out of devotion, except on solemnities, the Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, the octave of Easter, and 2 November, a votive office may be celebrated, in whole or in part: for example, on the occasion of a pilgrimage, a local feast, or the external solemnity of a saint.
   Option to Choose Texts
3. In certain particular cases there is an option to choose texts different from those given for the day, provided there is no distortion of the general arrangement of each hour and the rules that follow are respected.
4. In the office for Sundays, solemnities, feasts of the Lord listed in the General Calendar, the weekdays of Lent and Holy Week, the days within the octaves of Easter and Christmas, and the weekdays from 17 to 24 December inclusive, it is never permissible to change the formularies that are proper or adapted to the celebration, such as antiphons, hymns, readings, responsories, prayers, and very often also the psalms.

In place of the Sunday psalms of the current week, there is an option to substitute the Sunday psalms of a different week, and, in the case of an office celebrated with a congregation, even other psalms especially chosen to lead the people step by step to an understanding of the psalms.

1. In the office of readings, the current cycle of sacred Scripture must always be respected. The Church’s intent that “a more representative portion of the holy Scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years” [6] applies also to the divine office.

Therefore the cycle of readings from Scripture that is provided in the office of readings must not be set aside during the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. During Ordinary Time, however, on a particular day or for a few days in succession, it is permissible, for a good reason, to choose readings from those provided on other days or even other biblical readings - for example, on the occasion of retreats, pastoral gatherings, prayers for Christian unity, or other such events.

1. When the continuous reading is interrupted because of a solemnity or feast or special celebration, it is allowed during the same week, taking into account the readings for the whole week, either to combine the parts omitted with others or to decide which of the texts are to be preferred.
2. The office of readings also offers the option to choose, with a good reason, another reading from the same season, taken from The Liturgy of the Hours or the optional lectionary (no. 161), in preference to the second reading appointed for the day. On weekdays in Ordinary Time and, if it seems opportune, even in the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, the choice is open for a semicontinuous reading of the work of a Father of the Church, in harmony with the biblical and liturgical context.
3. The readings, prayers, songs, and intercessions appointed for the weekdays of a particular season may be used on other weekdays of the same season.
4. Everyone should be concerned to respect the complete cycle of the four-week psalter. [7] Still, for spiritual or pastoral advantage, the psalms appointed for a particular day may be replaced with others from the same hour of a different day. There are also circumstances occasionally arising when it is permissible to choose suitable psalms and other texts in the way done for a votive office.

 

[John_Lilburne]

I think n. 245 is saying you can celebrate a Votive Office even when it is a feast day (except a Solemnity, the highest ranking feast day).

The circumstances are exceptional. The psalms would be those from the Votive Office.

In deciding what counts as a Votive Office, I think the Roman Missal provides a useful guide.

The individual saints with a Votive Mass in the 2002 Roman Missal are: Blessed Virgin Mary, St John the Baptist, St Joseph, St Peter and Saint Paul.

The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours includes:
“Memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday
240. On Saturdays in Ordinary Time, when optional memorials are permitted, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated in the same way as other memorials, with its own proper reading.”

This does not require the exceptional circumstances of n. 245. It saying “the same way as other memorials” I think it is saying use the psalms of the day. Because it has earlier in the description:
“Memorials During Ordinary Time
235. In the office of readings, at morning prayer, and at evening prayer:
a. the psalms and their antiphons are taken from the current week and day, unless there are proper antiphons or proper psalms, which is indicated as the case occurs;”

 

[AlexV]

No need to obsess. It’s very simple.

It means if it’s a day that permits such a “Votive Office”, you may celebrate it as if it. For example, this year St. Martha is omitted in the ordinary rite. Yet tomorrow is quite free. One could celebrate a Votive Office of St. Martha out of devotion tomorrow, and use her proper Office.

The new breviary permits this, no problem. Or, a saint not in the General Calendar. Or the BVM. Or a mystery. Etc.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies.

I was thinking more along the lines of using the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary as often as possible - if a day is free to do so, then use the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

[porthos11]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies.

I was thinking more along the lines of using the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary as often as possible - if a day is free to do so, then use the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Yes, this is permitted.

However, the Church has designed her calendar with the idea of progressive solemnity in mind. Every day actually has a saint from the martyrology, but for good reason the Church keeps many days ferial rather than assigning a saint to every one.

It would be wise for the faithful to keep to this progressive solemnity for the most part and only occasionally use votive offices.

Nevertheless, under the letter of the law, what you mention is fine.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies.

I was thinking more along the lines of using the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary as often as possible - if a day is free to do so, then use the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Clearly Saturdays are intended for this, from the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (GILH) n. 240.
But the use of the Votive office is for exceptional circumstances, as it has in GILH:
“245. For a public cause or out of devotion, except on solemnities, the Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, the octave of Easter, and 2 November, a votive office may be celebrated, in whole or in part: for example, on the occasion of a pilgrimage, a local feast, or the external solemnity of a saint.”

For example, Monday 6 August in the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Since this only ranks as a Feast, not a Solemnity, GILH n. 245 is saying that the Votive Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated on that day. But exceptional circumstances are required, like the examples given.

 

[AlexV]

The rubrics allow Votive Offices on particular days for the sake of devotion. Devotion is a satisfactory reason. Period. “Exceptional circumstances” appears nowhere in the rubrics.