The Divine Office

"O, Lord, Open Our Lips - and we shall praise your Name"

In an address aimed at Priests the Holy Father said during his Vespers prayer address in Paris on Saturday:

 Even now the word of God is given to us as the soul of our apostolate, the soul of our priestly life. Each morning the word awakens us. Each morning the Lord himself "opens our ear" (cf. Is 50:5) through the psalms in the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer. Throughout the day, the word of God becomes the substance of the prayer of the whole Church, as she bears witness in this way to her fidelity to Christ. In the celebrated phrase of Saint Jerome, to be taken up in the XII Assembly of the Synod of Bishops next month: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" (Prol. in Is.). Dear brother priests, do not be afraid to spend much time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and praying the Divine Office! Almost without your knowing it, God’s word, read and pondered in the Church, acts upon you and transforms you. As the manifestation of divine Wisdom, if that word becomes your life "companion", it will be your "good counsellor" and an "encouragement in cares and grief" (Wis 8:9).

Deacons have to make a solemn promise to pray the Divine Office everyday. The praying of the "Hours" is the main purpose - "Opus Dei" the work of God - of the religious communities and congregations. Lay persons are not expected to pray the Divine Office although the Second Vatican Council strongly encouraged us to. I have been praying with the Office for about two or may be three years now. It was hard to begin with although I was fortunate in that our parish offered morning prayer 'of the Church' before Mass during the week. So I had a pattern and example of how it was done. Otherwise I am self taught. Before I took up using the Breviary my prayer life, such as it was, was (as we say in these parts) "all over the shop". Having no constant habit or set prayers it was hard to get going and hard to stay going once I had began. The Office changed all that.

On a good day I manage the Office of Readings, Morning prayer (Lauds), Evening prayer (Vespers) and night prayer. At work I substitute the Rosary/Angelus prayer during my lunchtime for the three minor hours. I have found the Office to be a stable foundation, a disciplined structure, upon which I hang my prayer life. I find the regular pattern of Readings, Morning and Evening prayer, plus Compline a real strength and encouragement for living the Christian life. The Psalms, the Antiphons, the scripture readings are choc full of words and expressions which I find myself reflecting and pondering on throughout the day. These ponderings in turn give expression to little "arrow" prayers which I fire up to Our Lord throughout the day.

Well, it has worked for me although I recognise that the Office is not for everyone. However, I would urge you to give it a try. Perhaps you might be able to borrow a spare Breviary from your Priest or Deacon. Or purchase the Daily Prayer volume which excises the Office of Readings and the minor hours but contains Lauds, Vespers and Compline. The complete Divine Office is a three volume set which costs about £150 so only buy it if you feel absolutely committed to this wonderful way or Royal Road into a prayer life.

Comments

[Father Sean Coyle]

Thanks for your comment in my blog. Lauds and Vespers are the two main 'hinges' of the Office. As far as I recall, before Vatican II if a layperson - and maybe even a non-ordained religious - prayed the Breviary it was considered a good and pious but private practice. However, after Vatican II anyone who prays the Liturgy of the Hours is officially praying the Prayer of the Church.

I remember a young friend of ine in the USA in the 70s, a teacher who died when she was only 29, expressing her delight when her parish introduces Morning Prayer before daily Mass. She said, 'Why has the Church kept this from us for so long?'

God bless you.