The Breviary - Praying the Breviary

The Breviary is a Christian Prayer: the Liturgy of the Hours

Introduction:

In the Catholic tradition, the praying of the breviary was done by the monks
and those in monastic communities. Theirs is a regular discipline and regimen
of praying every three hours. However, in today's contemporary Catholic times
when many are very active in apostolate and mission, the praying of the breviary
is often done in community every morning and every evening. The night prayer is
often done individually by the person. Although many communities have their own
particular form and style of praying the breviary, what will be given below is
a form of praying the breviary that is most often used by those in the active
life - those missionaries in religious institutes and the lay faithful who are
professionals but belonging to lay communities associated with religious orders.

Parts of the breviary

Morning Prayer

Introductory prayer
Invitatory psalm with antiphon
Morning Hymn
Psalms and canticle with their antiphons
Reading
Responsory
Canticle of Zechariah and its antiphon
Intercessions
Closing Prayer

Evening Prayer

Introductory prayer
Evening Hymn
Psalms and canticle with their antiphons
Reading
Responsory
Canticle of Mary and its antiphon
Intercessions
Closing Prayer

Introductory prayer

Morning Prayer

Lord, open my lips
And my mouth shall proclaim your praise
Then the antiphon of the day is said
If it is Easter season, an Alleluia is recited

Evening Prayer

God, come to my assistance
Lord, make haste to help me
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning is now and will be, forever. Amen.
(If it is the Easter season, an Alleluia is recited).

Invitatory psalm with antiphon

There are four invitatory psalms to choose from: Psalm 95, Psalm 100, Psalm 67
or Psalm 24. The antiphon depends on the liturgical season. Often, it is taken
from the Proper of the Seasons section of the breviary. The antiphon is recited
before reciting the invitatory psalm and after the completion of its recitation.
There is no invitatory psalm in the Evening Prayer

Hymn

The morning or evening hymn is directly to be found within the four-week psalter
(the section where all the psalms and the canticle with their antiphons are to
be found for Ordinary Time). If other than Ordinary Time, the hymn are to be
found in sections of their own: for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.

Psalms and canticle with their antiphons

The psalms and the canticle are then recited with the antiphon recited before
and after the praying of the psalm and the canticle. The antiphon depends on
the liturgical season. In most breviaries, the Easter antiphon is integrated
with the psalms and canticle of the regular four-week cycle of the liturgy of
the hours. For other liturgical seasons, it is found in the proper of the
seasons.

Reading

For Ordinary Time, the reading is to be found within the four-week psalter and
is ended with the prayer, "The Word of the Lord", response, "Thanks be to God."
For the reading during Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, this can be found
in the section of the Proper of the Season. (It is good to buy a "ribbon type"
cloth that divides the sections of the breviary so that you can easily shift
back and forth from the different sections of the breviary).

Responsory

This prayer is recited after the reading and is a three-line prayer that ends
with the Glory to the Father but is responded with a responsorial line. This
prayer is short and is easy to follow. For responsory during the other seasons
of the liturgy, it can be found in the Proper of the Seasons.

Canticle of Zechariah and Canticle of Mary with their antiphons

The Canticle of Zechariah is prayed every morning and the Canticle of Mary is
prayed in the evening. An antiphon is recited before and after the praying of
both Canticles. As with the other parts of the Christian prayer, the antiphon
is dependent on the liturgical season and thus for other seasons besides Ordinary
Time, the antiphon is for the Canticle of Zechariah and for the Canticle of Mary
can be found in the Proper of the Seasons.

Intercessions

The praying of the intercessions follows. It usually is composed of four to
six intercessions. This part of the breviary is also dependent on the season
of the liturgy. Thus for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, the intercessions
are to be found in the Proper of the Seasons. The intercessions is ended with
a moment of silence. If praying in community, individual petitions may be
made and recited before the community members present and then everyone responds
with the intercessory response. After everyone who are called to recite a prayer
has finished, the Our Father is recited together.

Closing prayer

For Ordinary Time, the closing prayer is given at the end of the Morning or
Evening prayer. For the other liturgical seasons, it can be found in the Proper
of the Season. For the memorial feast of a Saint, the closing prayer can be
found in the Proper of the Saints. After the closing prayer is recited, the
leader of the community, if a priest, may give his blessing. Otherwise if a
lay person, he or she may lead with the prayer: "May the Lord bless us and lead
us to everlasting life." The community responds with, "Amen."

Some suggestions

Given above are the very basics of one way of praying the breviary: either in
your own individual time or with others in community. There are so many ways
of praying the breviary. This is because the breviary contains a lot of sections
that are basic and sections that can be added depending on the preference of the
individual or the community. To learn about praying the breviary in practice
and in actuality, it is suggested that you join a retreat or recollection wherein
the praying of the breviary is taught so that you will learn how to pray this
precious Christian prayer that is rooted deep in monastic tradition.

Dennis-Emmanuel Cabrera
July 17, 2005

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Author's note: Given below are parts of the breviary or the liturgy of the hours. It will also suggest one way of praying this form of Christian prayer. Praying the breviary can be made either individually or in community. The Breviary - Praying the Breviary The Breviary is a Christian Prayer: the Liturgy of the Hours Introduction: In the Catholic tradition, the praying of the breviary was done by the monks and those in monastic communities. Theirs is a regular discipline and regimen of praying every three hours. However, in today's contemporary Catholic times when many are very active in apostolate and mission, the praying of the breviary is often done in community every morning and every evening. The night prayer is often done individually by the person. Although many communities have their own particular form and style of praying the breviary, what will be given below is a form of praying the breviary that is most often used by those in the active life - those missionaries in religious institutes and the lay faithful who are professionals but belonging to lay communities associated with religious orders. Parts of the breviary Morning Prayer Introductory prayer Invitatory psalm with antiphon Morning Hymn Psalms and canticle with their antiphons Reading Responsory Canticle of Zechariah and its antiphon Intercessions Closing Prayer Evening Prayer Introductory prayer Evening Hymn Psalms and canticle with their antiphons Reading Responsory Canticle of Mary and its antiphon Intercessions Closing Prayer Introductory prayer Morning Prayer The introductory prayer for morning prayer begins with: Lord, open my lips And my mouth shall proclaim your praise Then the antiphon of the day is said If it is Easter season, an Alleluia is recited Evening Prayer The introductory prayer for evening prayer begins with: God, come to my assistance Lord, make haste to help me Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit As it was in the beginning is now and will be, forever. Amen. (If it is the Easter season, an Alleluia is recited). Invitatory psalm with antiphon There are four invitatory psalms to choose from: Psalm 95, Psalm 100, Psalm 67 or Psalm 24. The antiphon depends on the liturgical season. Often, it is taken from the Proper of the Seasons section of the breviary. The antiphon is recited before reciting the invitatory psalm and after the completion of its recitation. There is no invitatory psalm in the Evening Prayer Hymn The morning or evening hymn is directly to be found within the four-week psalter (the section where all the psalms and the canticle with their antiphons are to be found for Ordinary Time). If other than Ordinary Time, the hymn are to be found in sections of their own: for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. Psalms and canticle with their antiphons The psalms and the canticle are then recited with the antiphon recited before and after the praying of the psalm and the canticle. The antiphon depends on the liturgical season. In most breviaries, the Easter antiphon is integrated with the psalms and canticle of the regular four-week cycle of the liturgy of the hours. For other liturgical seasons, it is found in the proper of the seasons. Reading For Ordinary Time, the reading is to be found within the four-week psalter and is ended with the prayer, "The Word of the Lord", response, "Thanks be to God." For the reading during Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, this can be found in the section of the Proper of the Season. (It is good to buy a "ribbon type" cloth that divides the sections of the breviary so that you can easily shift back and forth from the different sections of the breviary). Responsory This prayer is recited after the reading and is a three-line prayer that ends with the Glory to the Father but is responded with a responsorial line. This prayer is short and is easy to follow. For responsory during the other seasons of the liturgy, it can be found in the Proper of the Seasons. Canticle of Zechariah and Canticle of Mary with their antiphons The Canticle of Zechariah is prayed every morning and the Canticle of Mary is prayed in the evening. An antiphon is recited before and after the praying of both Canticles. As with the other parts of the Christian prayer, the antiphon is dependent on the liturgical season and thus for other seasons besides Ordinary Time, the antiphon is for the Canticle of Zechariah and for the Canticle of Mary can be found in the Proper of the Seasons. Intercessions The praying of the intercessions follows. It usually is composed of four to six intercessions. This part of the breviary is also dependent on the season of the liturgy. Thus for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, the intercessions are to be found in the Proper of the Seasons. The intercessions is ended with a moment of silence. If praying in community, individual petitions may be made and recited before the community members present and then everyone responds with the intercessory response. After everyone who are called to recite a prayer has finished, the Our Father is recited together. Closing prayer For Ordinary Time, the closing prayer is given at the end of the Morning or Evening prayer. For the other liturgical seasons, it can be found in the Proper of the Season. For the memorial feast of a Saint, the closing prayer can be found in the Proper of the Saints. After the closing prayer is recited, the leader of the community, if a priest, may give his blessing. Otherwise if a lay person, he or she may lead with the prayer: "May the Lord bless us and lead us to everlasting life." The community responds with, "Amen." Some suggestions Given above are the very basics of one way of praying the breviary: either in your own individual time or with others in community. There are so many ways of praying the breviary. This is because the breviary contains a lot of sections that are basic and sections that can be added depending on the preference of the individual or the community. To learn about praying the breviary in practice and in actuality, it is suggested that you join a retreat or recollection wherein the praying of the breviary is taught so that you will learn how to pray this precious Christian prayer that is rooted deep in monastic tradition. Dennis-Emmanuel Cabrera July 17, 2005 If you wish to copy ideas, insights and suggestion from the articles and content in this website, kindly make a link to: Catholic Internet Mission: Proclaiming the Gospel Online Free Ideas and Information on Catholicism and the Internet http://www.pcentral-online.net Catholic Internet Mission: Proclaiming the Gospel Online	Subscription to Catholic Internet Mission RSS Feed (click the + MY YAHOO button to add this RSS Feed) Subscription to Catholic Internet Mission RSS Feed using other Feed Readers XML