Oblates Newsletter for Oblates of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana October 2012 We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and “that in every place the eyes of God are watching the good and the wicked (Prov. Presenter Sister Anita Louise Lowe explains the history of the Liturgy of the Hours at the “ 15:3).” Beyond the least September Oblate meeting. doubt we should believe Liturgy of the Hours: Why, History, Development this to be especially true By Sister Anita Louise Lowe when we celebrate the The Liturgy of the Hours is a prayer that is intimately tied to time and seasons. The Liturgy of the Hours is a daily prayer, divine office (liturgy prayed in the morning, at midday, at evening, before bed, and in some places, in the middle of the night. We find this rhythm of of the hours). Let us time and seasons expressed in the psalms used for prayer. Time today is complicated. We have technology that allows consider, then, how we us to have light when it’s dark and to make it dark when it is light outside. The Liturgy of the Hours takes us out of “clock” time and invites us ought to sing the psalms to enter into the eternal time of God. Through prayer, we mark that all time is holy, all time is of God. in such a way that our How have Christians prayed throughout the centuries? Let’s embark on some time travel and see what daily prayer looked like for Christians throughout the minds are in harmony centuries. with our voices. Our first stop is in the first century. Jewish prayer was centered in the temple, the synagogue, and the home. Until the time of the Temple’s destruction —Rule of St. Benedict in the year 70, morning and evening sacrifices are conducted there. In the Chapter 19 synagogue there are four public services on at least three days of the week— the Sabbath and the market days of Monday and Thursday. In Jewish homes we find that there is prayer at the beginning and the end of each day and some private moments of prayer three times during the day. Monastery Immaculate Conception While we don’t know exactly what Christian prayer looked like during this 802 E. 10th Street time period, we can assume some Jewish influence, especially in praying at fixed Ferdinand, Indiana 47532-9239 times, such as morning and evening. The Gospels recount various times when Jesus 812-367-1411, ext. 2827/2829 www.thedome.org/oblates” [email protected] Continued on page 2. Oblates Newsletter Page 2 prayed — in the morning, in the evening, and even keeping unlike that of the “cathedral” style, was less a liturgical vigil throughout the night. In the Acts of the Apostles, we service than it was a meditation in common. Many of the hear of the apostles gathering at the Temple as a separate desert monastics prayed 12 psalms in course — that is, in group from the Jews but at the hours of Jewish prayer and we numerical order — followed by two Scripture readings and hear of prayer at the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day. then another set of 12 psalms. It didn’t matter if the psalm We also learn of what this prayer was composed: psalms, spoke of evening when it was actually morning. The purpose hymns, readings, and prayer of joy was to meditate on the psalms not and thanksgiving. In a document to see the psalms as prayers in and dating from around the years AD of themselves. 50-70, “The Didache,” we find an In descriptions of groups of admonition for the Christian to pray monks gathered for common the Our Father with a doxology three prayer we discover that one monk times a day. recited the psalm while the rest In the third century, we find set sat and meditated. Many of times of prayer on rising, at the 3rd, them listened while doing basic 6th, and 9th hours of the day, before work such as weaving or basket going to bed, and during the night making. For these monks “ora et itself. The Christians here were urged labora” meant continual prayer to pray facing the East as a symbol and incessant labor; all of life was of awaiting the second coming. In a prayer. At the end of the psalm, this century, we begin to see some all arose with hands lifted and standardization of rubrics regarding prayed in silence. A hybrid-type of standing or kneeling, and we have prayer began to develop in urban mention of psalms being a common areas where monks and the secular prayer of Christians. Themes begin churches came in contact with one to emerge for the various prayer another. times: Christ is seen as the true In the Western church of the sun and the true day, and the day fifth and sixth centuries we see that hours are interpreted according to the hybrid style of prayer continues the passion account found in Mark’s to develop. Morning and evening gospel. are still the main times of prayer for the general population. We next stop at the fourth century. This was the most The symbolism of the rising sun as the light of Christ is important era for the development of Christian prayer echoed in the lamplighting ceremony at evening. Psalms are because of the Peace of Constantine and the end of chosen to fit the time of day. There are some occasional vigils Christian persecutions. Christianity becomes the official celebrated, such as, at Easter or before a funeral, but this religion of the empire. All Christians were urged to pray prayer at night was most often a private prayer said in one’s without ceasing, and the Liturgy of the Hours evolved in two home. different fashions: one way for the secular church and another In monastic circles, the length of the office grows. “To for the monastics who went out into the desert. pray without ceasing” seems to imply to have more and Christians gathered publicly in large groups to pray in longer periods of formal prayer. Benedict, for his part, is an “cathedrals” with the bishop presiding. This type of daily innovator and will redistribute the psalmody, eliminating prayer became known as the cathedral office. It is a prayer repetitions of psalms, and introducing hymns. Benedict’s of praise and intercession. Psalms are selected which are office is one of moderation and pastoral “good sense.” appropriate to the particular hour or service. Within the Little changes in the next few centuries. The clergy living prayer we find much use of symbol and ceremony as well as in both cathedrals and country chapels celebrated the Liturgy the use of hymns, chants, and various ministries. The two of the Hours in common with the people of the parish. Only privileged hours were morning and evening with both having when the burden of pastoral and liturgical care fell to one light as a primary symbol. presbyter did the public celebration of the Hours begin to At the same time, men and women fled to the desert to suffer. By the 13th century, the full monastic course of psalms lead a monastic life. The “desert monastic” style of prayer, had been made obligatory for all clergy. They didn’t have , Page 3 October 2012 time to do all of these prayers publicly, so they recited them So, why do we pray the Liturgy of the Hours? We can find privately as they were able. It was during this time that orders some answers by looking at the statement of purpose in the like the Franciscans and Dominicans emerged. They had “to front of the monastery’s morning and evening prayer books. do the office” wherever they were. Whereas common prayer First, we have the basic human need to pray, to pray daily, had once been the only way, now it is becoming simply a and to pray with others. Paul Bradshaw, a liturgy scholar, better way. And the obligation to pray that used to be sensed stated that there is no such thing as private prayer. There is as an obligation of all Christians becomes more and more the personal prayer and prayer done communally, but whenever personal obligation of the clergy. a Christian prays he or she does so as a member of the Body Another development that affected praying the Hours of Christ. was the development of the printing press. What had been Second, praying with the psalms gives us words for our the prayer of the church was now a dialogue with God. The psalms book: the Breviary. This shortened speak of every human emotion. version of the daily prayer was Third, we pray the Liturgy of designed for priests to use wherever the Hours as intercessors for our they might be. Another factor at community, the Church, and the work in the 15th century was the world. The General Instruction on growth of a spirituality called “devotio the Liturgy of the Hours states that moderna.” The personal piety that “the whole body of the Church emerged saw common prayer as a shares in the priesthood of Christ.” distraction to the “true” inner, private By praying the Liturgy of the prayer. Hours we fulfill our baptismal call By the 16th century, prayer in the to pray and to intercede for each monastic life was reaching a point of other, for all of humanity, and for “liturgical exhaustion.” The church all of creation. reformed the Office, simplifying the Robert Taft, considered by prayer and making the breviary better many to be “the” expert on the suited to private use.