← [[appendix-d-asp|Organizational Chart]] | [[aspirancy-handbook|Table of Contents]] | [[appendix-f-asp|Divine Intimacy #169 — Mary Our Guide and Model]] → # Liturgy of the Hours Commentary **CONTENTS** ## **Part One** **The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (extracts)** Commentary is in parentheses and italics. Page numbers generally refer to Catholic Book Publisher’s Christian Prayer. Redactions are indicated by **“** **”** **...** Some passages are highlighted in bold print to draw extra attention. **Chapter I...** **Chapter II:** **Sanctification of the Day: The Different Liturgical Hours** I. Introduction to the Whole Office II.Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer III.Office of Readings IV.Daytime Hours V.... VI.Night Prayer VII.... **Chapter III: Different Elements in the Liturgy of the Hours** I. Psalms and Their Connection With Christian Prayer II.Antiphons and Other Aids to Praying the Psalms III.... IV.Plan for the Distribution of the Psalms in the Office V.... VI.Readings from Sacred Scripture VII.... VIII.... IX. Responsories X.Hymns and Other Nonbiblical Songs XI. Intercessions, Lord’s Prayer, and Concluding Prayer XII.Sacred Silence **Chapter IV: Various Celebrations throughout the Year** A. Mysteries of the Lord B. The Saints C. Calendar and Option to Choose an Office or Part of an Office **Chapter V: Rites for Celebration in Common** I. Offices to be Carried Out II.... _brevity.)_ **Endnotes** _(__See the official GILH for the end notes. They are omitted here for the sake of_ 35 ## Part Two ## Further Notes and Comments 1\. Sanctifying the Day 2\. Alleluia 3\. Shorthand and Assumptions 4\. Figuring out Seasons, Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials 5\. Glossary ***** ## Part One extracts from the GILH **CHAPTER II SANCTIFICATION OF THE DAY:** **THE DIFFERENT LITURGICAL HOURS** **I. INTRODUCTION TO THE WHOLE OFFICE** _(“Whole office” means the whole day’s liturgy_ _of the hours.)_ 34\. The whole office begins as a rule with an invitatory. This consists in the verse, Lord, open my lips. And my mouth will proclaim your praise, and Ps 95.... .... It is preferable to recite the invitatory psalm responsorially as it is set out in the text, that is, with the antiphon recited at the beginning, then repeated, and repeated again after each strophe. _(The same as the responsorial psalm at Mass.)_ 35\. The invitatory is placed at the beginning of the whole sequence of the day’s prayer, that is, it precedes either morning prayer or the office of readings, whichever of these liturgical rites begins the day. The invitatory psalm with its antiphon may be omitted, however, when the invitatory is the prelude to morning prayer. .... **II. MORNING PRAYER AND EVENING PRAYER**... 38\. As is clear from many of the elements that make it up, morning prayer is intended and arranged to sanctify the morning. St. Basil the Great gives an excellent description of this character in these words: “It is said in the morning in order that the first stirrings of our mind and will may be consecrated to God and that we may take nothing in hand until we have been gladdened by the thought of God, as it is written: ‘I was mindful of God and was glad’ (Ps 77:4 [Jerome’s translation from Hebrew]), or set our bodies to any task before we do what has been said: ‘I will pray to you, Lord, you will hear my voice in the morning; I will stand before you in the morning and gaze on you’ (Ps 5:4-5).” Celebrated as it is as the light of a new day is dawning, this hour also recalls the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the true light enlightening all people (see Jn 1:9) and “the sun of justice” (Mal 4:2), “rising from on high” (Lk 1:78). Hence, we can well understand the advice of St. Cyprian: “There should be prayer in the morning so that the resurrection of the Lord may thus be celebrated.” 36 39\. When evening approaches and the day is already far spent, evening prayer is celebrated in order that “we may give thanks for what has been given us, or what we have done well, during the day.” We also recall the redemption through the prayer we send up “like incense in the Lord’s sight,” and in which “the raising up of our hands” becomes “an evening sacrifice.” ... ... 41\. Morning prayer and evening prayer begin with the introductory verse, God come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me. There follows the Glory to the Father, with As it was in the beginning and Alleluia (omitted in Lent). **This introduction is** **omitted at morning prayer when the invitatory immediately precedes it**. 42\. Then an appropriate hymn is sung immediately. The purpose of the hymn is to set the tone for the hour or the feast and, especially in celebrations with a congregation, to form a simple and pleasant introduction to prayer. _(The Hymn section starts on page 1502._ _Weekdays in Ordinary Time, the suggested hymn number is given before the psalmody; other_ _appropriate hymns are listed on 1503-1504._ _Seasons, see 1502-1503._ _Solemnities and feasts of the Lord, see 1504._ _Saints’ days, see pages 1505-1506.)_ 43\. After the hymn the psalmody follows.... 44\. After the psalmody there is either a short reading or a longer one.... _(Use the_ _reading given in Christian Prayer or the 4-volume LOH, whichever edition the Reader has.)_ 48\. After the reading or homily a period of silence may be observed. 49\. As a response to the word of God, a responsorial, chant or short responsory is provided; this may be omitted. _(Carmelites don’t normally omit it.)_ 50\. Next is the solemn recitation of the gospel canticle with its antiphon, that is, the Canticle of Zechariah at morning prayer and the Canticle of Mary at evening prayer... 51\. After the canticle, at morning prayer come the petitions for the consecration of the day and its work to God and at evening prayer, the intercessions (see nos. 179-193). 52\. After the petitions or intercessions the Lord’s Prayer is said by all. 53\. Immediately after the Lord’s Prayer there follows the concluding prayer, which for weekdays in Ordinary Time is found in the psalter and for other days in the proper. _(More about the proper below.)_ 54\. Then, if a priest or deacon is presiding, he dismisses the congregation with the greeting, The Lord be with you, and the blessing as at Mass. He adds the invitation, Go in peace. R. Thanks be to God. In the absence of a priest or deacon the celebration concludes with May the Lord bless us, etc. **III. OFFICE OF READINGS...** **IV. DAYTIME HOURS...** _(These are not required for Carmelite Seculars. Those who are interested may refer to the_ _General Instructions.)_ **VI. NIGHT PRAYER** 37 _(Carmelite Seculars are to pray night prayer if possible. If night prayer is not possible, we are_ _encouraged to at least make an examination of conscience. The night prayer section begins on_ _page 1034.)_ 84\. Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight.... 86\. It is a laudable practice to have next an examination of conscience;... 92\. Finally, one of the antiphons in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary is said. _(One of the_ _prayers on page 1056-1057.)_ In the Easter season this is always to be the Regina Caeli. In addition to the antiphons given in The Liturgy of the Hours, others may be approved by the conferences of bishops. **CHAPTER III DIFFERENT ELEMENTS** **IN THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS** **I. PSALMS AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH CHRISTIAN PRAYER**... 104\. To sing the psalms with understanding, then, is to meditate on them verse by verse, with the heart always ready to respond in the way the Holy Spirit desires. The one who inspired the psalmist will also be present to those who in faith and love are ready to receive his grace. _(__Pause at the end of each line, to allow time for this meditation._ _Pausing also helps everyone pray together at the same pace.__)_... 106\. In praying the psalms we should open our hearts to the different attitudes they express, varying with the literary genre to which each belongs (psalms of grief, trust, gratitude, etc.) and to which biblical scholars rightly attach great importance. 107\. Staying close to the meaning of the words, the person who prays the psalms looks for the significance of the text for the human life of the believer.... 108\. Those who pray the psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours do so not so much in their own name as in the name of the entire Body of Christ. This consideration does away with the problem of a possible discrepancy between personal feelings and the sentiments a psalm is expressing: for example, when a person feels sad and the psalm is one of joy or when a person feels happy and the psalm is one of mourning. Such a problem is readily solved in private prayer, which allows for the choice of a psalm suited to personal feelings. **The divine office, however, is not private; the cycle of psalms** **is public, in the name of the Church, even for those who may be reciting an hour** **alone.** Those who pray the psalms in the name of the Church nevertheless can always find a reason for joy or sadness, for the saying of the Apostle applies in this case also: “Rejoice with the joyful and weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).... 109\. Those who pray the psalms in the name of the Church should be aware of their full sense (sensus plenus), especially their Messianic sense, which was the reason for the Church’s introduction of the psalter into its prayer.... Following this line of thought, the Fathers of the Church saw the whole psalter as a prophecy of Christ and the Church and explained it in this sense; for the same reason the psalms have been chosen for use in the liturgy.... 38 On the great feasts especially, the choice of psalms is often based on their Christological meaning and antiphons taken from these psalms are frequently used to throw light on this meaning. **II. ANTIPHONS AND OTHER AIDS TO PRAYING THE PSALMS**... 111\. In the psalter of the Liturgy of the Hours a caption is given for each psalm to explain its meaning and its import for the personal life of the believer. These captions are intended only as an aid to prayer. _(The caption is the phrase in red ink after the antiphon._ _The captions are not said aloud.)_ A quotation from the New Testament or the Fathers of the Church is added to foster prayer in the light of Christ’s new revelation; it is an invitation to pray the psalms in their Christological meaning. 112\. Psalm-prayers for each psalm are given in the supplement to The Liturgy of the Hours as an aid to understanding them in a predominantly Christian way. An ancient tradition provides a model for their use: after the psalm a period of silence is observed, then the prayer gives a resume and resolution of the thoughts and aspirations of those praying the psalms. _(Psalm prayers are included in the four-week cycle of Christian Prayer and the four-volume_ _LOH.)_... 114\. ... in accordance with no. 125. When the office of Ordinary Time is recited, not sung, the quotations printed with the psalms may be used in place of these antiphons. _(The quotations are in italics; they are after the caption in red ink.)_ 115\. When a psalm may be divided because of its length into several sections within one and the same hour, an antiphon is given for each section. This is to provide variety, especially when the hour is sung, and also to help toward a better understanding of the riches of the psalm. Still, it is permissible to say or sing the complete psalm without interruption, using only the first antiphon. ... 120\. **During the Easter season Alleluia is added to all antiphons, unless it would clash** **with the meaning of a particular antiphon**. **...** **IV. PLAN FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PSALMS IN THE OFFICE**... 133\. The four-week cycle of the psalter is coordinated with the liturgical year in such a way that **on the First Sunday of Advent, the First Sunday in Ordinary Time, the** **First Sunday of Lent, and Easter Sunday the cycle is always begun again with Week** **I** (others being omitted when necessary). After Pentecost, when the psalter cycle follows the series of weeks in Ordinary Time, it begins with the week indicated in the proper of seasons at the beginning of the appropriate week in Ordinary Time. 39 _(The day after Pentecost is Ordinary Time. The Church picks up where she left off before Lent._ _This could be week seven, eight or nine in Ordinary Time. Check the Catholic calendar. Week_ _seven will correspond to week III of the psalter, as shown at the top of page 611. Week eight will_ _correspond to week IV of the psalter, and so on.)_... **VI. READINGS FROM SACRED SCRIPTURE**... _C. SHORT READINGS_... 157\. Accordingly, four weekly series of short readings have been composed for Ordinary Time. They are incorporated into the psalter in such a way that the reading changes during the four weeks. There are also weekly series for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, In addition there are proper short readings for solemnities, feasts, and some memorials, as well as a one-week series for night prayer. ... **IX RESPONSORIES**... 171\. The responsories and the portions to be repeated even in private recitation... retain their value. The customary reprise of the whole responsory may be omitted when the office is not being sung, unless the sense requires this repetition. _(This paragraph_ _refers to the office of readings.)_ 172\. In a similar but simpler way, the responsory at morning prayer, evening prayer, and night prayer (see nos. 49 and 89), and the verse at daytime prayer, are linked to the short reading as a kind of acclamation, enabling God’s word to enter more deeply into the mind and heart of the one listening or reading. **X. HYMNS AND OTHER NONBIBLICAL SONGS** 173\. ... The hymns bring out the proper theme of individual hours or feasts and incline and draw the spirit to a devout celebration. The beauty of their language often adds to this power. Furthermore, in the office hymns are the main poetic element created by the Church. 174\. A hymn follows the traditional rule of ending with a doxology, usually addressed to the same divine person as the hymn itself. 175\. In the office for Ordinary Time, to ensure variety, a twofold cycle of hymns is given for each hour, for use in alternate weeks. ... **XI. INTERCESSIONS, LORD’S PRAYER, AND CONCLUDING PRAYER** _A. THE PRAYERS OR INTERCESSIONS AT MORNING PRAYER AND EVENING PRAYER_... 183\. ... different intercessory formularies are given for each day of the four-week psalter in Ordinary Time and for the special seasons of the liturgical year, as well as for certain feasts. ... 186\. In the intercessions at evening prayer the last intention is always for the dead. 40 187\. Since the Liturgy of the Hours is above all the prayer of the whole Church for the whole Church, indeed for the salvation of the whole world, universal intentions should take precedence over all others, namely, for: the Church and its ministers; secular authorities; the poor, the sick, and the sorrowful; the needs of the whole world, that is, peace and other intentions of this kind. 188\. It is permissible, however, to include particular intentions at both morning prayer and evening prayer. _..._ _C. CONCLUDING PRAYER_ 197\. The concluding prayer at the end marks the completion of an entire hour. In a celebration in public and with a congregation, it belongs by tradition to a priest or deacon to say this prayer. ... 199\. The concluding prayer at morning prayer and evening prayer is taken from the proper on Sundays, on the weekdays of the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, and on solemnities, feasts, and memorials. On weekdays in Ordinary Time the prayer is the one given in the four-week psalter to express the character of these two hours. ... **XII. SACRED SILENCE** 201\. It is a general principle that care should be taken in liturgical services to see that “at the proper times all observe a reverent silence.” An opportunity for silence should therefore be provided in the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours. 202\. In order to receive in our hearts the full sound of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and the public voice of the Church, it is permissible, as occasion offers and prudence suggests, to have an interval of silence. It may come either after the repetition of the antiphon at the end of the psalm, in the traditional way, especially if the psalm-prayer is to be said after the pause (see no. 112), or after the short or longer readings, either before or after the responsory. **Care must be taken to avoid the kind of silence that would disturb the structure of** **the office or annoy and weary those taking part.** 203\. In individual recitation there is even greater freedom to pause in meditation on some text that moves the spirit; the office does not on this account lose its public character. 41 **CHAPTER IV VARIOUS CELEBRATIONS** **THROUGHOUT THE YEAR** **I. MYSTERIES OF THE LORD** _A. SUNDAY_ 204\. The office of Sunday begins with evening prayer I _(Saturday evening)_, which is taken entirely from the four-week psalter, except those parts that are marked as proper. _(In_ _Ordinary Time, that would be the antiphon for the gospel canticle and the closing prayer.)_ 205\. **When a feast of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday, it has a proper evening** **prayer I.** _(This refers to the vigil on Saturday evening. For an example, see Feb. 2, the_ _Presentation of Our Lord, in the proper of the saints, page 1077.)_... _B. EASTER TRIDUUM_... 209\. Those who take part in the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper or the celebration of the Lord’s passion on Good Friday do not say evening prayer on either day. ... 211\. Night prayer for Holy Saturday is said only by those who are not present at the Easter Vigil. ... _D. CHRISTMAS SEASON_ 215\. ... Night prayer is not said by those present at this vigil. _(Mass on Christmas Eve)_... **II. THE SAINTS** 218\. The celebrations of the saints are arranged so that they do not take precedence over those feast days and special seasons that commemorate the mysteries of salvation. ... 219\. Celebrations in honor of the saints are either solemnities, feasts, or memorials. 220\. Memorials are either obligatory memorials or, when not so classified, optional memorials.... _(For an example, look at pages 1074 and 1075 of Christian Prayer. Angela Merici has an optional_ _memorial. It can be observed or ignored. Thomas Aquinas has a memorial. It must be observed_ _unless it conflicts with Sunday.)_ _1. ARRANGEMENT OF THE OFFICE FOR SOLEMNITIES_ _(Solemnities that fall on Sunday in Ordinary Time are observed in place of the Sunday office._ _During Advent, Christmas season, Lent, and Easter season, they are moved to the next available_ _Monday. This also applies to the Carmelite solemnities of O.L. of Mt Carmel, St. Teresa of Avila,_ _St John of the Cross, and the Province’s patron saint.)_ 225\. **Solemnities** have an evening prayer I on the preceding day. 226\. At **evening prayer** I and II, the hymn, the antiphons, the short reading with its responsory, and the concluding prayer are proper. **Where anything proper is missing,** **it is supplied from the common.** 42 _(“Proper” means from the proper of the saints, pages 1060 to 1353, or the proper of the_ _seasons, pages 41 to 683. The commons begin on page 1355.)_... 227\. At **morning prayer**, the hymn, the antiphons, the short reading with its responsory, and the concluding prayer are proper. Where anything proper is missing, it is supplied from the common. **The psalms are to be taken from the Sunday of Week I** of the fourweek psalter; the intercessions are either proper or from the common. ... 230\. At night prayer, everything is said as on Sundays, after evening prayer I and II respectively. _(The night before the solemnity use night prayer from page 1034. The night of the solemnity use_ _night prayer from page 1037.)_ _2. ARRANGEMENT OF THE OFFICE FOR FEASTS_ 231\. Feasts have no evening prayer I, except those feasts of the Lord that fall on a Sunday. At the office of readings, at morning prayer, and at evening prayer, all is done as on solemnities. ... 233\. Night prayer is said as on ordinary days. _(For example, if a feast falls on a Wednesday,_ _use night prayer for Wednesday.)_ _3. ARRANGEMENT OF THE OFFICE FOR MEMORIALS_ _(Memorials are where most people have the most difficulty determining which pages to use. It_ _takes quite some time to get the hang of it.)_ 234\. In the arrangement of the office there is no difference between obligatory and optional memorials, except in the case of optional memorials falling during privileged seasons. _(In privileged seasons memorials are ignored or become commemorations. See 237-239 below.)_ _A. MEMORIALS DURING ORDINARY TIME_ 235\. ... at morning prayer, and at evening prayer: a. **the psalms and their antiphons are taken from the current week and day** _(in the_ _four-week psalter)_**, unless there are proper antiphons or proper psalms, which is** **indicated as the case occurs;** _(In other words, if they are not in the proper of the saints,_ **_do not_** _take them from the common._ _The antiphons given in the common are for feasts, not for memorials.)_ b. The antiphon at the invitatory, the hymn, the short reading, the antiphons at the Canticles of Zechariah and of Mary, and the intercessions must be those of the saint **if** **these are given in the proper**; otherwise, they are taken **either** from the common or from the current week and day; c. The concluding prayer from the office of the saint is to be said;... 236\. At daytime prayer and night prayer, all is from the weekday and nothing is from the office of the saint. 43 _B. MEMORIALS DURING PRIVILEGED SEASONS_ 237\. **On Sundays, solemnities, and feasts, on Ash Wednesday, during Holy Week, and** **during the octave of Easter, memorials that happen to fall on these days are** **disregarded.** 238\. On the weekdays from 17 to 24 December, during the octave of Christmas, and on the weekdays of Lent, no obligatory memorials are celebrated, even in particular calendars. When any happen to fall during Lent in a given year, they are treated as optional memorials. 239\. During privileged seasons, if it is desired to celebrate the office of a saint on a day assigned to his or her memorial:... b. at morning prayer and evening prayer, **the ending of the concluding prayer may be** **omitted and the saint’s antiphon (from the proper or common) and prayer may be** **added**. _C. MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY ON SATURDAY_ 240\. On Saturdays in Ordinary Time, when optional memorials are permitted _(If there is_ **_not_** _another memorial, feast or solemnity)_, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated in the same way as other memorials, with its own proper reading. _(see page 1383)_ **III. CALENDAR AND OPTION TO CHOOSE AN OFFICE OR PART OF AN OFFICE** _A. CALENDAR TO BE FOLLOWED_ 241\. The office in choir and in common is to be celebrated according to the proper calendar of the diocese, **of the religious family**, or of the individual churches.... _(The Carmelites have their own proper, which has the Carmelite saints, memorials, feasts, and_ _solemnities. These differ from the general calendar. For example, St Therese the Little Flower is_ _a memorial for the Church in general, but a feast for the Order of Carmelites Discalced.)_... **CHAPTER V RITES FOR CELEBRATION IN COMMON** **I. OFFICES TO BE CARRIED OUT** 253\. In the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, as in all other liturgical services, “each one, minister or layperson, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.” ... 258\. In the absence of a priest or deacon, the one who presides at the office is only one among equals and does not enter the sanctuary or greet and bless the people. 259\. Those who act as readers, standing in a convenient place, read either the long readings or the short readings. 260, A cantor or cantors should intone the antiphons, psalms, and other chants. With regard to the psalmody, the directions of nos. 121-125 should be followed. ... 44 263\. All taking part stand during: a. The introduction to the office and the introductory verses of each hour; b. The hymn; c. The gospel canticle; d. The intercessions, the Lord’s Prayer, and the concluding prayer. 264\. All sit to listen to the readings, except the gospel. 265\. The assembly either sits or stands, depending on custom, while the psalms and other canticles (with their antiphons) are being said. _(Our custom is to sit for the psalmody.)_ 266\. All make the sign of the cross, from forehead to breast and from left shoulder to right, at: a. The beginning of the hours, when God, come to my assistance is being said; b. The beginning of the gospel, the Canticles of Zechariah, of Mary, and of Simeon. The sign of the cross is made on the mouth at the beginning of the invitatory, at Lord, open my lips.... ## Part Two Further notes and comments This section is to explain some points that may be obscure for the beginner. Much of what is explained in the GILH section is repeated and expanded. Page numbers refer to the one-volume Christian Prayer. Please keep in mind that the office is prayed, not merely read. Entering into the liturgy unites us to Christ and His Church and leads us to the Father. It is more important to pray the office reverently, prayerfully, with the heart set on God, than to say it perfectly correctly. Attention to the One we are praying to is key. 1. SANCTIFYING THE DAY From the Code of Canon Law: “Can. 1175 In carrying out the Liturgy of the Hours, the true time for each hour is to be observed insofar as possible. ” While we don’t want to become negligent or careless, please do not become anxious about exact times when charity or duty calls you to be elsewhere. It is important to remember that the Church in her wisdom allows for individual needs and circumstances. In general: Morning prayer is said before starting the business of the day. The actual time will vary according to the individual’s needs and situation. Evening prayer is said when the day’s labors are through. Again, this is according to the individual’s needs and situation. Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight. Carmelites are to pray night prayer if possible. If night prayer is not possible, we ought to at least do an examination of conscience, thank God for the blessings of the day, and ask His protection Other hours: 45 Daytime prayer (for those who feel drawn to it) is said at about 9am (midmorning), noon (midday), and 3pm (midafternoon). The office of readings can be prayed at anytime during the 24-hour day. If the office of readings is prayed earlier than morning prayer, the Invitatory is prayed as part of the office of readings, instead of with morning prayer. 2. ALLELUIA! The Alleluia is omitted during Lent. An Alleluia in parentheses means it is added during the Easter Season, but not at other times. 3. SHORTHAND AND ASSUMPTIONS Please note that some prayers in Christian Prayer are given in a sort of shorthand. For example, at the beginning of the invitatory in the four-week psalter it says: “Lord, open my lips.” That’s shorthand for: “Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.” At the beginning of evening prayer it says: “God, come to my assistance. Glory to the Father. As it was in the beginning. Alleluia.” That’s shorthand for: “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. Alleluia.” They are assuming the person praying knows the entire prayer and are just giving a brief reminder to say it in that place. Where it says “conclusion as in the Ordinary”, it means the dismissal found on pages 693-694 of the Ordinary. If there is a priest or deacon present, he gives the blessing and dismissal. If there is no priest or deacon, simply close with “May the Lord bless us (etc)” while making the sign of the Cross. In the four-week psalter, where it says “Canticle of Zechariah” and “Canticle of Mary,” they give the antiphon and assume the person praying knows to say the canticle in that place. They say in a few places that the Glory to the Father is said at the end of all psalms and canticles “unless otherwise indicated” and assume it will be remembered. Mostly, they assume you are learning the Liturgy of the Hours with the help of someone who has experience and can guide you. Learning to navigate on your own is challenging to say the least. Be sure to jot down notes of any difficulties or questions and bring them up with your formator or liturgy coordinator. 4\. FIGURING OUT SEASONS, SOLEMNITIES, FEASTS AND MEMORIALS It is helpful to use a Catholic calendar. If there is any confusion about what day the Church is celebrating, the correct day will be on the calendar. If there is any difficulty in finding where to go for a particular celebration, there is an alphabetical index on pages 2078-2079. 46 The following reiterates and expands on some of what was included from chapter IV of the GILH, in Part One above. The proper of the seasons, which is the front section of Christian Prayer, starts on page 41. As the name indicates, it has the proper parts for the seasons of the liturgical year. This is also where we find most of the feasts and solemnities of our Lord (Christmas, Easter, the Ascension, Sacred Heart, Christ the King, etc). Advent, Christmas Season, Lent, Easter Season The invitatory antiphon during these seasons will come from the ordinary, pages 686 and 687. Appropriate hymns are listed on pages 1502 – 1503. Each day in these seasons will have its own special reading, responsory, gospel canticle antiphon, intercessions, and closing prayer. They are in the proper of the seasons. Here’s an example: Monday of the first week of Advent: The invitatory antiphon will come from the ordinary, page 686. The hymn will be an Advent hymn; choices are listed on page 1502. The psalms and antiphons come from Monday of Week I of the psalter, page 718. Then the reading and everything else will come from the proper of the seasons, page 47. The Proper of the Saints starts on page 1060. This is where the solemnities, feasts, and memorials of Mary and the saints, and some feasts of Our Lord are found. Anything given in the proper of the saints for the saint’s day is used: antiphons, psalms, readings, intercessions, closing prayers. There are different levels of importance for saints’ days. The importance of the day is given under the name of the saint: solemnity (highest), feast (second) or memorial (third). If it doesn’t say what it is, then it’s an optional memorial. Last is a memorial observed as a commemoration. Every religious order has its own proper, published separately, unique to them. As Carmelites, we are to follow the Carmelite calendar, in addition to the general calendar. (GILH # 241) What this means in practical terms. Solemnity. (GILH # 225-230) Solemnities of the Lord that fall on Sunday are observed in place of the Sunday Liturgy. Solemnities of the saints that fall on a Sunday during Ordinary time are observed in place of the Sunday Liturgy. Solemnities of the saints that fall on a Sunday outside of Ordinary time are not observed in place of the Sunday Liturgy. They are moved to the next available Monday. Solemnities will have their own antiphons (often their own psalms too), readings and everything. Follow the directions given for the day in the proper of the seasons or the proper of the saints. Feast. (GILH # 231-233) 47 The popular meaning of “feast day” is any celebration, from solemnities down to optional memorials. Here we are using the liturgical meaning, in which “feast” specifies a rank of importance. Feasts of Our Lord that fall on Sunday take the place the Sunday Liturgy, including the vigil on Saturday evening. Feasts of saints that fall on Sunday, Ash Wednesday, the Easter Triduum, and the Octave of Easter are not observed. First use everything that is given in the proper for that day. Anything not given in the proper is taken from the common. The proper for the day will say which common to use and what page. In the morning use the psalms from Sunday Week I. In the evening use the psalms from the common if they are not in the proper itself. Two examples: February 22 Chair of Peter has all its own antiphons, reading and everything. The morning psalms are from Sunday Week I page 707, with the antiphons from the proper of the saints pages 1095 and 1096. The evening psalms are taken from the common of apostles with antiphons from the proper of the saints page 1097. October 28 Sts. Simon and Jude’s feast does not have its own antiphons, etc. It only has its own closing prayer. For this feast we go to the common of apostles page 1392 to find the antiphons, psalms, readings and everything else. In the morning we say the antiphons in the common of apostles with the psalms from Sunday Week I page 707. In the evening we say the psalms and antiphons in the common of apostles. 3. The next level is a memorial. (GILH # 234-236) Memorials of saints are lowest in precedence; they are not observed on Sundays. Other liturgical days will take precedence over memorials, such as the Easter Triduum or the Sacred Heart. First look at what is given in the saint’s day. Memorials have at least a closing prayer. Most have gospel antiphons too. Use whatever is given in the proper of the saints for the day. The psalms and antiphons are usually going to come from the current weekday of the psalter. For memorials, the only time the psalms and antiphons don’t come from the weekday is if their antiphons are right there in the proper for the saint’s day itself. For an example of this, look at St. Martin of Tours on page 1314. For St. Martin’s day the proper of the saints says to use the psalms from Sunday Week I page 707; for the evening it says to use the psalms # From the Common of Pastors page 1430. Unless it says specifically in the proper of the saint’s day itself, to use something else, the psalms for memorials always come from the current weekday of the psalter. Where it says in the commons to use the psalms from Sunday Week I page 707, that refers only to feasts and solemnities, not to memorials. 48 After the psalms there are usually some options for the rest. Anything given in the proper on the saint’s day is used. If not given in the saint’s day, the rest can be taken either from the current weekday or from the common. Sometimes there is even a choice of commons. Some memorials in the general calendar are observed as feasts or solemnities in the Carmelite calendar. For example, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is an optional memorial in the general calendar, but is a solemnity for the Carmelite Order. We would go to the Carmelite Proper for the liturgy for that day, not to the proper of the saints in Christian Prayer. 4. Optional memorials These are, as they say, optional. To observe an optional memorial, use the same guidelines as for a regular memorial. 5. Commemorations and “Lent: Commemoration” (GILH # 237-239) Here’s what is meant – From the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (GILH): Memorials During Privileged Seasons 237\. On Sundays, solemnities, and feasts, on Ash Wednesday, during Holy Week, and during the octave of Easter, memorials that happen to fall on these days are disregarded. 238\. On the weekdays from 17 to 24 December, during the octave of Christmas, and on the weekdays of Lent, no obligatory memorials are celebrated, even in particular calendars. When any happen to fall during Lent in a given year, they are treated as optional memorials. 239\. During privileged seasons, if it is desired to celebrate the office of a saint on a day assigned to his or her memorial: a. in the office of readings, after the patristic reading (with its responsory) from the proper of seasons, a proper reading about the saint (with its responsory) may follow, with the concluding prayer of the saint; b. at morning prayer and evening prayer, the ending of the concluding prayer may be omitted and the saint’s antiphon (from the proper or common) and prayer may be added. (This is the actual “how to” for commemorations.) 5. GLOSSARY Antiphon. Short sentence sung or recited before and/or after a psalm or canticle. In the Invitatory, the antiphon is also said between the strophes of a psalm. Canticle. Scriptural song of praise in the style of a psalm. Generally prayed the same way a psalm is prayed. Cantor. Person who leads the psalms. Carmelites commonly use two cantors, one for each side of the choir. Common. Prayers that are used for a category of celebration (e.g. The apostles), as distinct from prayers that are “proper” or specific to a particular holy day or saint. The commons begin on page 1355. Gospel Canticle. A canticle taken from the gospel for a specific hour. The Canticle of Zechariah for the morning, the Magnificat for the evening, and the Canticle of Simeon for night prayer. 49 Hour. Part of the Liturgy of the Hours pertaining to a time of day (e.g. morning prayer is one hour, night prayer is another hour). Hymn. Sacred song ending with a doxology. Intone. Pray or chant the first few words. Everyone else joins in. Office. The Liturgy of the Hours for an entire day. Proper. Specific for the day. The proper of the seasons and the proper of the saints are the two sections of Christian Prayer that give the prayers that are “proper” (specific) to the day being celebrated. Psalmody. The psalms and canticles used in a particular hour, with their antiphons. Responsory. In the context of the LOH, it is a prayerful response to a reading. Strophe. Paragraph of a psalm or canticle. 5 --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Aspirancy Handbook: A Journey in Carmel* (US National Formation Program, 2024).