First, you may ask, why is a Tonsured Reader in the Ukrainian Catholic Church writing about the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours?
Two reasons.
1) What I have to say applies only to the Roman Office
2) As a Lay Dominican, I pray the Roman Office with my chapter members.
I've been examining various forms of the Office from the late-50s thru the late-60s.
There was a revision of the Roman office c.1955, one c. 1962, and one c. 1965. These revisions were rubical; they did not directly affect the actual content. All of these are known as the Roman Breviary (or, in the case of the Order of Preachers, the Dominican Breviary - in Latin Breviarium S.O.P) The 1972 revision, which is named The Liturgy of the Hours, was a revision in content, and somewhat in structure.
What differences are there?
1. Each revision simplifies the rubrics of the previous revision.
2. The 1972 Revision spreads the psalms out over a 4-week cycle, whereas the earlier uses a 1-week cycle.
3. The 1972 Revision removes some Imprecatory Psalms and imprecatory passages of other psalms. For example, II Vespers (evening prayer) for Sundays is Ps 110:1-5,7. Verse 6 is "He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth".
4. Prior to 1965, it was suggested that before every hour, one say the following prayer
There was also a prayer for after the hour.
5. Prior to 1962, all hours except Compline (Night Prayer) would be begun by Our Father and Hail Mary. For Matins (which became The Office of Readings), the Apostles Creed followed the Hail Mary. At the end of each hour, one prayed another Our Father.
6. Vatican II suppressed the Hour of Prime (which would probably be called "Early Morning Prayer", but which would still be preceded by Lauds/Morning Prayer). The interesting thing about Prime was that the Athanasian Creed was added as an extra psalm.
7. There were structural changes to various hours, some big, some small.
What hits me more than everything in all this.
Two reasons.
1) What I have to say applies only to the Roman Office
2) As a Lay Dominican, I pray the Roman Office with my chapter members.
I've been examining various forms of the Office from the late-50s thru the late-60s.
There was a revision of the Roman office c.1955, one c. 1962, and one c. 1965. These revisions were rubical; they did not directly affect the actual content. All of these are known as the Roman Breviary (or, in the case of the Order of Preachers, the Dominican Breviary - in Latin Breviarium S.O.P) The 1972 revision, which is named The Liturgy of the Hours, was a revision in content, and somewhat in structure.
What differences are there?
1. Each revision simplifies the rubrics of the previous revision.
2. The 1972 Revision spreads the psalms out over a 4-week cycle, whereas the earlier uses a 1-week cycle.
3. The 1972 Revision removes some Imprecatory Psalms and imprecatory passages of other psalms. For example, II Vespers (evening prayer) for Sundays is Ps 110:1-5,7. Verse 6 is "He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth".
4. Prior to 1965, it was suggested that before every hour, one say the following prayer
Open my mouth, Lord [here make a small cross on your lips], to bless Your Holy Name; cleanse my heart from all vain, perverse and distracting thoughts: enlighten my understanding, inflame my affections that I may be able to recite this Office worthily, attentively and devoutly, and may deserve to be heard in the presence of Your divine Majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord, in union with that divine intention, wherewith You Yourself did praise God while You were on earth, I offer these Hours [this Hour] unto You. Amen.
5. Prior to 1962, all hours except Compline (Night Prayer) would be begun by Our Father and Hail Mary. For Matins (which became The Office of Readings), the Apostles Creed followed the Hail Mary. At the end of each hour, one prayed another Our Father.
6. Vatican II suppressed the Hour of Prime (which would probably be called "Early Morning Prayer", but which would still be preceded by Lauds/Morning Prayer). The interesting thing about Prime was that the Athanasian Creed was added as an extra psalm.
7. There were structural changes to various hours, some big, some small.
What hits me more than everything in all this.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist of Rome, has that one of his colleagues heard the Devil say during an exorcism: "Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end".
And, St. Bonaventure says, "Men do not fear a powerful, hostile enemy as much as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary."
And the Athanasian Creed, although doubtless not written by the great Patriarch of Alexandria, is a precise statement of our faith.
Consider the way that the world has changed since these changes were made.
And then, ask yourself, if there'd been more Hail Marys prayed within the Western Office, might we be in a different situation? (The Byzantine Office has not changed, and still has "More Honorable than the Cherubim". Of course, a Latin is free to pray that as well, just as a Byzantine is free to pray the Hail Mary in its current western form or eastern form, "Hail, O Virgin Birth-giver of God")
For further information on the prayers before - and after - the office, this article speaks of it.
Consider the way that the world has changed since these changes were made.
And then, ask yourself, if there'd been more Hail Marys prayed within the Western Office, might we be in a different situation? (The Byzantine Office has not changed, and still has "More Honorable than the Cherubim". Of course, a Latin is free to pray that as well, just as a Byzantine is free to pray the Hail Mary in its current western form or eastern form, "Hail, O Virgin Birth-giver of God")
For further information on the prayers before - and after - the office, this article speaks of it.
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