The Divine Office | Page 3

IDEA OF THE BREVIARY.
Etymology.--The word, Breviary, comes from an old Latin word,
Breviarium, an abridgment, a compendium. The name was given to the
Divine Office, because it is an abridgment or abstract made from holy
scripture, the writings of the Fathers, the lives of the Saints. The word
had various meanings assigned to it by early Christian writers, but the
title, Breviary, as it is employed to-day--that is, a book containing the
entire canonical office--appears to date from the eleventh century.
Probably it was first used in this sense to denote the abridgment made
by Pope Saint Gregory VII. (1013-1085), about the year 1080.
Definition.--The Breviary may be defined as "the collection of vocal
prayers established by the Church, which must be recited daily by
persons deputed for that purpose."
Explanation of the Definition.--"Prayers," this word includes not only
the prayers properly so called, but also, the whole matter of the divine
office. "Vocal," the Church orders the vocal recitation, the
pronunciation of each word. "Established by the Church," to distinguish
the official prayers of obligation from those which the faithful may
choose according to their taste. "Which must be recited," for the

recitation is strictly obligatory. "Daily," the Church has fixed these
prayers for every day of the year, and even for certain hours of the day.
"By persons deputed for that purpose," therefore, persons in holy orders
recite these prayers not in their own name, but as representatives of the
universal Church.
Different Names for the Breviary.--This book which is, with us,
commonly called the Breviary, has borne and still bears different names,
amongst both Latins and Greeks.
Amongst the Latins, the recitation of the Breviary was called the Office
(_officium_), that is, the duty, the function, the office; because it is, par
excellence, the duty, function and office of persons consecrated to God.
This is the oldest and most universal name for the Breviary and its
recitation. It was called, too, the Divine Office (_officium divinum_),
because it has God for its principal object and is recited by persons
consecrated to God. It is called the ecclesiastical office (_officium
ecclesiasticum_), because it was instituted by the Church. Other names
were, _Opus Dei; Agenda; Pensum servitutis; Horae; Horae
Canonicae_.
Which books were employed in olden times in reciting the Office?
Before the eleventh century the prayers of the Divine Office were not
all contained in one book, as they are now in the Breviary, which is an
abridgment or compendium of several books. The recitation of the
Office required the Psaltery, the Lectionary, the Book of Homilies, the
Legendary, the Antiphonarium, the Hymnal, the Book of Collects, the
Martyrology, the Rubrics. The Psaltery contained the psalms; the
Lectionary (thirteenth century) contained the lessons of the first and
second nocturn; the Book of Homilies, the homilies of the Fathers; the
Legendary (before the thirteenth century), the lives of the saints read on
their feast days. The Hymnal contained hymns; the Book of Collects,
prayers, collects and chapters; the Martyrology contained the names
with brief lives of the martyrs; the Rubrics, the rules to be followed in
the recitation of the Office. To-day, we have traces of this ancient
custom in our different choir books, the Psalter, the Gradual, the
Antiphonarium. There were not standard editions of these old books,

and great diversities of use and text were in existence.
Divisions of the Divine Office.--How is the daily Office divided? The
Office is divided into the night Office and the day Office. The night
Office is so called because it was originally recited at night. It embraces
three nocturns and Lauds. The day Office embraces Prime, Terce, Sext,
None, Vespers, and Compline.
Parts or Hours of the Office.--How many parts or hours go to make up
the Office? Rome counts seven, and seven only; and this is the number
commonly counted by liturgists and theologians. They reckon Matins
and Lauds as one hour.
The old writers on liturgy ask the question: "Why has the Church
reckoned seven hours only?" Their replies are summarised well by
Newman: "In subsequent times the hours of prayer were gradually
developed from the three or (with midnight) the four seasons above
enumerated to seven, viz.:--by the addition of Prime (the first hour),
Vespers (the evening), and Compline (bedtime) according to the words
of the Psalm--'Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy
righteous judgments.' Other pious and instructive reasons existed, or
have since been perceived, for this number. It was a memorial of the
seven days of creation; it was an honour done to the seven petitions
given us by our Lord in His prayer; it was a mode of pleading for the
influence of that Spirit, who is revealed to us as sevenfold; on the other
hand, it was a preservative against