Ministers at the Liturgy of the Hours

Jun 04, 2015

Q1: I went to visit a seminary, and during the Divine Office, the priest led the opening prayer — e.g., “O Lord, open my lips” or “O God come to my assistance” — and concluded the office by giving a blessing. It was only the seminarians who led the recitations of the psalms and their antiphons. In another religious community, the seminarians led the prayer until the conclusion, while the priest did not give the blessing. Shouldn’t the priest lead the prayers and give the blessing, since he is higher in the hierarchy? — R.A., Quezon City, Philippines.

Q2: When reciting the Liturgy of the Hours, are lay individuals required to recite the daytime (midmorning, midday and midafternoon) prayers? — L.M.

A: There are actually many ways of combining the direction of the Liturgy of the Hours. The introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours gives fairly precise indications regarding the minimum intervention of the ordained minister and other ministers:

“253. In the celebration of the liturgy of the hours, as in all other liturgical services, ‘each one, minister or lay person, 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.’

“254. When a bishop presides, especially in the cathedral, he should be attended by his college of priests and by ministers and the people should take a full and active part. A priest or deacon should normally preside at every celebration with a congregation and ministers should also be present.

“255. The priest or deacon who presides at a celebration may wear a stole over the alb or surplice; a priest may also wear a cope. On greater solemnities, the wearing of the cope by many priests, or of the dalmatic by many deacons, is permitted.

“256. It belongs to the presiding priest or deacon, at the chair, to open the celebration with the introductory verse, begin the Lord's Prayer, say the concluding prayer, greet the people, bless them, and dismiss them.

“257. Either the priest or a minister may lead the intercessions.

“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.”

Nos. 121-125 say the following:

“121. Different psalms may be sung in different ways for a fuller grasp of their spiritual meaning and beauty. The choice of ways is dictated by the literary genre or length of each psalm, by the language used, whether Latin or the vernacular, and especially by the kind of celebration, whether individual, with a group, or with a congregation. The reason for using psalms is not the establishment of a fixed amount of prayer but their own variety and the character proper to each. — Answered by Legionary of Christ Fr Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university.

--Continued next week