The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-12
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morning; Terce, the third hour of the
morning or nine o'clock; Sext, the
sixth hour, or noon; None, the ninth
hour or three p. M; Vespers, or the
evening hour, said at shutdown; and
Compline, or the completion, said as
fnish-off by way of night prayers.
This is theory, according to the
names of the hours; but practically
priest is allowed to distribute the
waking and working day.
In monasteries of strict observance,
however, the hours are said more or
less at the times implied by their
names; and they are recited publicly
in choir.
In ordinary churches, Vespers is
often recited or sung as an ordinary
evening service, and in other churches
Compline is used instead for the same
purpose; while Mathis and Lauds are
publicly sung only in offices for the
dead. The Catholic people are thus
familiar with the character of the
greater part of the office.
The Breviary as now in use is the
official edition published by Pope Plus
V, in the year 1868. Since then few
minor changes, and especially the ad-
ditions of new Offices for new feasts,
have been made, but otherwise the
text and general arrangement remains
the same.
In connection with the Breviary
there are two great questions of in
terest.
The first is historical viz: how did
the idea of the divine Office come first
into existence? Did it originate with
the Apostles or later? How, where
and when did the form develop, and
what was it's contents?
The second question is that of the
reform" of the Breviary. People un-
acquainted with history might regard
the present form as something so ira
ditional and sacred that they would
resent the idea of a reformation. AS
a matter of fact, however, the present
Breviary is the outcome of long
series of reforms, some for the better
and some for the worse.
Moreover, many schemes have been
deliberated over by large number
of ecclesiastical committees, some of
which made great changes, while 9TH
ers, such as that of Benedict XIV, re-
suited in nothing but the drawing up
of plan which was never put into ex-
ecution.
1t must not be Forgotten, either,
that quite recently the Pope instituted
a liturgical commission, one of whose
objects was to consider the reform of
the Breviary The points for discus
sion in connection with this reform
are chiefly two, namely, the inclusion
or exclusion of certain feasts and their
precedence in the calendar; and Sec
ondly, the correction of those lessons
which contain statements of facts not
borne out by historical research.
The history of the Breviary falls into
three periods. The first, known as the
patristic period, covers the first six
centuries Definite evidence respect
, ing the beginnings of the Office is not
, found earlier than the third century
; when Tertullian makes it clear that
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public prayer for the people.
However, attempts to form calen
) dar of feasts can be traced to the
second century, for from that time are
dated the diptychs of many churches
A little after Tertullian's time we
find Terce, Sext and None recognized
as hours of private prayer. Hymns
, and prayers are not found earlier than
, the fourth century, and the prevalence
of different local customs then be
comes noticeable.
, 1t was by the assistance of the
| monks that it was possible to pre-
serve in the cathedrals the daily re
citation of the office, and in the East
as later in the West, monastic infu
ences became all powerful in the for
nation of the Office.
At the beginning of the. fifth cen
fury there were five canonical hours
, in the East-Vigils (Matins), Lauds
Sext, None, Vespers. At that time the
, Sunday services began at cockcroV
and lasted till midday, because every
priest present preached sermon.
!. About the sixth century the private
recitation of the Office became binding
upon priests and the lower clergy
Monastic influences now became
t strong in the West; the two school.
of st. COLUMBIA and st. Benedict arose
d and the later Saint has been called the
creator of the Breviary of the West.
The two Gregories, I and VII, the
Y Carolingians, the Franciscans, and Car
dinal Quignonez are important peg
r upon which to hang the history of thu
Breviary during ten centuries
s the sixth to the sixteenth.
Very interesting is the account o
the attempted changes in the Breviar.
on the part of the Humanists unde
Nicholas V and Leo X. Their desire
was that the Rrayiarv Should he