Divine Office

Yesterday (February 5) I was finally able to be a part of the recitation of the Divine Office at my church. According to my research, this expression signifies etymologically a duty accomplished for God; in virtue of a Divine precept – it means, in ecclesiastical language, certain prayers to be recited at fixed hours of the day or night by priests, religious, or clerics, and, in general, by all those obliged by their vocation to fulfill this duty. The Divine Office comprises only the recitation of certain prayers in the Breviary, and does not include the Mass and other liturgical ceremonies.

"Canonical Hours", "Breviary", "Diurnal and Nocturnal Office", "Ecclesiastical Office", "Cursus ecclesiasticus", or simply "cursus" are synonyms of Divine Office. "Cursus" is the form used by Gregory writing: "exsurgente abbate cum monachis ad celebrandum cursum" (De glor. martyr., xv). "Agenda", "agenda mortuorum", "agenda missarum", "solemnitas", "missa" were also used. The Greeks employ "synaxis" and "canon" in this sense. The expression "officium divinum" is used in the same sense by the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle (800), the IV Lateran (1215), and Vienne (1311); but it is also used to signify any office of the Church. Thus Walafrid Strabo, Pseudo-Alcuin, Rupert de Tuy entitle their works on liturgical ceremonies "De officiis divinis". Hittorp, in the sixteenth century, entitled his collection of medieval liturgical works "De Catholicæ Ecclesiæ divinis officiis ac ministeriis" (Cologne, 1568). The usage in France of the expression "saint-office" as synonymous with "office divin" is not correct. "Saint-office" signifies a Roman congregation, the functions of which are well known, and the words should not be used to replace the name "Divine Office", which is much more suitable and has been used from ancient times.

Phew!!! In short, the Divine Office comprises only the recitation of certain prayers in the Breviary, and does not include the Mass and other liturgical ceremonies (like I wrote earlier).

In private recitation one should adopt whatever posture seems reasonable. We need to learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in individual recitation, step-by-step. The secular Carmelite's life will express itself chiefly in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and in the recitation of the Church's Divine Office.

Although it is the duty of the clergy and religious to pray the Divine Office, the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually. This liturgy of the hours or divine office, is enriched by readings, by its hallowing of time, daily and yearly. In continuing the tradition of the Divine Office, I was helped and was carried onto a totally different world. Next to the Holy Mass, the Divine Office (or Breviary) is the most important prayer as it graces blessings on those who recite it worthily, attentively and devoutly.

The Divine Office is also called the Opus dei (Work of God). Divine office, also called canonical hours, liturgy of the hours, or liturgical hours, Divine Office is sung in Gregorian chant according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite.