Liturgy of the Hours

In Paul Turner's Blog by Paul Turner

Q: Since I do not have the benefit of praying the Liturgy of the Hours with a stable community I do my best in following the rubrics in the “Ordinary” and the “General Instruction”.

I am writing simply to confirm that, as the rubric states in the Ordinary for Daytime Prayer, on a Memorial everything comes from the hour (Midmorning, Midday, Midafternoon), and nothing (e.g. antiphon, reading, responsory prayer) is used from the Memorial or the Commons.

Thank you!

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A: That is correct. Even the concluding prayer comes from the time of day, not from the Memorial (GILH 200). I’ve been at workshops where people have prepared daytime prayer with a hymn and prayer pertaining to the saint of the day, which is not correct when it’s a Memorial. It all comes from the ordinary.

I think it’s one way that the Liturgy of the Hours exercises some restraint so that the solemnities ring out with greater splendor, even at Daytime Prayer.