4/30/2023 0 Comments Divine office sung![]() ![]() Here are some ways to start:īefore teaching students how to sing the psalms, instruct them as to why we sing them. If you aren’t as musically inclined, don’t let that stop you. If you have training or skills in music, you can easily start chanting the psalms with your class. By teaching our students to chant the psalms, we simultaneously give the gift of Scripture and the gift of chant, a vital element of our Catholic faith. The psalms made much more sense as songs than as chapters of a book.Īs catechists we have an opportunity to provide our students with this same experience. It was easier to read than the written music I had learned, and I found myself reflecting on the words in the Scripture much more deeply than when I simply read them. After a few tries, it made a lot of sense. I looked at the book and stumbled along with the voices that sang the Scripture in profoundly simple unison. Students were welcome to join the monks for daily Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. Years ago I joined a handful of students in the choir of the Benedictine monastery that sat at the top of the hill of my college campus. The psalms, themselves, are a testament to the power and history of music and prayer. Some of the richest encouragement, praise, thanksgiving, history, lament, and petition can be found in the oldest recorded songs of our faith. With its outpouring of grace and wisdom, it is the Church’s gift to us, and how we celebrate it is our gift back to God.When in need, there will always be an answer in the psalms. Just as the body of Christ is broken and shared in the Mass, the heart of the Church’s prayer life is broken open and shared in the Hours. And today, it is the same set of prayers tucked inside a worn briefcase carried by Pope Francis, everywhere he goes. Damien of Molokai (who managed to save his in a near-drowning incident). Benedict and his monks, and it crossed oceans with missionary priests like St. It traversed Italy’s hills and caves with St. It is the same book that Mary Queen of Scots took with her to her execution and in which St. ![]() It is the same set of prayers that was carried on parchment by the Knights of the Cross in the Middle Ages. The Hours were meant for all the faithful in all ages of the Church. Several online sites offer free ver- sions of the Hours, whether written, recited, or sung. ![]() Or, pray a different hour each day of the week. So, perhaps select only one hour to pray each day, such as Lauds or Vespers, and then add to that if time allows. And although labeled as hours, each “hour” averages only 10-15 minutes of prayer time. While the length and content of the Hours can seem intimidating, it need not be prayed (by laity) in its entirety every day. Future saints and pontiffs later took up their own pens, creating new hymns to commemorate Scripture, develop Church doctrine, and celebrate new feasts. Ambrose enthusiastically followed their friend’s advice and thereby became the first hymn writers of the Catholic Church. Hilary, inspired by songs that he heard during his exile, suggested the use of hymns to combat the heresy of the Arians. Hymns were added to the Church’s daily prayers in the fourth century when St. This ancient tradition of reciting the Psalms – “Seven times a day I will praise you” (Psalm 119) – was preserved and passed on by the Apostles, thus becoming the foundation of the Christian liturgy as well. It … a precious common fund to which the great men of prayer from every age have contributed their thoughts and sentiments.” – Pius Parsch, priest & liturgist, 1940īy cycling through the Psalms, the Hours find their origin in the Jewish liturgy. “The Holy Ghost and the Church have been working on the Breviary for over 3,000 years. The Hours parallel the seasons and feasts of the Mass, thereby diffusing the praise and thanksgiving of the Mass throughout the entire day. Over the centuries, all of these thematic elements have been meticulously chosen and brilliantly arranged by the Church. Each day also includes an introductory prayer, the Invitatory, and writings by Church Fathers or saints (the Office of Readings or “Lessons”). Resources for Non-Catholic Clergy and MinistersĮach “hour” is assigned its own set of psalms, hymns, Scripture readings, and prayers.Bible and the Catechism in a Year Reading Plan.Supporting Members of the Coming Home Network. ![]()
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