The Daily Office - Rector's Rambling for March 8, 2020

The Daily Office is one of the crown jewels of the Book of Common Prayer.  Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, in the 16th Century, developed the first prayer book (with the help of others) to reflect the western Christian worship of the Church, BUT in English, and in some ways, streamlined, so that it would be accessible to not only the clergy, but the laity as well.  The Holy Communion, of course, is lead by the clergy, but the Daily Office could be said by all, and not just in Church, but in one’s own home as well.  However, with the cost of purchasing a book in the 16th Century, combined with relatively low literacy rates among the laity, it would take some time before this would become more common.

The Daily Office of Morning Prayer is a combination of the old Latin offices of Matins and Lauds, and Evening Prayer a combination of Vespers and Compline.  The offices of Prime, Terce, Sext, and Nones (smaller, minor offices between morning and evening) were jettisoned all together.

As time has gone on, and there has been a revival of the religious life in the Anglican Communion (Monks, Nuns, Friars, etc.), there has been a movement to redevelop a fuller expression of the daily prayers for those who have the dedicated time for it as a part of their vocation and ministry.

One great example of this is a book called The Anglican Breviary, based on the pre-1950s Monastic Breviary translated into Prayer Book English, but retaining many of the ancient hymns of the church lost in Cranmer’s compilation.

It is something that takes time.  Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer has three to four Psalms, along with two lessons of Scripture, and two Canticles.  In the Breviary, Matins and Lauds has 15 Psalms and Canticles, and either three or nine lessons, depending on the day in the calendar.  And those lessons are not just Scripture, but also the writings and sermons of the saints.  The rest of the seven Offices have three Psalms (or for longer Psalms, three portions) each.  Whereas the 1928 BCP accomplishes the entire 150 Psalms in a month, the Breviary does it in a week.  It’s a lot of praying.

For Lent I am tackling the Anglican Breviary as a devotion.  It is wonderful. And in my teaching note on page 5, I am sharing with you the wonderful Hymn in Lent for Matins.  Sums up this season so well!