Another post from the Douay Catechism, this one on the LOBVM. The laity were encouraged to say it, even if they didn't understand Latin, since it hadn't been translated yet.
The Primer or Office of our Blessed Lady, Expounded.
Q. WHO composed this office?
A. The church, directed by the Holy Ghost.
A. The church, directed by the Holy Ghost.
Q. Why is the Primer so called?
A. From the Latin word Primo, which signifies, first of all, so to teach us, that prayer should be the first work of the day, according to that, "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be given you."
A. From the Latin word Primo, which signifies, first of all, so to teach us, that prayer should be the first work of the day, according to that, "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be given you."
Q. Why is the office divided into Hymns, Psalms, Canticles, Antiphons, Versicles, Responsories, and Prayers?
A. For order, beauty, and variety sake.
A. For order, beauty, and variety sake.
Q. What warrant have you for that?
A. Out of Col. iii. 16. "Sing ye in your hearts unto the Lord in spiritual Psalms, Hymns, and Canticles."
A. Out of Col. iii. 16. "Sing ye in your hearts unto the Lord in spiritual Psalms, Hymns, and Canticles."
Q. Why should the laity pray out of the Psalms, which they little understand?
A. 1. Because, by so doing, they pray out of the mouth of the Holy Ghost. 2. Because, if they do it with devout and humble hearts, it is as meritorious in them, as in the greatest scholars; for a petition hath the same force, whether it be delivered by a learned or unlearned man; so hath also prayer. 3. Because a psalm is of the same value in the sight of God, in the mouth of a child, or woman, as from the mouth of the most learned doctor.
A. 1. Because, by so doing, they pray out of the mouth of the Holy Ghost. 2. Because, if they do it with devout and humble hearts, it is as meritorious in them, as in the greatest scholars; for a petition hath the same force, whether it be delivered by a learned or unlearned man; so hath also prayer. 3. Because a psalm is of the same value in the sight of God, in the mouth of a child, or woman, as from the mouth of the most learned doctor.
Q. Why is the office divided into seven several hours?
A. That so it might be a daily memorial of the seven principal parts, and seven hours of our Saviour's passion.
A. That so it might be a daily memorial of the seven principal parts, and seven hours of our Saviour's passion.
Q. What ground have you for that?
A. Out of Zac. xii 10. "At that day I will pour out upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and prayer, and they shall look up at him whom they have pierced."
A. Out of Zac. xii 10. "At that day I will pour out upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and prayer, and they shall look up at him whom they have pierced."
Q. What meaneth at that day?
A. The day of grace, the new law.
A. The day of grace, the new law.
Q. What means the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem?
A. The church of Christ.
A. The church of Christ.
Q. What means the spirit of grace and prayer?
A. The Holy Ghost which dictated the office, and poureth forth the grace of God into our souls by virtue of it.
A. The Holy Ghost which dictated the office, and poureth forth the grace of God into our souls by virtue of it.
Q. What means, "And they shall look up at him whom they have pierced?"
A. It signifies that the whole order, scope, and object of the office should be Christ crucified.
A. It signifies that the whole order, scope, and object of the office should be Christ crucified.
Q. How are the seven hours a memorial of the passion of Christ?
A. Because the seven hours were consumed in his passion; for three hours he hung living on the Cross; other three hours he hung dead upon it; and the seventh hour was spent in nailing him to and taking him from the cross.
A. Because the seven hours were consumed in his passion; for three hours he hung living on the Cross; other three hours he hung dead upon it; and the seventh hour was spent in nailing him to and taking him from the cross.
Q. What do we commemorate by the Matins and Lauds?
A. His bloody sweat in the garden; as also his been dragged thence to Jerusalem.
A. His bloody sweat in the garden; as also his been dragged thence to Jerusalem.
Q. What by the prime or first hour?
A. The scoffs and indignations which he sustained, whilst they led him through the streets early in the morning to the princes of the Jews; as also the false accusations which then were brought against him.
A. The scoffs and indignations which he sustained, whilst they led him through the streets early in the morning to the princes of the Jews; as also the false accusations which then were brought against him.
Q. What by the third hour?
A. His whipping at the pillar, his crowning with thorns, his clothing with a purple garment, his sceptre of a reed, and showing to the people with these words: Behold the man.
A. His whipping at the pillar, his crowning with thorns, his clothing with a purple garment, his sceptre of a reed, and showing to the people with these words: Behold the man.
Q. What by the sixth hour?
A. His unjust condemnation to death, his carrying the Cross, his stripping and nailing to the Cross.
A. His unjust condemnation to death, his carrying the Cross, his stripping and nailing to the Cross.
Q. What by the ninth hour?
A. His drinking gall and vinegar, his dying on the Cross, and the opening his side with a spear.
A. His drinking gall and vinegar, his dying on the Cross, and the opening his side with a spear.
Q. What by the even-song?
A. His taking down from the Cross, and the darkness which was made upon the face of the earth.
A. His taking down from the Cross, and the darkness which was made upon the face of the earth.
Q. What by the Complin?
A. His funeral and burial.
A. His funeral and burial.
Briefly thus; The matins and lauds, his agony, and binding in the garden; the crime, his scoffs, and false accusations; the third hour, his clothing with purple, and crowning with thorns; the sixth hour, his condemning and nailing to the Cross; the ninth hour, his yielding up the ghost, and the opening his side; the even-song, his taking from the Cross; and the complin, his burial.
The Particulars of the Office Expounded.
Q. WHY doth our Lady's office always begin with an Ave Maria?
A. To dedicate the office of our Lady, and to beg her aid for the devout performance of it to God's honour.
A. To dedicate the office of our Lady, and to beg her aid for the devout performance of it to God's honour.
Q. Why do we begin every hour with, Incline unto my aid, O God: O Lord, make haste to help me?
A. To acknowledge our infirmity and misery, and out great need of divine assistance, not only in all other things, but also in our very prayers; according to that of the Apostles, "No man can say Lord Jesus, but in the Holy Ghost."
A. To acknowledge our infirmity and misery, and out great need of divine assistance, not only in all other things, but also in our very prayers; according to that of the Apostles, "No man can say Lord Jesus, but in the Holy Ghost."
Q. Why do we add to this, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost?
A. To signify that the intention of the office is, in the first place, to give one and equal glory to the most blessed Trinity, and to invite all creatures to do the like, this is the principle aim of the whole office; therefore we not only begin every hour, but also end every Psalm with the same verse.
A. To signify that the intention of the office is, in the first place, to give one and equal glory to the most blessed Trinity, and to invite all creatures to do the like, this is the principle aim of the whole office; therefore we not only begin every hour, but also end every Psalm with the same verse.
Q. Who ordained the Gloria Patri?
A. The Apostles, according to Baronius in his 3d Tome.
A. The Apostles, according to Baronius in his 3d Tome.
Q. Why do we join unto the Gloria Patri, Sicut erat, &c. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end?
A. Because it was made by the Council of Nice against the Arians, who denied Christ to be coequal and consubstantial to his Father, or to have been before the blessed Virgin Mary.
A. Because it was made by the Council of Nice against the Arians, who denied Christ to be coequal and consubstantial to his Father, or to have been before the blessed Virgin Mary.
Q. Why after this, for a great part of the year, and especially between Easter and Whitsuntide, do we say, Alleluia, Alleluia?
A. Because that is a time of joy, and Alleluia is a Hebrew word, signifying, "Praise ye the Lord with all joy, and exultation of heart."
A. Because that is a time of joy, and Alleluia is a Hebrew word, signifying, "Praise ye the Lord with all joy, and exultation of heart."
Q. Why were it not better changed into English?
A. Because it is the language of the blessed in heaven, according to Apoc. viii. 6. Therefore the church hath forbidden it to be translated into any other language.
A. Because it is the language of the blessed in heaven, according to Apoc. viii. 6. Therefore the church hath forbidden it to be translated into any other language.
Q. Why in Lent, and some other times, do we say, instead of Alleluiah, "Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal Glory?
A. Because those are times of penance; therefore God must be praised rather with tears, than exaltation.
A. Because those are times of penance; therefore God must be praised rather with tears, than exaltation.
Q. Why then do we always say, for the invitatory Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee?
A. To congratulate and renew the memory of our blessed Lady's joy, conceived at the conception of her Son Jesus; and to invite both men and angels to do the like.
A. To congratulate and renew the memory of our blessed Lady's joy, conceived at the conception of her Son Jesus; and to invite both men and angels to do the like.
Q. What signify the five verses following the invitatory, which begin, Come let us exult unto our Lord?
A. The five wounds of Christ, from which all our prayer hath its force and merit, and in honour of which all those versions are said.
Q. What mean the Hymns?
A. They are a poetical expression of prerogatives and praises of the Blessed Virgin.
Q. Why are so many Psalms used in the office?
A. They are a poetical expression of prerogatives and praises of the Blessed Virgin.
Q. Why are so many Psalms used in the office?
A. Because they are directed by the Holy Ghost, and do contain in a most moving manner, all the affections of piety and devotion.
Q. Why are there but three Psalms in the most of the hours?
A. In honour of the most blessed Trinity, to whom chiefly the whole office is addressed.
A. In honour of the most blessed Trinity, to whom chiefly the whole office is addressed.
Q. Why was the office divided into so many hours?
A. I have told you the chief reason already, and one other reason is, that so there might be no hour either by day or night, to which some hour of the office might not correspond.
A. I have told you the chief reason already, and one other reason is, that so there might be no hour either by day or night, to which some hour of the office might not correspond.
Q. What do the matins correspond to?
A. To the first, second, and third watch of the night, consisting of three hours each; and therefore the matins consist of three psalms, and three lessons.
A. To the first, second, and third watch of the night, consisting of three hours each; and therefore the matins consist of three psalms, and three lessons.
Q. What do the lauds correspond to?
A. To the fourth watch of the night.
A. To the fourth watch of the night.
Q. What do the prime, the third, sixth, and ninth hours correspond to?
A. To the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day.
A. To the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day.
Q. What do the even-song and complin correspond to?
A. To the evening.
A. To the evening.
Q. What means the benedictions, or blessings given before the lesson?
A. They are short aspirations to beg divine assistance; and the first is in honour of the Father, and the second in honour of the Son, the third in honour of the Holy Ghost.
A. They are short aspirations to beg divine assistance; and the first is in honour of the Father, and the second in honour of the Son, the third in honour of the Holy Ghost.
Q. What doth the lesson contain?
A. The mystical praises of our blessed Lady, taken out of the Prophets.
A. The mystical praises of our blessed Lady, taken out of the Prophets.
Q. Why do we end every lesson, saying, But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us?
A. To beg the praises and virtues of the blessed Virgin, which we have there read, may be deeply settled in our hearts, and that God would pardon our former negligence, both in his and her service.
A. To beg the praises and virtues of the blessed Virgin, which we have there read, may be deeply settled in our hearts, and that God would pardon our former negligence, both in his and her service.
Q. Why is it answered, Thanks be to God?
A. To render thanks to God for his mercy, in bestowing such a patroness on us as the blessed Virgin Mary.
A. To render thanks to God for his mercy, in bestowing such a patroness on us as the blessed Virgin Mary.
Q. What means the responsories?
A. They are so called, because they answer one another.
A. They are so called, because they answer one another.
Q. What are the antiphons?
A. The versicles which are begun before the Psalms.
A. The versicles which are begun before the Psalms.
Q. Why do we stand up at the Magnificat, Benedictus, and Nunc dimittis?
A. To signify our reverence to the gospel whence they are taken.
A. To signify our reverence to the gospel whence they are taken.
Q. What is the collect?
A. It is a prayer, and is so called, because it collects and gathers together all the petitions and supplications of the whole office.
A. It is a prayer, and is so called, because it collects and gathers together all the petitions and supplications of the whole office.
Q. Why is the collect always ended with these words, Through our Lord Jesus Christ, &c.?
A. To signify that he is our only mediator of redemption, and principally mediator of intercession; and that we cannot merit any thing by our prayers unless we make them in his name.
A. To signify that he is our only mediator of redemption, and principally mediator of intercession; and that we cannot merit any thing by our prayers unless we make them in his name.
Q. Why make we a commemoration of the Saints?
A. To praise God in his Saints, according to the advice of the Psalmist, Psalm cl., and to recommend ourselves to their merits and prayers.
A. To praise God in his Saints, according to the advice of the Psalmist, Psalm cl., and to recommend ourselves to their merits and prayers.
Q. Why end we every prayer with these words, And may the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace?
A. That the poor souls in purgatory, may be partakers of all our prayers and supplications.
A. That the poor souls in purgatory, may be partakers of all our prayers and supplications.
Q. Why is the whole office ended with some hymn or antiphon to our Lady?
A. That by her it may be presented to her Son, and by him to his eternal Father.
A. That by her it may be presented to her Son, and by him to his eternal Father.
Q. Why are the nocturns in some offices so called?
A. Because those parts of the offices were wont to be said Nocturne tempore, in the night time.
A. Because those parts of the offices were wont to be said Nocturne tempore, in the night time.
Q. Why are the fifteen gradual psalms so called?
A. From a custom the Jews observed of singing them, as they ascended up fifteen steps or degrees (in Latin Gradus) towards Solomon's Temple, singing one psalm on every step.
A. From a custom the Jews observed of singing them, as they ascended up fifteen steps or degrees (in Latin Gradus) towards Solomon's Temple, singing one psalm on every step.
Q. Why are the penitential psalms so called?
A. Because they contain many deep expressions of inward sorrow and penitence, or repentance of sins committed, and many cries or supplications to God for mercy and forgiveness.
A. Because they contain many deep expressions of inward sorrow and penitence, or repentance of sins committed, and many cries or supplications to God for mercy and forgiveness.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Leo XIV as the Vicar of Christ, the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.