Talks on the Sacramentals, by Msgr Arthur Tonne - Breviary

 "Seven times a day I have given praise to Thee." Psalm 118:164.

The story is told of a priest who was visiting New York. He took a ride in a sight-seeing bus, finding a cool, pleasant seat on the open upper deck. As the bus whirled along he decided to say some of his Breviary or daily Office. He took out the book and began to pray.

But not for long. Some loud-mouthed bigot among the passengers noticed the padre praying, and he shouted for everyone to hear:

"When I pray I do what the Bible says, I go into my room and close the door and pray in secret."

The priest could not help hearing. Reverently and slowly he closed his Breviary, turned around to face the loud-mouth, and in a voice everyone could hear said slowly:

"And then you get up on the top of a bus and tell the whole world about it."

Not only are bigots ignorant about the Breviary, its contents and its meaning, but many Catholics also look upon it as a mysterious book. They know little or nothing about it. Yet, that little black book which you see so often in the hands of your priest is of immense concern and benefit to you.

Breviary means that it is an abridgement or shortening of much longer prayers. It is also called divine Office, because office means a duty or service. The Office is a priest's daily duty and service to God.

The Breviary is the priest's official prayer-book. When he is ordained sub-deacon, he receives the obligation of saying these prayers every day.

The Breviary comes in four volumes, one for each season of the year. A large part of it is made up of the 150 psalms, most of which the priest prays in the course of each week.

The daily Office is composed of the following parts: Matins, Lauds, Prime, Tierce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. Matins really means morning prayers, but it can be said the night or even the afternoon previous. It consists of three parts called nocturns. The first nocturn has three psalms and three readings from the Old and the New Testaments. The second nocturn likewise has three psalms with three readings usually from the lives of the saints. The third nocturn has three psalms and three explanations of the Gospel or some other devotional treatise.

Lauds or The Praises has five psalms, a short reading, the Canticle or Song of Zachary, and the proper prayer for the day.

The little hours are short in comparison. They are made up of a hymn of three or four verses, three psalms, a very short reading, and again the proper prayer of the day, which is the same as that said at Mass.

Vespers is like Lauds, and Compline, the night prayer of Mother Church, is like one of the little hours of the morning in structure. Sprinkled throughout and between all these psalms and readings are various introductory and concluding verses.

In monasteries and religious houses where the Office is said in common, definite parts are recited at more or less definite hours. The individual priest, however, has great leeway as to the time for saying his Breviary. He may say it at one sitting or break it up through the day. Only a very grave reason can excuse him from this daily spiritual task.

There are two points which I would like to impress upon you good people: first, the excellence of this prayer which the priest says every day; and second, the benefits which you lay people receive from the priest's Office. In regard to its excellence I would point out:

1. The greater part of the priest's daily prayer is made up of the inspired Word of God, the Bible. There are parts from the Old and the New Testament. The psalms, as I mentioned, are said every week at least.

2. Short lives of the saints are read throughout the year, with their inspiration and their consolation.

3. There are hymns of high poetic value as well as deep, religious thought.

4. There are prayers which cannot be excelled in their brevity, their comprehensiveness and their tenderness.

5. The Breviary is excellent because it is recited by the ministers of God, His priests and His religious. These have been chosen, trained, ordained or professed for the greatest work of man--the worship of God.

6. The Office is recited in the name and by the authority of the Church. No other prayer has the same value. It is official; it is universal; it is unending. It is the official public prayer of the Church, just as the Mass is the official sacrifice of the Church.

What is a public prayer? Not necessarily one said on the top of a bus with dozens of people looking on or even taking part. If the priest of our story had been saying his prayer alone in his room, it would be a public prayer, because it was the official prayer of the Church. On the other hand, were he to say the Rosary before five thousand people it would not be a public prayer.

And how do you good people share in this world-wide prayer? In many ways:

1. The priest prays for you and in your name. Every priest has two important duties: he must first praise and glorify God himself, and then he must beg the mercy of God upon all Christian people, and even on those who are not Christian or Catholic.

2. This prayer for you goes on night and day. The Church divides the priest's office into seven portions as King David sang the praises of God seven times a day, so that at every moment in darkness and light, on land and sea, individually and in groups, priests are praying for you.

3. Priests are not ordained for themselves. They are ordained for the people: to serve them, to help them, to lead them, to correct them, to encourage them, and above all to pray for them.

The next time you see your priest or any priest with that little black book, know that he is busy praying for you.

Surely, that does not free you from the duty of praying. Rather, knowing that your priest is daily praying for you about one full hour, you should return the favor and pray for him. Amen.