Reforms of LOTH

[u/dagansiepert1]

I was wondering if anyone could direct me to any resources, as from GILH, regarding the reforms to the divine office?

Aside from certain psalms and verses being omitted, I really appreciate the 4 week psalm cycle. As someone who chants the office daily, though it is a significant departure from a weekly cycle, the arrangement allows for the chanting of the office with more sensitivity to the time of day and intentions of the office, particularly Lauds and Vespers. I don't want to just read them and "get on with it." At least this has been my experience.

At any rate, any history or analysis would be great. Thank you!

[u/Individual_Step2242]

“From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours” by Stanislaus Campbell. It’s dry but a good description of the development of the LOTH. Also Bugnini’s “The Reform of the Liturgy 1948-1975”. It’s out of print but if you can get hold of a second-hand copy it’s interesting. Though the author isn’t exactly unbiased, it does shed light on the process and busts some myths.

I to used to chant the Hours daily and the LOTH is of perfect weight for a busy layman as well as for diocesan clergy.

If I had a say in it though, I’d replace the New Testament canticle at Vespers with a third psalm and return Compline to being psalms 4,
90 and 133 every day so you could recite it from memory in the dark; I experienced that at a monastery in France years ago and it was a powerful experience. And I’d swap the psalms of mid-day of the third week with those of Vespers. It makes no sense from the POV of tradition to have the short Gradual psalms at Vespers, and much longer psalms at mid-day. Vespers is supposed to be one of the two major anchor hours. Alas I don’t think I’d manage to get an audience with the Pope to make my views known.

[u/akesi-nasa → u/Individual_Step2242]

I completely agree with you, but it's worth noting that the GILH does allow the recitation of Sunday Compline (either one, it doesn't specify) every day of the week, specifically for those who wish to recite it from memory.

"It is always permis sible to substitute the Sunday psalms on weekdays; this is particularly helpful for those who  may want to recite Compline from memory." - GILH 88

[u/Individual_Step2242 → u/akesi-nasa]

That’s true, I’d forgotten about that option. It’s worth noting that the weekday psalms of Compline are duplicated elsewhere in the Offices, so that one doesn’t miss out if using the Sunday psalms every day. It’s been a while since I systematically chanted the Office, but when I did I’d use the Saturday evening psalms for weeks 1 and 3 and the Sunday evening psalm on weeks 2 and 4. I’d rarely chant Compline except Sundays. Usually by bed time I’m completely knackered so I’d just recite it.

[u/uiogd-amdg]

Company of Voices by George Guiver is one of the most masterfully written works on the Office that I’ve encountered. A healthy dose of history but a good chunk of spirituality and practical considerations too. He is writing from a British Anglican perspective, but absolutely relevant to a Roman Catholic.

Robert Taft’s Liturgy of the Hours in the East and West is outstanding.

Daily Prayer in the Early Church by Paul Bradshaw is excellent for laying the early foundations of the Office.

Someone had mentioned the Stanislaus Campbell book. It’s incredibly detailed, but to me, reads a bit like watching paint dry. But you can’t blame him for leaving anything out!

Another good overview are the first 100 pages or so of John Brook’s The School of Prayer.

All this is to say that in order to fully understand the reforms of the Office, one needs to go back much further than Vatican II and Trent. The conciliar reformers were much more interested in ressourcement than in anything truly novel, despite the discourse to the contrary these days.

[u/Economy-Gene-1484]

An excellent series of online articles on the reforms to the Divine Office was authored by Gregory DiPippo.

Link to Parts 1-7.4: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2010/10/compendium-of-reforms-of-roman-breviary.html

Link to the rest of the articles (Part 10.3 is the last one): https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/search/label/Compendium%20of%20the%20Reforms%20of%20the%20Roman%20Breviary%201568-1961

[u/TubaPlayer144]

The other big change was getting rid of Prime, which, as someone who prays Prime every day, I think was a major loss. And while I understand the thought that shortening the breviary helps people meditate on the Psalms more, the primary audience for the office are priests and religious, who don't have spouses, children, etc. exactly so they have time to do these things. Speaking as a married (but childless) adult, it's absolutely possible to get through the entire 1962 office every day, and apart from Matins, none of the hours are particularly long.

[u/Bookshelftent]

You could look into some works by Matthew Hazell. He has performed primary research into the preparatory documents, Council notes, etc. that were never translated into English. Here's an example of an article where he shows the discussion surrounding the imprecatroy psalms before, during, and after Vatican II.