Point II. On the Time and Manner of Reciting

Besides at the due time, the canonical hours must be recited in order, continuously, vocally, and devoutly. It is said:

I. At the due time; wherefore note:

1. The useful time, both for the valid fulfillment of the precept and for satisfying the grave obligation, is: for the whole office, from midnight to midnight; for Matins with Lauds, moreover, by indult or quasi-indult, from 2 p.m. on the preceding day.¹ Moreover priests of various societies enjoy, by quasi-privilege, the faculty of reciting Matins and Lauds from 1 p.m.; the Sacred Congregation of Rites easily grants this permission. Legates of the Roman Pontiff can grant the faculty of anticipating from noon; this permission is also contained in the faculties of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. Indeed the members of the Missionary Union for the Clergy enjoy the faculty of reciting the office from noon; and because all missionaries, whether dwelling in missions of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, or compelled to leave them because of health, old age, or obedience, enjoy all the privileges and graces granted to the Pious Union, the faculty of the Sacred Congregation now has practically little value.²

2. Under venial sin it is required that Matins and Lauds be recited on the preceding day or in the morning time, and Prime and Terce in the forenoon. Sext and None can be said at pleasure before or after midday. Vespers and Compline must be recited after midday; nevertheless in the time of Lent, except for the first triduum and Sundays, Vespers can also be recited before midday, and are laudably so recited. Moreover from observing the time "any useful or honorable cause excuses, namely a sermon to be prepared or heard, the danger of a supervening occupation or labor, greater devotion or rest, a more suitable time for studying, and similar things" (St. Alphonsus IV, 173). It is said any cause, even the least, on account of the latitude which has more and more been admitted in interpreting custom. The holy Doctor adds, however, "that mere greater convenience, without another honorable motive, is not sufficient for excusing" (loc. cit.).

It is disputed whether Matins with Lauds must be recited before Mass. Now some have taught that this is prescribed under grave obligation; yet that opinion is now commonly rejected. Others deny every obligation; but with St. Alphonsus (V, 347) a light obligation seems to have to be admitted, because neglect of this rubric is enumerated in one series with other defects certainly sinful.³ So also Benedict XIV:⁴ "But any moderate reasonable cause will excuse from this kind of venial fault; for instance, if the one giving the alms asks that Mass be celebrated at once, if the people or some grave person is waiting, if a superior commands it, if the time for celebrating is passing, or the convenience of study, journey, and similar things is pressing" (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.). If, however, there is question of a conventual and solemn Mass, the obligation of reciting Matins with Lauds before Mass is grave, unless a grave and public cause intervenes. "The reason is that such is the custom received in all churches where public prayers are said; so that, by acting otherwise, the public worship of God, the common good, and the fitting governance of the Church would be gravely harmed" (St. Alphonsus VI, 348).

3. The Litanies for the feast of St. Mark and the days of Rogation cannot be recited on the preceding evening.⁵

4. In the private recitation of the canonical hours it is lawful to follow: 1st, usual time; 2nd, local time, both true and mean; 3rd, legal time, both regional and any other extraordinary time (can. 33, § 1; n. 167).

Corollary I. One who has not recited the hours or litanies within the useful time is still bound to recite them until midnight; after midnight he is no longer bound, because the useful time has passed by (St. Alphonsus IV, 155).

Corollary II. One who, once the day of obligation has begun, foresees that later he will not have the possibility of discharging the office is bound to recite the hours now; but "one who cannot recite Matins on the following day is not bound to anticipate it on the preceding day. For then there is an obligation of anticipating the Office when the obligation of the precept has already begun; but that Matins can be said on the preceding day is not from precept, but from a privilege introduced by custom, which no one is bound to use" (St. Alphonsus IV, 155).

II. In order. First the order of the Offices must be observed, so that the Office assigned to each day is completed in the useful time. Then the order of the Hours and the order among the different parts of the Hour must be observed. These, however, oblige only under venial sin, because they touch rather the accidents than the substance of the precept. Hence a reasonable cause excuses, as if you are invited to pray by a friend who has already completed the greater part of the office; if now you lack a breviary and, for example, retain in memory the psalms of a Nocturn; if you come late to choir, when the office has already begun (St. Alphonsus IV, 170).

III. Continuously, or in such a way that within the hours themselves there is no notable interruption; this, however, is only venial, so that a reasonable cause excuses. Moreover note:

a) Matins can be separated from Lauds; but if they are separated, Matins should be concluded with the Prayer of the office, which is followed by the verse Dominus vobiscum, the verse Benedicamus Domino, and the verse Fidelium animae, etc., and the Pater.

Afterwards Lauds are begun by the verse Deus in adiutorium, etc., with Pater and Ave having been first said. Thus the Ordinary of the divine office in the breviary. Likewise one Nocturn can be separated from another, at least by the space of three hours (St. Alphonsus IV, 167).

b) "Just causes for interrupting the Office are ... any utility, one's own or another's, which would inconveniently be deferred. Likewise, civility or devotion, as to say Mass, to execute the commands of superiors; if you hear the confession of someone who would not willingly wait; if you wish to do or note something, so that you may remove distraction or anxiety lest you forget: provided, as Gobat well notes, that this is not done frequently. - Also some brief prayer or affections can lawfully be inserted while praying" (St. Alphonsus IV, 168).

c) Even if an interruption has culpably occurred, nevertheless there is no obligation of repeating the things recited, "because the individual psalms and the individual verses have a complete meaning; and they are sufficiently united either by the intention of continuing or by the very recitation joined to them" (St. Alphonsus IV, 168). Nevertheless, if the interruption is longer and not much has been recited, it is fitting to resume the hour, or at least the psalm.

IV. Vocally; this pertains to the substance of the precept. It is sufficient, however, to have formed the words with one's proper organs, that is, the tongue and lips; when this has been done, some sound is necessarily produced; but it does not matter whether or not the one reciting hears himself (St. Alphonsus IV, 162, 163).⁶

Moreover note that complete pronunciation is required, so that words are neither omitted, nor mutilated, nor cut off by halves. If these things are done in such a way that the meaning of the words is lost, and this in a great quantity, it is a grave sin, and it induces the obligation of repeating; otherwise it is venial, and does not bring with it the obligation of repeating. Someone can also be excused because of stammering or a custom which he is trying to lay aside (St. Alphonsus IV, 164, 165).

V. Devoutly;⁷ that is, there are certainly required: 1st, the intention of worshiping God; 2nd, external attention. It is doubtful whether internal attention is required, so that in practice this is not required for fulfilling the precept.

a) The intention of worshiping God is demanded, because otherwise there would be an act entirely profane; and it cannot be admitted that only such an act is prescribed by the Church. But the said intention, at least in an exercised act, is always present, since it is enough that in the usual way you take up the breviary in order to fulfill the daily obligation (St. Alphonsus IV, 176).

b) External attention is that by which someone avoids external acts which cannot be combined with internal attention, such as writing, painting, attentively listening to others speaking, attentively looking through pictures; but not walking, looking at hills, meadows, fields, slowly putting on or taking off clothes, gathering a few flowers or herbs. Some things are very distracting with respect to one person but not with respect to another, such as dressing oneself quickly, washing oneself, or preparing a pen (St. Alphonsus IV, 176). Moreover, that external attention is required is drawn both from chapter Dolentes, question De celebratione missarum (III, 41), and from the common consent of authors, and from the fact that it is with difficulty admitted that the Church does not require a manner of reciting the office which, at least for the external forum, also indicates internal worship.

c) In practice, by force of ecclesiastical law, internal attention is not required. Theoretically some affirm and others deny this, according as they affirm or deny that internal attention pertains to the essence of prayer; concerning this controversy see n. 583. While the doubt stands, the more benign opinion is safe in practice (St. Alphonsus IV, 177). Moreover, with due pronunciation and attention being posited, some internal attention, at least very slight, will scarcely, or scarcely at all, be lacking. Those who require internal attention say that virtual attention suffices. But since there is not question of intention, but of attention, that virtual attention is understood with difficulty, unless there is question of a most slight attention.

Note. "The more suitable remedies for repelling distractions of mind are: 1st, at the beginning to form the intention of praising God; 2nd, to renew the intention at the Gloria Patri or at the beginning of each psalm; 3rd, to represent to oneself some mystery of the Passion; 4th, carefully to guard the senses; and other things of this kind" (St. Alphonsus IV, 177).

¹ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 12 March 1905, n. 4158, ad I.

² Cf. Acta Apostolicae Sedis XVIII, p. 235.

³ Roman Missal, De Defectibus, X, 1.

⁴ De Sacrificio Missae, book 3, chapter 13, n. 4.

⁵ Sacred Congregation of Rites, 28 March 1775, n. 2503, ad 4.

⁶ There are those who think that regulars have the privilege of reciting entirely mentally; either the whole Office, as others say, or only those things which in the ordinary are ordered to be said secretly in silence, as others think. Concerning this privilege compare St. Alphonsus, Theologia Moralis, book I, Appendix II, n. 107; IV, 643, with the notes of Gaude compared; Analecta ecclesiastica, 1910, p. 417 sq.; 1911, p. 419; Ami du Clergé, 1924, p. 129.

⁷ Fourth Lateran Council, chapter 7.