Concerning the Offices: Divine Office of Praise and Daily Office of Readings
The threefold Regula—Divine Office, Mass, personal Devotion—is the ascetical application of the doctrine of Holy Trinity. In plain terms, the Divine Office praises God transcendent, the Mass communicates with God incarnate, and personal Devotion recollects God immanent. As a necessary complement to this Divine Office of Praise, the Daily Office of Readings, seen as a Devotion, invites the Holy Spirit, who guides us into the Sacred Humanity of Christ Jesus, who is the final and definitive revelation of the Father.
Both Offices can be recited alone or in a group and are to be chanted or recited aloud. In both Offices, the term “Officiant” is used to denote the person, clerical or lay, who leads; “People” denotes all gathered.
The Divine Office of Praise is to be recited at least once per day, and as many as seven; ideally it is memorized. When prayed by a group of people, the Officiant recites the first phrase of each of the seven prayers, and the People recite the rest. It is appropriate to stand for the Divine Office when sung or said as a group. It is commendable to follow the Divine Office of Praise with a long period of silent prayer.
The Daily Office of Readings is appropriately prayed twice a day, in the morning and the evening. When prayed in a group, it is appropriate to recite the Psalms antiphonally and for persons other than the Officiant be assigned to read the Lessons. In all situations, all sit during the Office of Readings, and it is conducted as a relaxed meditation, open to God’s mystery and love.
If both Offices form one sequence of worship, the Divine Office is first, followed by a period of silence. If not, it is appropriate that the Divine Office, as pure praise to the Father transcendent, be first in the course of the day.
A shortened form for families with young children is Preces, Jubilate, Kyrie Eleison, Our Father, Ave Regina Ceolorum.
For further explanation, see “A Proposal to Revise the Divine Office.”
THE DIVINE OFFICE OF PRAISE
For the praise and glory of his Name, for our good, and the good of all his holy Church.
PDFs: noted version | said version.
Preces
O Lord, open thou our lips. *
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us. *
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. *
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord. *
The Lord’s Name be praised.
Jubilate Deo, omnis terra
(Psalm 100)
O be joyful in the Lord all ye lands *
serve the Lord with gladness and
come before his presence with a song.
Be ye sure that the Lord he is God;
it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; *
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise; *
be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name.
For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting; *
and his truth endureth from generation to generation.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son *
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be *
world without end. Amen.
Benedicite, omnia opera
(Prayer of Azariah; abridged)
O all ye Works of the Lord bless ye the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye Angels of the Lord bless ye the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye Heavens bless ye the Lord: *
O ye Waters that be above the firmament
bless ye the Lord.
O all ye Powers of the Lord, O ye Sun and Moon,*
O ye Stars of heaven bless ye the Lord.
O ye Showers and Dew, O ye Winds of God, *
O ye Fire and Heat bless ye the Lord.
O ye Winter and Summer, O ye Frost and Cold, *
O ye Ice and Snow bless ye the Lord.
O ye Nights and Days bless ye the Lord: *
O ye Light and Darkness bless ye the Lord.
O ye Lightnings and Clouds bless ye the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O let the Earth bless the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye Mountains and Hills,
O all ye Green Things upon the earth, *
O ye Wells, O ye Seas and Floods bless ye the Lord.
O ye Whales and all that move in the waters
bless ye the Lord: *
O all ye Fowls of the air, O all ye Beasts and Cattle
bless ye the Lord.
O ye Children of Men bless ye the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye Priests of the Lord, O ye Servants of the Lord, *
O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous
bless ye the Lord.
O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azariah, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: *
praise him and magnify him for ever.
Te Deum laudamus
We praise thee O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. *
All the earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therein; *
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; *
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee. *
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee. *
The holy Church throughout all the world
doth acknowledge thee;
The Father of an infinite Majesty,
thine adorable true and only Son; *
Also the Holy Spirit the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory O Christ. *
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, *
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, *
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, *
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge. *
We therefore pray thee help thy servants
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, *
in glory everlasting.
O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage. *
Govern them and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee, *
And we worship thy Name ever world without end.
Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin. *
O Lord have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord let thy mercy be upon us as our trust is in thee. *
O Lord in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.
Kyrie, eleison
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Pater Noster
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Ave Regina Caelorum
Queen of the heavens, we hail thee,
Hail thee, Lady of all the Angels;
Thou the dawn, the door of morning,
whence the world’s true Light is risen:
Joy to thee, O Virgin glorious,
Beautiful beyond all other;
Hail, and fare well, O most gracious,
Intercede for us alway to Jesus.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Icon of the hand of Monica Thornton.