Folia Theologica et Canonica 4. 26/18 (2015)

IUS CANONICUM - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem., The systematic development of the Liturgy of Hours during the first centuries - based on the Jewish and Christian tradition

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SZABOLCS ANZELM SZUROMI, O.PRAEM.

terpretational method and intention of the early epoch of the Church’s history, but also these sources are extraordinary help to understand why the regular prayers of Psalms remained in the day to day custom, gradually institutionalizing that particular form of common prayers which is called by technical term: Divine Office. The ancient (i.e. Jewish origin) and new (the concrete structure of celebration of the liturgy of hours) consecrating form of the day has received essential influence through the interpretations of Psalms by several patristic writers. It has not remained only interpretation of the text, but some of them - in brief form - took place in the structure of the prayer in order to help to understand the “nucleus” of the Divine Office, namely the Psalms.

III. THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE DIVINE OFFICE

The crystallization process - as we have already seen - has begun without interruption as a Christian forni of praying of Psalms in community or privately. The prayer schedule of the Temple of Jerusalem can be recognized in structura- lizing the Divine Office into matutinum (vigil prayer), terlia (midmorning- prayer), sexta (midday-prayer), nona (midafternoon-prayer), and vespera (evening-prayer). Already from the 4century we have information about the prima, separated from the matutinum, receiving its common name as laudes (morning-prayer).46 From the same time, in the manuscripts appeared that prayer which close the concrete daily prayerful service, named completorium (night- prayer). This entire complete list can be read in St. John Cassian’s (t435) work, De institutis coenobiomm as a fixed custom of the religious community.47 It means that for the end of the 4Ü1 century the basic structure of the praying times and their terminology was already evolved in the common sense, at least in the monastic life. We would like to underline again the importance of the monasticism and their rules in the formation process of the Divine Office. In this process has an indispensable position St. Benedict of Nursia (t543)48, whose Rule dedicates an independent chapter to the prayers of Psalms (i.e. Caput XX: De disciplina psallendi), which part deals with the structure of prayer office of the day.49 * Nevertheless, we cannot forget the parallel development at the cathedrals or parish communities too.5" Based on the analysis of the many textual witnesses from these two basic fields, we can assert that the essential elements

46 Taft, R., The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West, 193-201.

47 CSEL XVII. 1-231 ; cf. Dictionnaire de spiritualité, ascétique et mystique, IL 214-276.

4S Taft, R., The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West, 94-96, 134-140.

49 Cf. de Vogüe, A. - Neufville, J. (ed.), La Règle de S. Benőit, I-VI (Sources Chrétiennes 181- 186), Paris 1971-1972.

511 Salmon, P. - Regan, P. - Gurrieri, J. A., Liturgy of Hours, in Martaler, B. L. (ed.), New Catholic Encyclopedia, VIII. Washington D.C. 2004. 729-736, especially 729-730.