| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Postures and Gestures of the Office | Aaron | Thursday, February 10, 2005 |
Question: Dear Brother, Correct me if I'm incorrect about the following gestures and positions that I normally do whenever reciting the office, alone: 1. Bow to begin office, make sign of the cross and kneel to pray for the intention for the Office offered. End with sign of the cross. 2. Stand. If invitatory, use thumb and make small sign of the cross over lips, as saying the 1st few lines of the invitatory...than make sign of the cross when beginning the invitatory psalm. I do not make sign of the cross at ANY antiphon recited, but sometimes simply sing or chant it; only at the beginning of every psalm within the office. 3. Stand during hymn 4. Kneel for all psalms and canticles recited. As usual, making sign of the cross at all beginning of psalms and canticles recited. Bow at every 1st line of the Gloria Patri even when kneeling while making sign of the cross, then resume normal upright position at the end. 5. Stand or sit for readings. Would make the 3 small sign of the cross to begin reading. Would sometimes end reading while kissing breviary. 6. Stand for responsory. As usual, bow at 1st line of the Gloria Patri. 7. Kneel for the intercessions. 8. Stand for the Our Father, singing, chanting or reciting 9. Kneel for the final Collect and make the sign of the cross at dismissal. 10. Continue kneeling for after Divine Office prayers; beginning and ending with the sign of the cross. Rise and bow at the end of prayer. 11. Kiss breviary while tracing sign of the cross over breviary before and after divine office. This is the norm for my moring and evening prayer. Other times would be about the same format. What is your opinion about my practice? |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
Dear Aaron: Your routine looks good to me. Here's what I do... I chant the entire office -- everything is chanted except for the beginning and ending Sign of the Cross and the Readings. Before the Office begins I kneel and make the sign of the Cross and offer the following prayer: Cleanse our hearts of any worthless, evil, or distracting thoughts. Give us the wisdom and love necessary to pray this Office with attention, reverence, and devotion. Father, let our prayer be heard in your presence, for it is offered through Christ our Lord. Amen. At morning prayer I kneel and chant three times with a pause between each couplet: Oh God come to my aid; Oh God come to my aid; Oh God come to my aid; Office then officially begins: STAND Hymn SIT SIT SIT SIT STAND KNEEL May our Gracious Lord grant to our Holy Father _____, to our Bishop ____, and to the Superiors of our Order (if one is in a third order), wisdom, guidance, and peace, and to our priests, religious, and laity, a lively faith, a firm hope and a perfect love. Lord grant to our relatives, friends, and benefactors, Your blessing and peace. Amen. STAND The Dismissal Prayer of "May the Lord Bless Us, Protect Us..." is said with the sign of the cross as you make a profound bow. If in a community or if family members are not present you can end with this: May the Divine Assistance remain always with us. And with our absent brethren (children, family members, etc.) Sign of the Cross Kiss the Breviary P.S. As a general rule, by the way, one should be standing and making a profound bow when saying the first part of the Glory be in any form of prayer. This is the general practice in monasteries. God Bless, |
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