| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Responsories for the Office of Readings | John | Sunday, August 22, 2010 |
Question: I have the one volume "Christian Prayer" from Catholic Book Publishing, which apparently does not contain responsories for the Office of Readings. Are there specific responsories, and are they necessary for this office? Is it acceptable to substitute another responsory, or to invent one from, say, the scripture passage read if a specific one is not available? Or is it acceptable to recite the office without the responsories? Or, do I just have to get the four volume edition if I want to include the Office of Readings in my prayer life? |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
Dear John: At no time may we invent things for the liturgy. We must pray the liturgy as the Church regulates. In terms of the Office of Readings, it is really not possible to participate fully from any of the one-volume books. You will need the four-volume edition to get all of the Office of Readings as it is suppose to be done. The Office of Readings in the one-volume edition is really just a sampling. If you wish to use those samples for an abridged Office of Readings you certainly may -- that is why they are there. But, the responsories after the biblical and non-biblical readings are not present in the one-volume edition. Thus, you will not have access to the responsories. You'll have to just not do any. The page notations for this coming September 1st is to find the Office of Readings on page 1816; the Biblical readings beginning on page 1924; the non-Biblical readings beginning on 2011; and the closing prayer on page 627. As to the readings: the Biblical Readings for Ordinary Time begin on page 1924ff and has 14 biblical readings to choose from. Since this is all there is, one will have to rotate them. In the same manner, the non-Biblical Readings for Ordinary Time, beginning on page 2011, has 22 readings to choose from and to rotate. The Office of Readings is really great in that you read sermons and writings of the Saints, but unless you get the 4-volume set you will not even begin to experience the richness of the Office of Readings. God Bless, |
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