Liturgy October 17
. . . if there are some who might wish to pray (in the oratory) during their free time, even outside the hours appointed, they should not be hindered by those who think something else must be done there (Rule of St. Augustine, 11).
“Pray always,” says the Apostle (1Th 5:17). And the Church does, particularly through the rhythmic prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. One of these Hours traditionally was celebrated during certain nights as “vigils.” The idea behind vigils was to stay awake all night, as Jesus did, in anticipation of receiving some special grace from the Lord. The mother of all vigils was that of Easter. Other vigils imitated it. There were vigils associated with Vespers that lasted the whole night until the morning Eucharist on great feast days. Other vigils were held Saturday night, awaiting the celebration of Sunday. The Office of Readings resembles the vigils and can even be celebrated as a vigil. It is the memorial of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, as are the other Hours. But it is not prayed at a fixed time and, therefore, can be prayed privately or communally at any moment of the day. It provides the occasion for biblical and spiritual instruction, a time of contemplation, that is very useful for the life of faith. The three psalms introduce the two readings, one from the Bible and the other from an important author in the tradition of the Church. On feast days, the Office finishes with the Hymn of Praise (Te Deum). What a treasure of spirituality!
What´s in the stomach carries what’s on the back. (Nande)
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