Wednesday Liturgy: Ending the Morning and Evening Prayer
ROME, MARCH 13, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: We are a community of religious who have perpetual adoration and who pray morning prayer and evening prayer together. Morning prayer is followed by the celebration of the Eucharist, and evening prayer is often followed by Benediction. Often our chaplain is present for the morning prayer and evening prayer and prays the concluding prayer. Is this reserved for the priest when he is present, and if so, what is the blessing that he prays after the concluding prayer? Our chaplain prays: "Let us bless the Lord," to which the assembly replies: "Thanks be to God." The other blessing -- "May the Lord bless us and keep us from all evil and lead us to everlasting life" -- seems more complete, yet I see in the breviary that there is a dialogical form for the priest and the assembly. I would be grateful for some clarity regarding the correct way to end the prayer of the Church when prayed in common. -- L.R., Dublin, Ireland
A: The situation described by our reader would explain the actions of the priest, which appear quite correct.
First of all, he should pray the closing prayer as this is a presidential prayer and should be prayed by the priest (see No. 197 of the General Introduction). The priest should also open the office with the corresponding invocation, either "Lord, open our lips," if the invitatory psalm is prayed, or "O God, come to our aid," before morning prayer and evening prayer.
He probably omits the blessing after morning prayer because Mass is about to begin, and it concludes with a blessing and dismissal.
The blessing is omitted after the concluding prayer of evening prayer because blessings are never imparted in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed as it is in the present case. Thus there would be no blessing even if Benediction did not take place immediately after vespers.
In the cases described above, there would be no concluding formula at all if the office is immediately followed by either Mass or Benediction. Therefore the question as to the correct conclusion would be moot.
If Benediction does not follow immediately, but the Blessed Sacrament is still exposed, then the correct conclusion would be: "The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life." To which all respond, "Amen," since this is not properly speaking a blessing but an invocation.
If the Blessed Sacrament is reserved before the office begins, then the priest should bless and dismiss the assembly as usual, using either the formula proposed in the breviary or, if vespers are celebrated with solemnity, one of the solemn blessings taken from the missal.
The formula "Let us praise the Lord" and the response "Thanks be to God" are not used for morning prayer and evening prayer but for the office of readings and the prayer during the day.
Q: We are a community of religious who have perpetual adoration and who pray morning prayer and evening prayer together. Morning prayer is followed by the celebration of the Eucharist, and evening prayer is often followed by Benediction. Often our chaplain is present for the morning prayer and evening prayer and prays the concluding prayer. Is this reserved for the priest when he is present, and if so, what is the blessing that he prays after the concluding prayer? Our chaplain prays: "Let us bless the Lord," to which the assembly replies: "Thanks be to God." The other blessing -- "May the Lord bless us and keep us from all evil and lead us to everlasting life" -- seems more complete, yet I see in the breviary that there is a dialogical form for the priest and the assembly. I would be grateful for some clarity regarding the correct way to end the prayer of the Church when prayed in common. -- L.R., Dublin, Ireland
A: The situation described by our reader would explain the actions of the priest, which appear quite correct.
First of all, he should pray the closing prayer as this is a presidential prayer and should be prayed by the priest (see No. 197 of the General Introduction). The priest should also open the office with the corresponding invocation, either "Lord, open our lips," if the invitatory psalm is prayed, or "O God, come to our aid," before morning prayer and evening prayer.
He probably omits the blessing after morning prayer because Mass is about to begin, and it concludes with a blessing and dismissal.
The blessing is omitted after the concluding prayer of evening prayer because blessings are never imparted in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed as it is in the present case. Thus there would be no blessing even if Benediction did not take place immediately after vespers.
In the cases described above, there would be no concluding formula at all if the office is immediately followed by either Mass or Benediction. Therefore the question as to the correct conclusion would be moot.
If Benediction does not follow immediately, but the Blessed Sacrament is still exposed, then the correct conclusion would be: "The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life." To which all respond, "Amen," since this is not properly speaking a blessing but an invocation.
If the Blessed Sacrament is reserved before the office begins, then the priest should bless and dismiss the assembly as usual, using either the formula proposed in the breviary or, if vespers are celebrated with solemnity, one of the solemn blessings taken from the missal.
The formula "Let us praise the Lord" and the response "Thanks be to God" are not used for morning prayer and evening prayer but for the office of readings and the prayer during the day.
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