THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS IN THE CHRISTIAN EAST: ORIGINS, MEANING, PLACE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH BY ROBERT TAFT. S. J. PROFESSOR AT THE PONTIFICAL ORIENTAL INSTITUTE ROMEor john J. Walsh 8 J. and Marta €. Ryan S- J —tenehers, counsellors, fends TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWARD v j ABBREVIATIONS vil i PREFACE vil ‘ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 PART [: THE FORMATION OF THE TRADITION 4. Prologue: Christian Prayer in the New Testament and its Jewish Background 1 2, Daily Prayer inthe Preconstantinian Church 4 a 3, The Cathedral Office in the Fourth Century 38 ‘4. The Egyptian Monastic Office in the Fourth Century 70 5. TheUrban Monastic Office 2 6. Quaestiones disputarae : The Origin of Nocturns, : Matins, and Prime 113 PART II: THE DIVINE OFFICE IN THE CHRISTIAN EAST Introduction 143 7. The Armenian Office 145 8. The East-Syrian Office 153 9. The West-Sytian and Maronite Traditions 170 Rs. 30.00 ($ 7.00) 40. The Coptic Office 178 41, The Ethiopian Rite 192 12, The Byzantine Office 199 | PART lil; WHAT IT ALL MEANS | Introduetion 225 Prin ot 4 : ‘ 13, Toward a Theology of the Liturgy of the Hours 227 KEMP. tama, 144, The Liturgy of the Hours as the Church's Schoo! berm of Prayer 273 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 282 iFOREWORD ‘With this book, “The Liturgy Of The Hours In The Christian East”, of Robert Taft, S. J., The Centre for Indian end Late Religious Studies, Rome, is bringing out the fourth book in the series of Placid Lectures, Prior to this, in this series, we hove published: “Economy of the Holy Spirit”, by 8. . Bilaniuk, “Understanding Eastern Christianity” by George Every, “The Syriac Manuscripts of St. Thomas Christians” by J.P.M, Van dor Ploeg. 0. P. In publishing this book of Robert Taft S. J, {we want to renew the initial commitment made by the C. 1.1.8. by instituting the Placid Lectures —"‘idelity to our own heritage ‘asa living tradition rooted in the past and open tothe future”— ‘as worded by Fr. Taft himself, in referring to the personality of Fr. Placid J. Podipara, CM. in the proface, Indeed, the book is of one “who would like to think of himself as a liturgical scholar”. My contacts with Fr. Taft S. J. in the process of organizing the lecture series, led me always to the Library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Any one who {urns these peges will need no other confirmation to his claim. ‘This book, coming from a former colleague of Fr. Placid Is ‘2 remindor to us, who are at times swept away by the speed of, ‘changes, to this one truth, to the conviction of the author “thet a tradition can only be understood genoticaly, with reference to its origins and evolution.”ur gratitude goes first and foremost to the author, Robert Toft, S.J for this excellent piece of research into our own heritage, here bofore us; then to his own research students of the Oriental Institute who supported our request, and took active part in the lecture series. Let me add a word of thanks also to the Manager and Staff of K.C. M. Press, Cochin 682011 for the quality printing of book. Fr. Albert Nambiaparambil C. M. Director, C.11.8., 294 Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, IV Pino, Int. 10, 00186 Roms. ace AW ApTrad cou, cs esco eset EL i, sts LF imo Lor NPNF NT oc Oca ocr. os Po. Plo PL PO. oc sc st. wu . ABBREVIATIONS, Alcuin Club Collections Archiv Fir Liturgiewissenschaft Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition Corpus. Chrstianorum Latinorum Cistercian Stucies Corpus seriptorum Chri Corpus scriptorum eccleslasticorum Latinorum Ephemerides. liturgic Idem (the same auther) The Journal of Theological Studies Liturgiegeschichtliche Forschungen La Moison-Diew Liturgiwissenschattiche Quellen und Forschungen Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers New Testament Oriens Christionus janorum_orientetium Oriantalia Christiana analecta ' Grientalla Chvistiana periodica L orient syrien Migne, Patrologia Graece Pomtificio Instituto Orientele, Rome Migne, Patrologia Latina Patrologia orientalis ' Proche-orfent chrétien Sources chrtionnes ‘Studi © testi Texte und Untersuchungen vilPREFACE Dirt mat ee ai My rol in the 1983 lectures was due to the persistence of my fignd Fr, Albert Nambisparambil, C, M. ., Director of the Cente for Indian and Interoigious Studies, Rome, which Sponsors the Placid Lectures. Behind this persistence ley the fobbying of my numerous Indian graduate students at the Ponticel Oriental Institute, Rome, who wanted to see if {could tak about eastern liturgy in English too. The emhusia- ‘sc reception ofthe lectures, coupled with mare encouragement from Fr Albert, resulted in the hasty production of what follows-basically @ somewhat filed-out end documented redaction of whet was said in the actus. ‘As public lectures, what | said was perforce directed at a broader public then those with a professionel interest in the study ofiturgy. Ihope the same is true of the book. It is the work of one who would like to think of himself as @ liturgical scholar:"it is also the work of one who loves and prays the Liturgy of the Hours. So although | am sanguine ‘enough to think it wil stand the scrutiny of my peers, itis not vi intended as a definitive, complete, scholarly history of the Liturgy of the Hours in the traditions of the Christian East That would require a volume for each individual tradition and ‘nother on the early history. My alm has been more modest, ‘As an historian of Christian tradition it is my unshekeable ‘conviction that a tradition can only be understood genetically, ‘with reference to its origins and evolution. Those who do not Know history are prisoners of the latest cliché, for they have nothing against which to test it. That is what a knowledge of the past can give us, A knowledge of the future would serve ‘equally well, ut unfortunately that is not yet available to me. ‘This does not mean that our ignorance of the future leaves us enslaved by the past. For we do know the present, and in the present the past is always instructive, not necessarily normative. What wa do today is ruled not by the past but by the adaptation of tradition to the needs of the present. History ean only help us decide what the essentials of that tradition are, and the parameters ofits adaptation. With this in mind I have dodicated Part | to a study, at times somewhat technical end involved, of the history of the Divine Office during the formative period of Late Antiquity. fattempting to respect the very real diversity seen in the multiple traditions while at the same time presenting it within as intelligible an historical framework as possible. But even in this section Ihave tried to reduce footnotes to the essentials. Honee where feasible | have treated well-known patristic and historical sources like the Bible, References to book chapter, umber, or verse are given in the body of the text without feterring to en edition In the notes wherever 1 judged that ‘would suffice for anyone moderately acqueinted with this al easily in ono of the standard collections. References to secondary sources aso limited insofar as was compatible with my obligation to give credit for ideas that did not originate with me, or 10 Indicate important studies inthe field. For the same toasons the bibliogrephy 1s limited to the most important secondary works on the Divine Office in thecenty Church and i ‘The reader who con- ‘and in the Clvistion East con th cine ind abundant reference to, forte fits these works a summary account of the ent atemots no more than 2 SUMAN mtn 48 Shy on are atthe secondary soures inthe notes and bibtio= TWsbook is ao the ak of one who loves to pray in conn eit ft Hou, So nape ofthe Tehneal fone hokey hope tht ib ound vase Brora whore pty ended bythe conmon prise of Sesh oa oft Chk epeialy trove wth whom Ihave fe the ep of ting Gu ths paso -cotee Medes and usenet te Raion cutols Chute ot Ske ln’ one, Jon SA Ca for 6 mail Sas nd St Mba Russian Catt, Chepl in Hen Yass and Colsgue inte Grouct Prose ih Unig Saw tho Users of Nave Dome monae betes fam Mung Achatbey, St Johns ADDOY Coleg, Getenane Abbey nthe USA, to. Calo inten sy Aba oan he Egypte deur Moy help them understand and ‘and eppreciate better the inestimable valu ofthe Church's prayer, nnn® bate the inastimabl ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: {1am grateful to the editors of Worship for permission to use in chapters 4 and 10 material from my article “Praise tho Desert: the Coptic Monastic Office Yesterday and Today,” ‘Worship 86 (1982) 513-636, and in chapters 5-6 “Quaes- tones disputatae in the History of the Liturgy of the Hours: the Origins of Nocturns, Matins, Prime,” Worship 58 no.1 (1984); to the editors of The Liturgical Press, Collegenil Minnesota, for permission to use in chapter 12 some meterial from my “Sunday in the Eastern Tradition," originally published in M, Seatle (ed.), Sunday Morning: 8 Time for Worship (1982) 49-74; to the editors of Diakania, Joha XXIll Center, Fordham University, N.Y., for permission to use in chapter 13 part of my article "Thanksgiving for the Light, Toward a Theology of Vespers,” Diakonia 13 (1978); 27-50 and to the editors of Sobornost, incorporating the now defunct Eastern (Churches Reviow, for permitting me to re-use a few paragraphs fof my article “On the Use of the Bema in the East-Syrian Liturgy,” Eastern Churches Review 3 (1970) 30:39. {1am algo grateful to my colleague Juan Mateos, S.J. and to Fr. John Allyn Melioh, S. M., Director of the Notre Dame Conter for Pastoral Liturgy for reading the manuscript and ‘making helpful suggestions, and to Ms. Pat Palmer of the same Center for typing the manuscript. ‘At the University of Notre Dame, July 19, 1983, feast, ‘according to the Byzantine Cslendar, of Our Holy Mother St. Macrina, sister of St. Basil the Great, who In 379 went home to God during the lucernsrium, praying the “Thanksgiving for the Light.” aiPART I THE FORMATION OF THE TRADITION1 PROLOGUE CHRISTIAN PRAYER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT [AND ITS JEWISH BACKGROUND ‘Apart from the question of temple worship, no two authors seem to agree about even the basics of Jewish services and prayer et the time of Christ, Were there public synagogue Services daily or only on certain days? How many hours of private prayer were there dally? What were they? And why? do not have the competence to answer these questions. ‘What is more important, |'do not think itis necessary to do $0. ‘The details of Jewish prayer systems were less important for the development of the Divine Office than is generally believed, inspite of attempts to do so in the past. Jews times, So do Christians, The first Jewish-Christian converts may even have recited the same prayers at the same times es thelr Jewish contemporaries. Moming and evening soem to have been the most constant and important hours of Jewish prayer. This will become true for Christians as well. And of Course Old Testament themes and types, and even texts, have from the beginning formed part of the stuff of Christian prayer Beyond such generalities lie obscurity and speculation, NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS ON PRAYER If we except those New Testament sayings concerning what today one would. call “sacraments"—texts concerning tho Lord's Supper, baptism, the imposition of hands, the anointing ff the sick we ate left with four estegories of texts concern- ing prayer in the New Testament: 1. references to Jesus and others at prayer 2. exhortations and commands to pray13, Instructions on how to pray 44, actual prayers and hymns, am nese ents we nn that hia prayed“ cre ar Tass 2 They raved (hes 248, ene Soatacin 0), when hey | ware sa oor yy amped (2098-28 215) rot AO re (tc 2s 0, 128,12), he Pr res ty ernie syrapooe (1844-18) sere oan ea am, cmiles, and bane tne ee eae ea ike ear gees Te eee na esi, tvleging, cntstion Fer i amon tpn fall Gos ot reno tl pone, fr the. sthaton si ee seth ean af te poxpe the coming ot ee tnasom: tre Topveruo on for Tues athe ae nvr can sre tx for wisdom oles, see. mee Sey ad prnveane a, hope ov hel, Sen nom, onghennentndthe gi ot te Seat AC rete wrote whe Hy St” ake 1020), and pronhulé oped in tongues (acts 24; 1048, 1 COFT4. eee eee ee er onsen eetanaal cl pel ceca te Prine ts iecene a enara iin Pea am e1m caeay oak on cater Nae: Tat Lite), ye mb (ake 169°), ana wat Iypotey or eueaetoner or weds phe So ea ayaeto be nr wrcnd Cassa eae Srow aries) rela enema anes Uke nee Aouad ae Le tS aa Sau tie 124): Cn near ee trian seo ugh Oyo neo ease seh intentions is suggested. And they prayed in Beer ea (Matt 1819-20). Ts New Tesomoet teeing eee more as ‘than exhaustive, contai foc repeated command that later traditio pe roan omit ne eon hare eee "oray without cesing’ 46-48; Col 42; Eon one; Ute ery mee 2 PRAYER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND IN FIRST- CENTURY JUDAISM Were there any set forms and times of Christian prayer in this earliest period, forms and times that could be seen a8 the remote ancestor of our Liturgy of the Hours? tis dif- ficuk to generalize. In the first century, before the separation fof Church and synagogue, and before’ the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, we know that Jewish-Cistians in Palestine participated in synagogue and temple worship. But some of that wes a regression from an earlier, greater freedom vis-i-vis the Old Law.t And hellenistic Jewish Christians certainly looked on the temple cult as superceded (Acts 6:81f).° 1 Cori- mhians, a document of gentile Christianity, is the earliest and ‘most explicit New Testament text regarding Christian worship, {Cor 11 has to do with the Lord's Supper, but chapter 14, the only New Testament text that is a real treatise on Christian \worship,® describes a eynaxis with speaking in tongues, reve: lations, prophecy, teaching, psalmody, blessings, thanksgiving- land formulae such es “maranatha” and “amen.” Other epistles Contain further formulae, the pax etc.” But it does not seem Possible to postulate any direct connection, except in the frost general sense, between this data and whet later became the Liturgy of the Hours. More televant, perhaps, than any direct relationship bet- ween Jewish or eerly Christian forms of public prayer and the later office, is the Jewish custom of praying at set times.® ‘There is little agreement concerning the times of Jewish prayer in this period, and no wonder, for first century Judaism twas far from uniform, There were several schools of thought; Pharisees, Sadducees, Essones... Furthermore, most early Jewish Christian converts were hellenistic Jews, and we are jess well-informed sbout Jewish uses outside of Palestine, To compound the problem, Jowish lituray of this period, though not totally amorphous, was largely uncodified.® So it Is no longer possible to simply postulate a single Jewish pattern (Of two daily temple sactficas morning and evening, paralleled by two private prayer-times at the same hours, which in turn 3su et Chon hours of marin pase lad speedy eg wean arin ater: 2 1W0eld an everson. Semin an vering, which 10 ab- tecinon fhe Sr uefrd aly pate paves. the Sino os ga ies Rou pate some sa enna et ofthe evening our tm~ sky te gto 800 PM. When we 268 t0 this aes om aoe Thrapote pots described the see ts ene of Dav 10, Ps SISE17, 2 Enoch by Pil: tee tNow Tesument an ery Chistian tes oe nog mur avering system In Judsism inthe pone re prod the Jewish precedents for Chic ae ries opan much nore muded than they ee sn erry to acer So 1 te tht al one an $9Y rete ence of Joish prayers on Cen Prever ine epost is teflon lead supposediito Jewish prayer was centered in temple, synagogue and home. 1. Temple “There wore two dally sacrifices in the temple, morning and evening, and the New Testament tells us that the first Chi- the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:52). “and day by day attending the temple together (Bets 2:46). However, 26 Bradshaw has pointed out, (Acts 31-431, 6:12-42) algo makes it cleat that these Chvistians ‘gathered in solomon’s Portico as a separate group, to preach ‘Jesus a8 the Chvst, and that they were persecuted for it by the other Jews. ‘So these temple texts can hardly be taken ‘to mean thatthe early Jerusalem Christians simply caried on ‘their usual Jewish cult without further ado. 2, Synagogue : and of course on the Sabbath. Beckwith postulates a pattern fof four services: morning prayer, additional prayer (at any hhour), afternoon prayer, and evening prayer."” At least on the Sabbath, it seems, there were morning and afternoon servicos, ‘and the morning assembly included a recitation of the Shema ‘and Tefilah or benedictions."® plus readings from the Law and ‘the Prophets. Luke 4:16-30 describes Jesus’ participation in fone such service. On the other hand, Epiphanius (Adv. haer, 2939) speaks of only three hours of synagogue prayer among the Jews: "...in the morning and in the middle of the day and in the evening, three times a day when they say their prayers in the synagogues. . ‘The New Testament tells us that Paul frequented the focal ‘synagogues on his missionary journeys before 61 AD, but as the texts show, he went there to preach Christ, and wes per- secuted for his efforts (Acts 9:20-23; 13:6-14:7; 1613-24; T7A-47; 18:4-19; 19:8-10), so that can hardly be advanced ‘8 evidence for Christian worship in the synagogues. Indeed, it appears that the early Jewish Christians soon formed # syna- {gogue unto themselves. The Loter of James, addressed to Jewish converts, around 49-58 AD, refers to “your syna- ‘goque" (2:2), and later sround 70-80, Matthew's Gospel has ‘Jesus advise hie followers to pray at home rather than in the ‘synagogue (5:6-6), and gives unmistakable evidence of tension between Church and synagogue at that time (10:17; 23:34), 3. Home ‘With early Christian domestic prayer we are on surer ‘ground. We know that the early Jewish Christians “with one Sccord devoted themselves to prayer" (Acts 1:14), and that this prayer was sometimes in common, in private homes (Acts 2:1, 46; 4:23-31; 12:5,12). Was this formal prayer at set hours of every day? And if $0, was itin direct continuity ‘with Jewish prayer-times? The problem in interpreting the times of Jewish statutory private prayer is that we have evi dence for several distinct systems. First, there was the recita, ion of the Shema at the beginning and end of the day. The ‘Shema, more a ereed than a prayer, comprised four passages 8Law. the Decslogue pus Deut 64: 1 Meryem ceed eon and 2h and Na TST agg for roo an - byawo benedios ot opt oy a ene in thank iin The ol pooner BY 8 Pry fort summarizing t! 43:24; and Num 18:37-41 ish prayer par excellence was the Teflah or vention acne vaey tee times 2 day (O2n 610) But when? The rabbinic custom was to pray the Tefillah a rneon, and vering, but other texiePe 65:17 ree tocen Sis Eepheis, Ady. oer 29:9-—rafet 10 oan ring, noon and evening. Though ters evidence fore connection between the evening temple socifice and Pate prayer (Po l1e:2; Exe O19; Dan 820-215 “th 811%; Lake 1510) Hs not cleat thet the hours of Teflon covesponded tothe tines of temple steric orto the tour sed forth ection othe Shema, at last tthe ime Chie New Testament. The Miso, Berakath 412 alows the amin Til at ny tne before noon, and te after- noon efilah a any ine before sundown, The prayer during the ay had na set ine. Eventual, howeve, morning and tvernybencicione wee combined with te twofold recite: Sono te Shara, In addition, there was also the prayer of such groups es the Essones in Palestine, and the hellenistic Jewish Thera- pevtae in Egypt. The relevant Qumran texts are ambiguous at best. and ope o several interpretations, but it seems that he ssenes, too, prayed three times a day, motning, noon and evening. In addition, they hold vigils at night, dedicated to the study of the Law. Apart from some references in the aims, this i the only evidence of evidence of night prayer in Palestinian sudelam, Philo (13 8C-c8, 45/60 AD) in The Contemplative fe 27-28, 83-89, describad the Therapeutae as praying Brivately at dawn and in the evening, and holding common vial on the Sabbath. But another Egyptian sures, The Book (the Secrets of Enoch, apparent written in Egypt by & hel eis Jew a the beginning ofthe Christan ere, and refered '© by such Alexandiine Christian Fathers as Clament and 6 Origen, stfies to the more traditional thrice-dally system of prayer: “It is good to go morning, midday, and evening into the Lord's dwelling, for the glory of your crestor” (2 Enoch 1:4).05 Finally, Flavius Josephus (37 BC-c2, 101 AD), in his ewish Antiquities 4, 212{, seems to assign a privileged place Yo morning and evening prayer. Furthermore, he explains the spirit ofthis prayor in torms quite ike those used later by the Fathers of the Church when speaking of Christian morning praige and evensong: ‘Twice every day, at the dawn thereof and when the hour comes for turning to repose, let all acknowledge before God the bounties He has bestowed on thom through thelr deliverance from the land of Egypt. Thanksgiving is @ natural duty, and is rendered both in gratitude for past mercies, and to incline the giver to others yet to come. So if we join and sift all the evidence of temple, syna- ‘goaue, Shoma and Tefilah prayer times, it seems hard to deny that morning and evening were the most general and privileged hours of prayer in the several traditions of Judsism in the period under discussion, Did the early Christians observe these Jowish hours of prover? It is impossible to give a definitive answer to this ‘question. But the New Tastament knew the Shema (Matt 22:37, Mark 12:29-30, Luke 10:26-27, 1 Cor 8:4-6), and also pportrays Jesus a8 praying in the morning (Mark 1:35) and in the evening (Matt 14:23 Mark 6:46, John 6:15). Furthermore, like the Essenes end Therapeutae, Jesus also kept vigil at night (Luke 6:12). Later, in Acts, we see the disciples preying at the third (2:1, 18), sixth (10:8), and ninth hours (3:1, 10:3, 30). “The latter, atleast, is referred to explicitly as “the ninth hour of prayer,” and itis possible thatthe other two hours were also ‘set prayer times. In addition, the disciples Imitated Jesus in praying at night (Acts 16:25, 2 Cor 6:5). And the vigil for the ‘coming of the bridegroom in Matt 2:1-13 and related passages (Matt 9:14-16; Mark 2:18-20, 13:33-37; Luke 5:33-95, 13: 716:15, 19:9) may reflect an sal watch at which, according Jewish apocalypti 4 135-49; of. 1 Thess 5:2; Rev 33, urohitian quarto-deciman pasch: to the Christian transformation of th lat the second coming of the Lord was awe Loter, we find liturgical meterial in the deutero-pauline wttings of the sub-apostali period, such as Col 3:16-17 (ct Eph 618-20): Let the word of Christ dwell in you Hlehly, teach and ‘admonish one another in all wisdom, an sing psolms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God, And whatever you do, in ward or deed, do every thing in the name ofthe Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. “his and other passages (e.g. Eph S14; Jas 5:13) tell us really thing mare than that Christians had psalms, hymns: reading, and prayers in thelr services. So | must confess Imyzelt highly sceptical of all attempts to see a diect tink ‘between what begins o emerge inthe thi and fourth centuries 888 Chrstionhoraium of dally prayer at set tines, and early ‘Jewish-Civstan participation in Jewish prayer during the New Testament period. As we shall see, the Old Testament ‘command to offer sertce inthe temple morning and evening certainly influenced the later Chelan Lituigy ofthe, Hour, But I would see this os part of the general spread of Old Testament themes in Christian thought ftom the third centry, ‘ster than as beng in annterped continuity with eat, Jewish Chistanity tis in this later period that the, Sebbath is assimilated to Sunday as 8 day of eucherist-when tasting 1 forbidden, that themes of Old Testament priesthood are anviey ‘to the Christian ministry, and so on, es Of couse 1 donot wis encores sremath t© deny all intiuenes of Jewish vistian prayer and woshi And ek Vil of the ApasasConsiusons ae ae eas such influence, and we ns are proot postive inuonee of 8 can aso take a5 ex 8 i | CCivistian prayer, notably the anaphora. The writings of Audet, Bouyer, Ledogar, Ligier, Talley, Giraudo and others, though not always in agreement, show clearly enough that the connection ‘was there. As for the hours chosen for prayer, one can admit, ‘as we shall see later, even a direct continuity in certain areas ‘such as Palestine and Egypt, whore the early Christian and Jewish communities were initially undistinguishable and long intermingled. Finaly, it i perfectly obvious that the Bible with its pselms and canticles and typology provided the raw material and the symbols for what later would become the Liturgy of the Hours. The New Testament development of the theme of light, ‘and the later Christian use of sun imagery, so important in the ‘symbolism of Christian Initiation, Easter, Christmas (Watalis ‘sols inviti; for the question of orientation in prayer; and cathedral morning praise and evensong; is @ paradigmatic instonce, So the Liturgy of the Hours owes a clear debt to our Jewish heritage. But | cannot agree with Dugmore and others \iho try to see a greater continuity that the evidence just does ‘CONCLUSION I think the most we can say about the Jewish and New ‘Testament background of tho Liturgy of the Hours is that CCnistians, like Jews, adopted the custom of praying at fixed times, and that the most important times for public liturgical prayer in common in both traditions were the beginning and the end of the day. But these are natural prayer hours in any tradition. Some would like to see the three day-hours—t sixth, and ninth—as parallel to the Jewish times for private prayer, That may be a tenable view at least for Egypt, where hellenistic Jewish Christian converts may well have followed Jewish customs more closely before the persecutions especially ‘under emperor Hadrian (117-138) mado Identification with the Jews distinetly undesirablo,"” but even this is not certain. At ‘any rate the office that has come down to us is the product ofgentile Chistonty, and a giect Jewish perentege cannot be sevorstrated, Indeed all the evidence points the other way: fhe ebeenco of Ps 140 (141), the classic Christian evening peak, in Jewish evening prayer is but one stnking example, Much mote important than any such Jewish connection for the later history of the office is what is new and purely Christian inthe New Testament: the belief that the Father has saved us in Christ Jesus, and that we five anew lite in Him. The New ‘Testament is full of exultant hymns of joy and thanksgiving for this new creation"? and itis this that is at the basis of the hhym of praise that Christians have raised to the Father day in ‘and dey out, moming, evening and night. And they shall ‘continue to do so unl the end of days, 10 | | i | | NoTES CHAPTER I 1. "Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: Col 3:16:17; Eph $:18-20; specifically Christian hymns: Phil 2:6-11; Col 1 15-20; Eph 2:14-16, 5:14; 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 3:18-22; Heb 1:3; Prologue of John; benedictions, wtc.: Luke 1:46-58, 68-79, 229-22, 2. Rom 1:8; 18:6, 9-11, 30-32; 1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 1:3 1 Thess 1:2; 2:13; 2 Thess 1:3; Eph 1:9, 9ff; Col 1:3; Phil 4:9tf; 2 Tim 123; 1 Pet 1:3¢f; Phim ff. 3, See for example Matt 6:44; 6:9-15; 9:98; 26:41; Mark 44:38; Rom 10:1; 1 Cor 1:4; 1 Thess 3417-13; Eph 1:151t7 314.18; 1 Tim 21ff . 4. F. Hahn, The Worship of the Early Church (Philadetphie: Fortress Press, 1973) 42. 5. Ibid. 58. 6. Ibid. 68 7. Rom 16:83; 16:16, 20, 27; 1 Cor 1:3; 12:13; 16:19-24; 2.Cor 1:24; 19:12-14; Gal 1:3-5; 618; Eph 1:2; Col 1:2; 4:18; Phit 1:2; 49, 23; 1 Thess 1:1; 2:28; 2 Thess 1:2: 3:16, 18; 1 Tim 4:2; 6:24; 2 Tim 4:2; 2:18, 22; Titus 1:4; 3:16; Phim 3; Heb 13:21;1 Pet 1:2; 5:14; 2John 3; 3 John 18; Jude 2:25; 8. In this section | am relying, in part, on RT. Beckwith, “The Daily and Weekly Worship of the Primitive Church in Relation to its Jewish Antecedents," R. T. Beckwith and others, Influences juives cur le culte chrétien (Texts et studes iturgiques 4, Louvain: Abbaye du Mont César 1981) 89-122; "inthe Eniy Church (NCC 3. snap taste, oy Prayer te ‘ pg Oxted Unversity Pres 1982) a Jovah prayer forms and tet coscton,se8 oct ten Pyar in te Tlned, Form and Lea 9, Beinn. Ys Water do Grove ater Se ein cnrontaon ofthe Syoanogue 1977 1A MotaLandos Univers of Note Dame Press 1399) 10. Bradshaw, Daly Prayer, 24 11. Beckwith, “Dally and Weekly Worship.” 964, This is the Tefilah patter in Mishna, Berakoth A: (G09 note 13}below). 42. On the Shema, see below. Two versions of the text of the benedictons is given in C. W. Dugmore, The Influence (Of the Synagogue Upon the Divine Office (ACC 45, West- tminster: The Faith Pross 1964) 114-125. 4, Berakoth 41: “The morning Tefilloh [may be said ‘any time] until midday. R, Judah says: Until the fourth hour. The afternoon Tefilah [may be seid any time] until sunset, Until midway through the afternoon, The {may be said) any time during the day. R. Judah says: Until the soventh hour" 1 trans. H. Danby (Oxford University Press 1933) 5, Th nal Tefillah was apparently done only in the synagogue: see Berakath 4:7, ibid 14, See Bradshaw, Daly Prayer Af for the texts and their conflting Interpretations. 15, R.H.chules, The Apcerphe and Pseudo snd Panudownigrapha of te Ot ratamen In Engl (Ontos Uivoy Presto) Vol-2, 461A. On the origin ofthis Source, so. 425 16._ sue for oamsle Targum txt Dit (8626) 96:09" vation Church Mite Wr Dae, Gon Ho. (120.440), 2 8, Church History V, 24:2-6, ‘A Wilmart (ST 58) 88; Jerome (298), Comm. in Matt. 4, 25:6; Lactantius (before 311), Div. inst. 7,19:3. On this question seo A. Strobel. Ursprung und Geschichte des trahehristlichen Osterkalendars (TU 121, Bertin: ‘Akademie-Vetlag 1977) 29-45; R. Le Déaut, Le nuit pascale ‘Esso! aur a signification de la Paque juive 4 port du Targum da'Exode Xi! 42 (Anelecta Biblica 22, Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute (1963). 17. On early Egyptian Christianity and Judaism, see C.H. Roberts, Manuscript, Society and Belief in Early Chrstien Eoyet (London: Oxtord University Press 1979) 48. John 1:1-17; Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15.20; Eph 1:31 2514-16; 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 318-20; Heb 1:3. 13MW DAILY PRAYER IN THE PRECONSTANTINIAN CHURCH ‘THE FIRST CENTURY 1, The Didache “The fist explicit, unambiguous reference to a system of dalty prayer inthe primitive Church is Didache 8, which gives the Matthean Our Father with the doxology “For yours is the power and the glory unto ages”, followed by the rubri¢: “Pray thus three times a day.” Some consider this a deliberete Jewish-Chastian substitute forthe thrice dally recitation of the Shema. According to Audet, the Dideche is an Antiochene composition dating from between $0-70 AD, not much later ‘than the authentic Pauline corpus, and contemporaneous with the synoptic Gospels. 2. Clement of Rome's First Letter, to the Corinthians ‘As for prayer at set times, the earliest Christian witness is 1 Clem. 40: 1-6, trom the last decade ofthe fist century. The hours ore not specified, but the phrase “at set times” occurs in ‘the chapter three times eso donor) aeting tht the Les conte ott iat ts tages rt) eh cn (orn) and ens accomplishes, ann by ha jin disorderly fashion but at the set ee (eames a abr) 4 | j | More impor ant for the Liturgy of the elours is 7. Clem. 24:1-3, the earliest Christian text assigning @ symbolic value to times of the day: Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually mani fosts to us the resurrection to come, whose first fruits he made Christ by raising him from the desd. We see, beloved, thet the resurrection was accomplished according tothe time, Day and night make visible to us 2 resur- fection. Night goss to sloop, the day rises; the day departs, the night follows. ‘THE THIRD CENTURY 1. Clement of Alexandria (d. ca. 215) Ie is only at the beginning of the thied century, in Egypt. that we see set times for prayer at the third, sixth and ninth hours, as well son rising, bofore retiring, and during the hight, Clement of Alexandria insists that the tue Christian must pray always, but from what he says itis clear thot fixed hhours for prayer were already an established custom in some treles:, "Now if some assign fixed hours for prayer, such as {he thitd, sixth, and ninth, the Gnostic, on the other hand, prays throughout his whole life (Stromata VIL. 7, Else uhore Clement mentions prayer upon rising, before retiring, at right, and before, during, and after meals (Pedagogue 29-10; Strometa Vil, 7, 49:3-4). But these times of prayer Seem to be given more as examples of the Gnostic’s unceasing prayer than as distinc. fied hours of prayer ln Stromata Vil, 7, 43:6-7, Clement witnesses to the early Christian custom of orientation in prayer, based on the theme (of Christ ight of the world and sun of justice, symbolized by sum rising in the East ‘And since the dawin is an image of the day of birth, and the place from where the light, which shone forth first from the darkness, inereases, there has also dawned on those 16J of wath swapped in dakness a aay of the knowledge of, tu ep in dees ard the sunae nthe East in accord Sine sytem ofthe 88 i ast will ‘This theme as well asthe practice of praying facing Fast ca emesmmonplace in Christian ‘adtion from the third century on, Clement is also our first patistic witness to the eschator logical snoracter of Chistian prayer at ight. This, too, will benome 2 fundamental trait of all Christian vigils. "n the pedagogue 2:9 Clement says: est ttre slop 5028 obs enly awakened For wea tat ours be git, ond your mes burning. wie Boke men wna are wating for ir master to. come roses som te motage fea, eo that they may open co mar'oras wen he comes and knocks. Blessed are {hose sewonte whom the master finds awake when he mes” {ike 122837). For a sleeping? man is of no Crouse tone dand one, Therefore night wo Ought tata oer ond lets God. or blessed ar they who etc ori, and so ake themselves The te angele, wttom we cll "watchers" Ama aie fs worth othng, to mre thn te were ntalve. But he who hes th ight totchos andthe akoets dove nat overcome him {Jha Ts), not does sep. sncedavknes Gove nt Theta he ve is enlightened is awake towards God, and such . ‘one lives. For what was made in him was life (John o4), “Kee "sy ido "ho sh at ‘and the one who shall keep my ways, watching a dos wallng athe gates of ny envangas” roy aan "So then let us not sleep as others do, bat Cees “sesh 2% oto but fe uk ke ay the scours, “and be sober. Fr th ee lop, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk st night,” that is, in the darkness of ae Sa ai ignorance, “But since “ Saya un bo be or you are all sons of the ight and son ofthe ooo ‘at€ not of the night or of darkness” The 18 “vigilers” or “watchers” Is the common tem for angels in ‘Syriac Christianity even todsy.? and the notion that the monks and nuns who keep vigil at night while the world sleeps do $0 in limitation of the angels, who need no sleep and never inter- tupt their unending hymn of praise, will also become ‘commonplees in later tradition. The religious life will be an “angelic Ife" not only because of the ideal of absolute conti- rnence, but also because of the rule of uninterrupted prayer. 2. Origen (4. ca. 254): Origen in his treatise On Prayer 32, also refers to the ‘custom of praying facing East, “looking towards where the true Tight rises.” In chapter 12:2 of the same work, he too knows fly four hours of dally prayer: morning, noon, evening, and Gt night. The passage is also our eariest mention of Ps 14¢ reference to evening prayer, @ psalm which was later to become {he nuoleue of cathedral evensong throughout christendom: He prays without ceasing who combines his prayer with ocestary works, and suitable activities with his prayer, for fis virtuous deeds or the commandments he has fulfiled ie taken up as a part of his prayer, Only inthis way can re take the saying “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 8:17) te being possible, if we can say that the whole [ite of the saint ig one mighty integrated prayer. Of such prayer, part is what is usually called “prayer", and ought not to be performed less than three times each day. This is clear Fam the practice of Daniel, who, when great danger threatened him, prayed three times a day (Dan 6:10). And Peter, going up to the housetop to pray about the sixth four ot which time also he saw the vessel let down from heaven, let down by the four comers (Acts 10:8, 11), gives an example of the middle of the three times of prayer Spoken of by David before him: In the morning you shall fear my prayer, in the morning I will stand before you, and ‘will look upon you (Ps 5:3). The last of the three Is the words, “the liting up of my hands ike an But not.oven the time of N evening sacrifice (Ps 140:2) v7tonsa we iy pose without ueh prayer, fr David oh al Faroe pie Yu oto jugoments se ips ase}, ane Pal a relied in the of your ast Tek night together wi Silas at fas ofthe Aang ries unio GOH, So tht the Peso ag herd tam (hci 16:25)" ‘wh these three hours of prayer during the day in third ccantury Egypt is possible that we have @ reflection of Jewlsh Seager Origen cites Dan 6:10 and we havo already seen thet 2 enoch St, en apocryphal text from hellenistic Jewry in Zovpt at the beginning of the Chvistin era cited by both Creat and Origen in other writings, says: “Itis good to go ‘neming, midday, and evening into the Lora’s dwelling, for the Slory of your creator”® Early Alexandrine Christianity was Slosely linked t0 the large hellenistic Jewish community of ‘Aloxandtia before the revolts and massacres of the Jews under Trajan (66-70) end egain under Hadrian (117-138) forced Christians to distance themsalves from their Jewish past.® 3. Tertullian (4. after 220) Terutan so enw te com ‘ele 16 A nates) se ele ar "ona seh whch hes © gowia stmducion ot Chaos san tant for our purposes, we find file in Tertulians - ‘ull “writings the first deseription of what was to become by the end Of the fourth century the classic system of Christian daily Brayer: obligetory prayer at the beginning and end of each day, inith prayer highly recommended slso at the third, sixth end ninth hours, and at night. Chapter 25 of his treatise On Prayer. written between 4198-204, describes this dally prayer as follows: Concerning the time [of prayer]. however, the external ‘observance of certain hours will not be unprofitable. | mean those common hours that mark the intervals of the ay: the third, sixth, and ninth, whlch are found to have been more solemn in the scriptures, At the third hour the Holy Spitit was first poured out upon the gathered disciples (Acts 216). Peter, on the day he experienced the vision Of the whole community in that small vessel, had gone tipstalrs to pray at the sixth hour (Acts 10:9). The same fone was going into the temple with John at the ninth hour Gihon he restored the paralytic to health (Acts 3:1). ‘Although these hours simply exist without any command for thelr observance, stil it is good to establish 3 presump- tion that might reinforce the admonition to pray, and tear lus away from our affairs for this duty 2s if by law, so that (we at least pray not less than three times @ day. which, ewe road, Deniel also observed in accord, certainly, with foraet’s diccipline. Of course this is in addition to the ‘higatory prayers, which are owed without any admonition fat the beginning of ight and of night. ‘Tertulian goes on to say that Christians should also pray before Invals of before going to the bath, and when they ere with ‘gueets (ch. 26), and evan indicates paalmody as a pert of such Chistian common prayer (ch. 27): “The more diligent in pray- ing are accustomed to add in prayers the Alleluia and psalms tf this type to the conclusions of which those who are together nay respond..." He seems to mean that psalms with Alleluia ‘or some ather responsory as part of the text itself—for example xx pss 110-118, 145-150—wore chosen so that the company could respond at the end of the verses. 19ulian also mations the custo of sing for tee He gvon refers to eesembles ot night prayer Sig attonbus”) in 7o Wis wie 42. And in nec ea, tenn 197 AD, he proves ou east a agen supper with is evening [2M exon ofa ucrnrom of ated vspe "Nor temo rea gnda an is someone wh is ble is the wae tein tecateandaing God hyn Prom eof ois own composion Ad so the feast sa ened wha prayer” tus ae it began: see 29:17] ‘Tertulian does not explain just why he holds moming and ‘evening prayer to be statutory and the other times only quesi- biigetory, but one can accept without hesitation the customary {interpretation that he is referring to the precept of two daily temple sacifces in Exod 29:38-41; 30:7-8, and Num 28:3-8. Both Chrysostom and Cassian (Inst. Il, 3:1) ator single ‘out mating and vespers in the same way, and Chrysostom Inhis Commentary on Ps 140, 3, traces tho obligation to the (ld Testament precept What about the day hours? Tertullian implies that Christians have chosen them as prayer times because they were signalled publicly: “these three hours, es more significant in human affairs, which divide the dey, distinguish business afi, which resound publicly ." (On Fasting 8:10). Chapter 26 of his treatise On Prayer cited above provides a similar tmotivation—"those common hours that mark the intervals of tho day'"—as wel 35 cting scriptural toxts that will become the. classic justification for tho “Title hours” in later patristic vwitings. Joan Hazelden Walker has pointed out thatthe custom of publicly announcing these divisions of the day was not ‘eneral® but Tertulian’s suggestion does not rise or Yall with ‘Whether or not there was an audible public signal to announce ‘these hous Twelve hours were normal divisions ofthe doye 28 we sein the pablo af the laborers athe 20: 3-5 and in the patristic texts al sy ced, fora ready cited, ‘watehes: were the norma , just as the four ‘the normal divisions of the right (Mark 6-485 20 13:35), It was customary to divide these twelve hours into ‘arouns of threes. So the thied, sixth, and ninth hours were normal points of reference in the ancient world, end! would ‘agree with Dugmore'? that they became Christian prayer times simply because they were such universal points of reference, ‘used as reminders thet we must prey always, “morning, noon, and night," as we would say today. Welker attempts. to show ‘that these houre of prayer could have had an apostolic origin jin Rome, a usage she sees reflected in the Markan passion account. The Markan passion narrative does seem to have been framed to fit the conventional divisions of the Roman day, ‘and the samo is undoubtedly true of the several references to these hours in Acts. But that the Markan account reflects an ‘actual Roman horarium of prayer at the third, sixth, and ninth hhouts is, | think, unlikely at such an early date 4 Cyprian (4. ca 258): Cyprian in chapters 34-36 of his treatise On the Lord's Prayer, written around 250, confirms Tertullian’s testimony ‘eonceming the prayer system of the third-century North African ‘Chureh: 34, Now in celebrating prayer, we find that with Dani the three boys strong in faith end victorious in captivity ‘observed the third, sixth, and ninth hours, namely for @ sacrament of the Trinity... Having determined on these Intervals of hours in a spiritual sense a long time ago, the 18 of God were subject to them as the established ‘and obligatory times for prayer. Later the fact was made ‘manifest that these sacraments formerly existed, because ‘the just used to pray in this way. For the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples atthe third hour (Acts 2:15)... Likewise Peter, going up to the house-top at the sixth ‘hour, was instructed by a sign and also by the voice of God (Acts 10:8)... The Lord also was crucified from the sixth to the ninth hours... aeat seed. For one must also pray ot a at ion of the Lord may be celebrated in Ae ow ae" ‘5:15-6:1). ‘Butif inthe Holy Scriptures Christ is the true sun ‘and the true day, no hour is excepted in which God should be adored frequently and always, so that we who are in CCist, that i, inthe true sun and day, should be insistent ‘throughout the whole day in our pattions, end should pray. ‘And when by the laws of nature the return of night, recurring in its tur, follows, for those that. pray there can bbe no harm fom the nocturnal darkness, because for the sone of light, even inthe night there is day. For when is ‘one without light: who has light in the heart? Or when does one not Rave the sun and the day ‘sun and day? . for whom Christ is 2 26. Solet us who are always in Christ, that isin the light, net cease praying even at night. This is how the idow Anna, always praying and keeping vigil, persevered in deserving woll of God, as is written in the gospel: "She did not leave the temple, serving with fasting and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37) ... Let us, boloved brethren, ‘who ate aiweys in the light of the Lord -. . count the night {as day. Let us baliave that we walk always in the light, Let us now be hindered by the darkness which we have escaped, let there be no loss of prayers in the night hhours ... Let us who by God's indulgence are recreated ually and reborn, imitate what we are destined to be, Let us who in tha kingdom are to have only day with no totervening night, be as vigilant at night as in the light (of day). Let us who are to pray always and render thenks ‘to God, not cease here also to pray and give thanks Cyprian uses Daniel (with a trnitarian ‘wist), vorious other texts of the Old Testament, the image of ‘he Trinity, and tha, traditfonal texts of Acts support the custom ‘of praying at the third, sixth, and ninch hours. For the last two hours he adds the passion of Jesus, a theme also. mentioned by Tertullian, though less dieectly In chapter 10 of his treatise On Fasting. More significant is the strong emergence of the light end resurreciion themes in morning and evening praye Note also that for Cyprian the “established and obligatory times proyer” ("statutis et legitimis ad precem temporibus :” chapter 24 cited above) in judalem ate not the morning and evening temple sacrifices, but the three Jewish hours of private prey in Dan 6:10, 13, which Cyprian applies (wrongly) to the Chistian day hours. This weakens the popular theory, based fon Tertulian’s “/egitimae orationes,”” that the two pristine Christian prayer times wore morning and evening, to which the ‘ttle hours” were later added. For Cyprian, the opposite was true: the older, abligatory Jewish times for prayer were the third, sixth, and ninth hours, to which Christians sdded prayer in the motning, in the evening, and at night. In fact we ha no early text whatever that supports an initia! pattern of nly morning and evening prayer. Some early Egyptian sources hhave morning-noon-evening-night; the North-African sources 235, The Apostolic Tradition (ca. 215) ‘We encounter these hours next in what is by far our most Inmportant third century iturgieal source, a Greek text called the Apostolic Tredtion, wkten presumably by Hippolytus of Rome tround 218. However, this document is not without serious problems of text and interpretation. if we put aside for the moment chapter 25 concerning the agape, the text that interests us begins with chapter 35, which treats of prayer st home on ‘ising and, on occasion, an estly morning catechetical instr on in common : “per verbum catecizatio.” I cite the text from the now translation of Goottrey J. Cuming 2 3. The au, 8 s00n a hay have woken and wp, ele they tn otis wor, shal pray o God endo hasten tht work Hthore is any verbal Intution, one shut give patents, and go and hear the word of God tothe comfort of hi sul,” Lat him Rsten {eine church, where he Sot Heures ‘end of the fifth century, and the Latin translatic nie thought to be from around 350. Afterthe passage ust vel? ‘the Latin text continues with some canons on the ¢uct ice os ‘onthe sign of the cross. Then there fsa ecu cucnatsk and Library Or. 1220, The manuscript dates from 1006 AD, but the Shiai translation itself is thought to have been made from ‘the Greok text before 700. Of course such reconstructions are tenuous at best, but since the Latin version mentions prayer in the morning and, ‘when the text resumes after the lacuna, atthe ninth hour, itis not rash to suppose that the missing portion of the text would speak also of prayer at the third and sixth hours. At any rate, heres the reconstructed text, with the supplied Sehidic portion in brackets: At. [Let every faithful man and woman, when they have risen from sleep in the morning, before they touch ‘any work at all, wash thelr hands and pray to God, and so {90 to their work. But if instruction in the word of God is ‘given, each one should choose to go to thet place, recko~ hing in his heart that it is God whom he hears in the instructor For he who prays in the church will be able to pass by the wickedness of the day. He who is plous should think ite great evil if he does not go to the place where instru- tion Is given, and especially f he can read, or if a teacher ‘comes. Let none of you be late in the church, the place ‘whore teaching is given. Then it shall be given to the speaker to say what useful to each one; you will hear things ‘which you do not think of and profit from things. which the holy Spirit will give you through the instructor. In ‘his way your feith will be strengthened about the things you will have heard, You wil also be told in that place {whet you ought to do at home. Therafore let each one be diligent in coming to the church, the place where the holy Spirit flourishes. If there is @ day when there is no insteu- ction, let each one, when he is at home, take up holy book and read in it sufficiently what seems to him to bring profit, 25‘And i you are at home, pray at the third hour and plese God, But f you are somewhete else at that moment, prey to God in your heart. For at that hour Christ was Paited tothe tree. Forthis reason also in the Old (Testa- Tent) the Law prescribed that the shewbread should be Offered continually as @ type of the body and blood of hist; and the slaughter of the lamb without reason is is type of the perfect lamb. For Christ is the shepherd, ‘and also the bread which came down from heaven. Pray likewise atthe time of the sixth hour. For when. christ was nailed to the wood of the cross, the day was divided, and darkness fll, And so at that hous let them pray @ powerful prayer, Imitating the voice of him who prayed and made all creation dark for the unbelieving Jens. ‘And at the ninth hour lt them pray also a great prayer and a great blessing, to know the way in which the soul of the righteous blesses} God who does not lie, who remembered his saints and sent his word to give them light. For at that hour Christ was plerced in-his side and poured out water and blood; giving light to the rest of the time of the day, he brought it to evening. Than, in beginning to sloop and making the beginning of another ay, he fulfilled the type of the resurrection. ney Yate ont i oe ‘among the faithful, go apart into another roor oe ‘Those who have washed hi eran we No need to wash again, - By signing yours 3 tnd etching aay Si88 Yourself with: most breath spittle in your hand, your a Your: body is » sanctified down to your feet. For when (prayer) is offer ‘with a believing heart as though from the font, the gift of the Spirit and the sprinkling of baptism sanctity him who bolieves. Therefore itis necessary to pray at this hour. For the elders who gave us the tradition taught us that at that hour ll creation i stil for @ moment, to praise the Lord: stars, trees, waters stop for an instant, and. all the host of angels (which) ministers to. him proises God with the souls of the righteous in this hour. Thet is why believers should take good care to pray at this hour. Bearing witness to this, the Lord says thus, "Ld, about midnight 9 shout was made of men saying, Lo, the bride- ‘groom comes; tise to meet him.” And he goes on saying. "Watch therefore, for you know not at what hour he ‘And likewise tise about cockcrow, and pray. that hour, a8 the cock crew, the children of Isra Christ For at denies "whom we know by faith, our eyes looking towards “that day in the hope of eternal light atthe resurrection of the dead. ‘And if you act s0, all you faithful, and remember these things, and teach them in your turn, and encourage the etechumens, you will nt ‘be able"to be tempted or to perish, since you have Christ always in memory. ‘There are four points worth noting in this text: the dally horerlum of prayer included seven hours—but hot the seven we are used ton later sources. Rather, they or = onsising — ard, 6th, 8th hours — evening agape (in ch. 25) = before retiring = about midnight at ebckorow, 272) the Soidi version reprodues fitful the third-century Cok tent, itis our cariest source to foterprat the doy fours in terms ofthe Marken passion account, With reepect Torthe supposed Roman origin of the Apostolic Tradition, ‘eoat Water's attempt to trace the Markan passion horarium to an early Roman prayer cyele."* 18) Inthe eater Latin version in the Verona fragments, the ninth hout is interpreted asthe hour of Jesus’ death, but {hat dovs not depend on the Markan chronology (see Matt 2745-86; Luke 23:44), nor does it necessarily imply —as wwesshall see—the existence of the third and sixth hours with a passion interpret 4) Inthe Latin text the evening and moming hours receive @ peschal interpretation: sundown and sunrise are like the dying and rising of Jesus. The night hours ere eschatolo- ‘ica, looking to the second coming and to the resurrection of the dead. 15) Chapter 35 is repeated Jn the Sahidic version, Indicating, perhaps, a later expansion of the original hhorarium to include new material What, then, was the horarium of the Urtext of the Apostolic Traction? \tis possible that it comprised only: | rin oe varng ope oveing poet ming oer — ayer at coder, Braden bet proposed that the pinto ayer, moming-noon-ev ine Egyptian pattern pent, monin-ten-aeig-igh, was te eae ro, Hum Toi it int ours etna mt concluded the station or fast on Weave - tne and Friday, which Tertullian speaks of in chapter 10 of his treatise On Fasting. In this hypothesis torce would have been added stil later to round things off. Bradshaw supports this ‘view by the fact that in fourth-century Jorusalem according to Egoria's diary (24: Lent. 3; 25:5; 27:3) there is no terce except in This argument is weakened, however, by the fact that Egeria’s Jerusalem cycle hes no “tle hours” at all, not even sext. on Sunday (25:1-4). Furthermore, in is treatise (On Fasting, ch. 10, & Montanist work written after 207, Tertullian attacks the Catholic practice of ‘ending the stationel fast at the ninth hour when the Lord died on the cross, rether then prolonging the fast until evening as the rigorist Montanists did, So! would profer to see the reconstructed text of the “Apostoli¢ Tradition, including the third, sixth, and ninth hours, ‘as a legitimate representation of early third-century Roman usage. This leaves us with the following prayer system: Private Prayer: Common Assombli = onsising = morning instruction = 34, 6th, 8th hours — evening agape = on retiring = at midnight = at cockerow Once again, the presence of two night hours of prayer ‘should make one hesitate 10 homogenize our third-century tvidence into one single pattern. In Egypt we saw a morning hoon-evening-night system of prayer; in Tertullian, @ pattern ‘Of morning, third-sixth-ninth hours, evening, and night. And row with the Apostolic Tradition we find a system or private prayer like Tertllian’s, But with two prayer times at night, and ‘with the beginnings of a tradition of common synaxes morning and evening for catechesis and the agape. 29je Tdhon concerning the morsing Tatas ole Ard enogh ewes an nstucon, cat ase lao ato eioned by Teli in ama tt Tine asi ofthe evening limp i Aa Sine aycstor of te. Tcerar of tat Iai doers chopter 250m the ag00 isnot the ado, found oi the Ehiole Verona tin egreman ued on an air Arabic version, verano isa aor 1298. But In sito of He late dat, sr tne eater Gocuents deved tom the Apostoe Petar Caron of Mpalus wom, Egy around 25, Tein oe Comatators trom, ve. enor of vioch 1A, en te ith century Sie Testament of Our Lord Tea Sr nove ced modern ets flue the ag8pe “pear ta recanatoton oth thd contry Urtext, most Shanich bn come tous In such Upinted fragments, Here itt quston: ‘The text ofthe Apost 26. When the bishop is present. and evening has come, ‘a daecon brings in a lamp; and standing in the midst of all the faithful who are present (the bishop) shall give thanks. First he shall eny this greeting: “The Lord be with you ” ‘And the people shall say: “With your sprit. Let us ‘ive thanks to the Lord" ‘And they shall say: “itis fting and right: greatness and exaltation with glory ate is due. ‘Arve does not say, “Up with your heats” ‘that is said (only) at the offering, pee) Anda yin, eying Weg : syn “We gv You ta Lr toh your Son ion Chi a Ue gh Inetgsabe igh So'when oy lrg the dyad hae cone othe begining tne night, and have satisfiec tnt oe 5, ah shes nin vin wat ty Our sathngy and snc . ow ‘through your grace we do not lack the ight of evening, we praise and glotify you. through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom be glory and power and honour to you ‘with the holy Spitt, both now and always and to the ages ‘of ages. Amon.” ‘And all shall say: “Amen! “They shall rise, than, after supper and pray; and the boys and the virgins shall say psalms. ‘And then the deacon, when he receives the mixed cup of the offering, shall say.2 pselm from those in which “Alleluia is written, and then, if the priest so directs, ‘again from the same psalms. And after the bishop has foffered the cup, he shall say the whole of @ psaim which ‘pplies to the cup, with “Alleluia,” all joining in. when {hey tecite psalms, all shall say, “Alleluia.” which means, "We praise him who is God: glory and praise to him who created every age through his word alone.” And when the psalm is finished, (he shall give thanks over the cup and Wistibute the fragments to all the faithful CONCLUSION ‘The evidence from the first thre Christian centuries, though not disparate, is diverse enough to exclude any fa sttompt to harmonize it all and ft it into one system or horarium ‘without doing violence to the facts. 1. The Cursus: ‘Among the Egyptins we find a system of morning-noon- cevening-night prayer that 1s close to Jewish and Essene usage. But the Egyptian sources also mention prayer before meals, and in general stress unceasing prayer, so that the times mentioned may have been just another way of saying that Christians must pray “morning, noon, and night"—in other words, always. arigans and the Apostolic Tredition we 1e North A With the Not serie of hours tat will eventually coalesce ‘are loser tothe fll series {nto the fourh-century CUrsUS: — ontising = feommon catechesis in ApT2d] — 314, 6th, th hours — common evening agape = on retiring — during the night (ApTrad_ midnight and cockerow) Not one source gives only morning and evening as the Chistian hou of prayer, and so we should not make too much out of Tetullian’s calling them “legit 2. Content of the Prayer Services ctibe the agape, which included a 7 al of the evening lamp, ‘More than this we cannot say 2 3. Meaning In this period we also soe the beginnings of what will become the common interpretation of the Christian cursus of prayer—its “theology”— at least in cathedral. usage. ‘and morning, at the setting and rising of the sun remind us of Jesus’ passover trom death to life. The practice of orientation in prayer witnessed to by Clement. Origen, and Tertullian was ‘also related to this symbolism of Christ as sun of justice and light of the world, as well as to the eschatological expectation of the second coming of the Lord, “for as the lightening comes ‘rom the East and shines as far as the West, so will be the coming of the Son of man” (Matt 24:27). | The light of the fevening lamp at vesperal prayer symbolizes Christ, the light of the World. The day hours recall the ‘passion in’ the Markan ‘account; the thied hour is also a memorial of the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Night prayer is eschatological, like ‘the watch of the virgins for the coming of the bridegroom, and the unceasing prayer of angols that will one day be ours too. Evening ‘Was this "liturgical prayer” or * private prayer” of som: thing in between ?- The very question is anachronistic in this early period. Christians prayed. Whether they did it slone or in company depended not on the nature of the prayer, but on ‘who happened to be around when the hour for prayer arrived. ‘The various “rubrics” about praying facing East, or with hands raised (Clement, Stromata VII, 7, 40:1); when to kneel and when not to; were equally observed alone or in compary. The point was to pray. In times[of persecution, or during the work ay, that usually meant alone. When they could come together they did 50, because the very nature of church means to congre- (gate. But alone or together, the prayer was the same except for those services ike the sgape or Eucharist which by thelr very nature were done only in common.%® 33,ores CHAPTER I 4, 4. P. Audet La Dideché. Instructions des Apeies nudes biliques, Paris: J. Gabalda 1958) 219. 2, Onthis thome see FJ. Délget, Die Sonne der Gere cttigheit und dor Schwarze (LF 2 (14), Minster: Aschondorif ‘Tateys 1d. Sol salute, Gebet und Gesang im cvitichen Alter, carey ipeconderer Rtcksicht auf die Ostung in Gebet und lituigie (LF 4 {16(17], Munster: Aschendortf 1920); i ‘Sonne und Sonnenensttahl als Gleichnis in der Logostheo- Toole des bvistichen Altertums”, Antike und Christentum 1 (1828) 271-290; 1d. “Lumen Christi"; Antike und Christentum (1996) 1-43; J. Pelikan, The Light of she World. A Basic image in Early Christian Thought (N.Y. : Harper and Brothers 1982) 3. See. Gelineau “Données liturgiques contenues dans tes sept madiots d'Ephrom ‘de I au,” 0S 8 (1960) 107 121 4, Translation adapted from E.G. Jay, Origen's Treatise (0n Prayer (London : SPCK 1854) 114-115. 5. Soo chapter 1, note 6. | 6. Ibid, note 17. 7. Daily Prayer 47-50, 8. Ibid. 87-58. 8 10. ““Terce, Sext and None. An As pang : in Apostolic Custom?” Studia (TU 80, Benin: Akademie-Veriag 1962) 206.212, M1. CW, Dugmore, rhe Dugmore, The influence of the Synegogue 66-67. To his Wie (ce. 203), 11, 5:2; Apology 39:18 34 12. Hippolytus. A Text for Students (Grove Liturgical Study 8, Bramcote: Grove Books 1976). For the critical dition of the reconstructed text, see 8. Botte, Le Tradition ‘apostolique de saint Hippolyte. Essai de reconstitution (LOF 39, Munster: Aschendorff 1963) 13. €, Tidner (66), Didescalia Apostolorum. canonum ecclesiesticum, Traditiones Apostolicae versiones /stinae (TU 75, Berlin : Akademie-Verlag 1963) 142. For information on the sources of the reconstructed ApTrad, see the introductions to the works cited in note 12; also J.-M. Hanssens, Le /iturgie 'Hyppolyte. Ses documents, son titulaire, ses origines et son caractere (OCA 158, Rome: PIO 1959); Le liturate Hypp0- Tite. Documents at tudes (Rome : Pontificial Gregorian Uni- versity 1970). 14, See note 10 above. 16. Bradshaw, Daly Prayer 61. 16. On the frequency and communal nature of the carly Eucharist, see R. Taft, “The Frequency of the Eucharist through ‘out History,” Concifium 182 (1982) 19-24.Mt ‘THE CATHEDRAL OFFICE IN THE FOURTH CENTURY ‘withthe so-called Peace of Constantine in 313 the Church cquited the freedom to develop the public end external aspects of ite life. The effects were immediately visible in church ‘organization in rt and architecture, end in fturgy. Ecctesias- tical dioceses and provinces were organized, synods held, ‘monasteries founded, besiicas and baptisties built, mosaics crested to adorn them. And Christian worship, formerly the furtive affair of persecuted minority, became an integral part fof the daly public life of the Roman Empite.- The resulting ‘lowering of fiturgicl uses was striking. The Constantinopolitan church historian Socrates, whose Church History, written ‘between 439 and 450, covers the first post-Nicene century (824-428), says: is impel to ind any re, among al the sects, ‘wo orcs that oe xs in tht pyar le diva competscatogueo all the verous custom” soa corona oa anes in ute roughout eer chy en County mould be etleut—or rather inoste Vay _ cain wa of hat Chatn ple wonip ue ‘onto the scene with @ veritable explosion of doci ome evens ine soon a ofthe furh erty, aber, is evolution, not revolution: it does n¢ teeta below bt basco Tosi semana ne A hanoens 6 sun, The sing Inthe a eeauee and seeds (ofthe Hours in th is ‘whereas an estab 36 It every- ‘common, public se J. Mateos divides the development of the office in this petiod into three types: 1) cathedral, 2) Eavptian-monastic, 3) urban-monastic.' These are not three successive chrono- logical stages of the development of one office, but thres istinct types of office that evolved in thtee separate areas of church life, The first two evolve simultaneously from the mid-fourth century. The third, a synthesis of tho first two, is already visible In the last quarter of the same century. This distinction between “cathedral” and “monastic offices goes back to the renowned German liturgiologist Anton Baumstark (d. 1948), founder of the school of comparative liturgy. It has become popular In recent years to challenge the historical basis on which this distinction depends. considering the monasticicathedral distinction a mere mental construct, 2 ‘conceptual frame-work deseribing not so much concrete offices that ever existed independently, but rather “ideal ypes” of fiturgieal forms found together inthe same offices from the start. But the validity of Baumstark’s distinction has been ‘amply demonstrated in recent years by such scholars as Mateos, ‘Arranz, Winkler, Bradshaw, and the present writer. And even ‘a superficial glance at the present Coptic Horofagion gives the Tie to such skepticism, as we shall see in chanter 4 ‘The office of the secular churches is called “cathedral” rather than ""parochial” because for centuries it was the bishop's church that was-the center of all urgical life, As we shall seo, this office of the secular churches was @ popular sevice characterized by symbol and ceremony (light, incense, processions ...). by chant (responsories, antiphons, hymns), by diversity of ministries (bishop, presbyter, deecon, reader, Plater), and by pselmody that was limited nd select Petter than current and complete, That is, the psalms were sar etad continuously aceording to their numerical order in the Bible, but only certain psalms or sections of psalms were ‘chosen for their suitability to the hour or service. Furthermore, the cathedral services were offices of praise and intercession, ot a. Liturgy ‘of the Word. Contrary to another populer Irisconcoption, there were no scripture lessons in the normal 37‘ Joi, The eadngs exte ofen ext in Eva snd Caras cx ten me Sr am te er 2 2, The Apostolic Constitutions ‘The Apostolic Constitutions, In Ge foes of morning praise, even tion vg 8, we Inbook 6 nat208 nd the Sunday resuree- ‘Command and exhort the people 19 and evening ut 10 assemble For it is not only sald for the benefit of the priests, but let each of the laity hear what wes said by the Lord as spoken to himself: “He who is not with me is against me, ‘and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Matt 12:20) Do not scatter yourselves by not gathering together, you ‘who are members of Christ. you who have Christ as your head, according to his own promise, present and com- unieating to you. Do not beneglectful of yourselves, ‘hor rob the savior of his own members, nor divide his ‘body, nor setter his members, nor prefer the needs of this life to the Word of God, but assemble each day moming and evening, singing psalms and praying In the Lord's hhouses, in the morning saying Ps 62, and in the evening Ps 140. But especially on the Sabbath, and on the Lord's day of the resurrection of the Lord, mest even more diligently, sending up praise to God who made all through Jesus and sent him to us and allowed him to suffer and raised him from the dead. Otherwise how will one defend oneself before God, one who does not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection, the day fon which we accomplish throe prayors standing, in memory of him who rose in three days, on which day is accompli shed the reading of the prophets and the proclamation of ‘the gospel and the offering of the sacrifice and the gift of the holy food ? Here we soe two daily services morning and evening with Ps 62 and Ps 140 98 their nucleus, as well as a Sunday vigil service comprising the resurrection gospel and three “prayers” ln honor of the resurrection on the third day (we shall see more about this vigil shortly), followed by the customary Liturgy of the Word, anaphora, and communion. Nota that the corres- ponding chapter of the third-contury Didescalia, of which the passage just cited is an expanded redaction, contains only a ‘general exhortation to frequent church, especially on Sunday for Eucharist, but with none of the references to the public stSo thes siy offices, the Sabbath, or the Sunday visi ry fourth-century innovations. ook Vi, 47 gives a redoaton ofthe Glorie in excelsis later to become a standard olement in eastern-matins; whict fone codex entitles "morning prayer." And chapter 48 gives an evening hymn” comprising Ps 121:1 (Te decet lous) and the ‘Mune dims of Luke 2:29-22, Of greater interest Is book Vl, 34, which gives the full, fourth-centuary cursus of the delly prayer of the secular churches, both private and public: ‘Accomplish prayers in the morning end at the third and: sixth and ninth hous, and inthe evening, and at cockerow: ‘the morning giving thanks because the Lord has en- lightened you, taking away the night and bringing the day atthe thitd because at that hout the Lord received the sentenee of condemnation from Piste at the sixth because ‘at that hour he wes crucified; at ihe ninth because ever thing trembled when the Lord was crucified .. in the evening giving thanks because he hes given you the night 88 a rest fom the dally labors; at cockcrow because ‘through that hour isheralded the good news of the coming Of ay forthe doing ofthe works of the ight Butit tis not possible to go tothe church because ofthe unbelievers, you shal assemble in'a owe © But fits not posible to assemble either in @ Reuse or in huh, let each one sing pss, teed, prey by onesie et ater, “For whee” the Lod at wre ar@ two or three gathered in my name ” "nthe midst of them (Matt 18:20)” ‘hea puntcspec S88 hn desc he we diy pu "88, Giving oven the texts of t 18 lene in coesanns AMEN. Since the anise coeling wee catechumens, energoum: ae ary tae the sam tee maeomene. pen ' author refers ba . eters back PF to those chapters without repeating the text, which fills six ‘columns in the Migne edition or seven pages in the edition of Funk. To each petition the faizhful responded “Kyrie eleison™ When evening has come, you shall assemble the church, bishop, and after the lamp-lighting psalm (epilyahnion salmon) has been said, the deacon shall proclaim (the petitions) for the catechumens and those disturbed [energoumenof| and the phatizomenoi and those in Penance, as we said above [in chapters 6-9]. And after their dismissal the deacon shall say, “All we faithful let us pray to the Lord," and after he proclaims the [petitions] of the first prayer [above in chapter 10] he shall say : Save us O God and raise us up by your Christ. Arising, let us ask for the mercies of the Lord and his compassion, {or the angel of peace, {or what is good and profitable, for a Christian end, {for a peaceful and sinless evening and night, And let us ask thet the whole time of our ite be blameless, Let us commend ourselves and one another to the living God through his Christ ‘At the end of the litany the bishop says the collet, praying in a similar vein for @ peaceful and sinless evening and night, and for eternal life. Then the deacon cries "Bow down for the Imposition of hands,” and the bishop says the “Prayer of Incl- ination’ or final blessing over the bowed faithful, asking God's favor and blessing, after which the deacon announces the peace.” ‘The structure of morning prayer is the same except that the psaim is Ps 62. and the patitions and prayers are suited to the hour. The collect asks God to “receive our morning thanks- siving and have mercy on us,” and in the blessing the bishop. 53prays God to “preserve them in piety and righteousness, and ‘rant them eternal life in Christ Jesus. “Thus the primitive nucleus of eathedtal morning and even. 19 prayer was Psalmody (Ps 62 or 1 40) Litany, prayer of blessing and dismissal for each of the ‘our categories (cotechumens, energoumenoi, pho- ‘ixomenoi, penitents) Litany of the felthful Collect Prayer of Blessing Dismissal, 3. Theodoret of Cyru Half century later the cthedial services in Antiochia are stilin full vigor, and have even developed ritually. Theedonse (ca. 383-468). 9 native of Antioch and bishop of Gyrus, emt town sat of Antoc, fom 423, recounts in his Church atooy 41,19 how two laymen of Antioch, Flvian and Diodera, fe 347-348 dung the episcopate of the aranizing bishon. ot ‘het [evan and Dido wee he et 0 ide. che fens in ante hing OHS och the tie apracd of he ean thee word and work at thd spent the whole Sod. “When Leontus 1 to prevent i or ly" wel capone Tah ch ted tat toward these excelent ‘they perform this seni ss Though well aware of his evil intent, they set about obeying his behest and readily summoned their adherents 10 the church, exhorting them to sing praises to the good Lord Thoodoret is not always reliable, but what he says tes in with what we see in Basil and Csssian concerning the use of antic pphonal or alternate psalmedy at vigils, Phitothean History 30:1 the seme Theodoret dese bes how the Syrian virgin and ascetic St. Domnina attended the daily cathedral hours, “She goes at cockerow to the sacred temple not far from there (where she lived] to offer with the ‘thers, both women and men, the hymnody to the God of all. This she does not only at the beginning but also at the end of ay. Inhis Questions on Exodus 28, written sometime after 453, Theodoret, commenting on the Old Testament offering in Exodus, provides our first explicit testimony to the eeremonial ‘embellishment of these services. The text in question Ex 30:7:8: “Aad Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it {the altar of incense}; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, end when Aaron sets up the lamps in the even ing, he shall burn It, @ perpetual incense before. the Lord ‘throughout your generations." Commenting on this. in relation 10 Christian worship, Theodoret says "We perform the liturgy ‘reserved to the Interior of the tabernacle [j. e. the offering of incense). For itis the incense and light of the lamps. that we offer to God, as well as the sorvice of the mysteries of the holy table." So he clearly cistinguishes between tho Eucharist {and offering of incense and light, which undoubtedly refers to the two other Christian cathedral synaxes, morning and even. ing. This ceremonial development was ‘new, for Chrysostom ‘seems not to have known the use of incense In the Antiochen, office. He gives a purely epiritual interpretation to Ps 140 : 2, “Let my prayer rise lke incense before you," in the context of vvespers.%* Ephrem (d. 373), howaver, in his Carmina Nisibeng 17:4, speaks of an “oblation of incense," which may refer to the use of incense in the office under the influence of 55‘CONSTANTINOPLE We have very litle evidence forthe offices of New Rome: ‘this eaty poriog. Sozomen in his Ecclesiastical History VIII, 7-8, written betwoen 438-450, witnesses to the cathedral offices at Constantinople during Chrysostom’ brie and ill-fated episcopate therein 397-404. The people “used the morning ‘and night hymns" esthinois kai nykterinole hymnois echrito), 4nd Chrysostom himself introduced vigils and stational pro cessions with antiphonal psalmody to compete with the servi- 26 ofthe Ariane, JERUSALEM istian liturgy atthe end of the ‘whose only aim in being ee ey mt ou ti oe about them. Ail the doors of ans Soe ed et aa 2 come rae = a Perthenee, as the, cal mr hen Who are willing to wake at such an early hour, From ‘then until daybreak they join in singing the cefrsins to ‘the hymns, psalms, and antiphons. There is @ prayer be- tween each of the hymns, since there are two or the bresbyters and deecons each day by rote, who are there with the monazontes and say the prayers between all the hymns and antiphons. 2. As soon es dawn comes, they start the Morning Hymns, and the bishop with his clergy comes and joins them. He goes straight into the cave, and inside the sereen he first says the Prayer for All (mentioning any ‘names he wishes) and blesses the catechumens, and then ‘another prayer and blesses the faithful. then he comes ‘Outside the screen, and everyone comes up to Kiss his hand, He blesses them one by one, and goes out, and by the time the dismissal takes places itis already day. 3. Again at midday everyone comes into the Anasta- sis and says psalms and entiphons until a message is sent to the bishop. Again he enters, and, without taking his seat, goes straight inside the screen in the Anastasis (which isto say into the cave where he went in the early morning), and again, after a prayer, he blesses the faithful and comes outside the screen, and agsin they come to kiss his hand. 4, Atthrese o'clock they do once more what they did at midday, but at four o'clock they have Lychnicon, es they call it, orn our language, Lucernare. All the people ‘congregate once more in the Anastasis, and the Impas and candles are all it, which makes it very bright. The fie is brought not from outside. but from the cave inside the screen—where a lamp is. always burning night and day. For some time they have the Lucernare psalms and ant pphons: then they send for the bishop, who enters and sits the chief seat, The presbytere also come and sit in their places, and the hymns and antiphons go on 875. Then, when they have finished singing everything which fs appointed, the bishop rises and goes in front of the screen (ie. the cave). One of tha deacons makes the normal commemoration of individuals, and each time he mentions a name 2 lstge group of boys responds Kyrie sleison (in our language, “Lord, have mercy"). Theie voices are very loud. 8. Assoon as the deacon has done his part, the bishop says a prayer and prays the Prayer for All. Up to to this point the fethful and the catechumens are peaying together; but now the deacon calls every catechumen to stand where he is and bow his head, and the bishop says the Blessing over the catechumens from his place. ‘Theve nother prayer, after which the deacon calls forall the {aittu o bow ther head, and the bishop says the blessing ‘ove the faithful from his place. Thus the dismissal tokec place athe Anasss, and they all come up ore ‘to kiss the bishop's hand, ° a 2, Than, signa hymns, they tke the bishop tom $d evtyne goat wih hn dessus the eatechumere, ‘the faithful. Then again the bishop and all the peopie 90 Behind the acta Show wht Be So Ga, ey CTR nd do they come to kiss the bishop's d dee Anas. Great gs enter ta, the Anastasis, and 8y the end of allthis Ris dusk. So those held every weskd, akday 2 the Cross and atthe the services Anastass, Juan Mateos, 8. Jas thoroughly. {his document and I shall otlow root Meera 08 Faecal agen YN NG ves follow the pattern we have seen in the Apostolic Constitutions ‘paelmody followed by Intercessions. But there was apparently ‘more then one psaim in the hagiopolite offices, though fie Impossible to be more precise on this point, for Egeria uses nomenclature loosely. speaking of “hymns, psalms, antiphons”™ ‘without specifying just what she means. (Note in this context, however, that“to say"—Greek legein, Latin dicere, ‘Syriac emar—in ancient liturgical documents is @ general term mean. ing to execute orally, and does not mean "say" or “recite” as ‘opposed to “chant” or “sing” or “proclaim” as some litureists have mistakenly presumed.) Bradshow #9 cites a passage from Chrysostom’s Antiochene Homily on Matthew 11:7 35 Possible evidence for more than one psalm in the offices of Antioch, but van de Paverd Interprets. this text as referring to the Liturgy of the Word? As Mateos has shown," the Old Constantinopolitan office, of Antiochene provenance, retained the Antiochene tradition of only one vesperal psalm, whereas the offices derived from that of Jerusalem such as the Byzantine monastic office of St. Sabas, and Chaldesn, Syrian, and Maro= nite vespers, all have three or more vesperal psalms —always including, of courss, Ps. 140. We saw above that Epiphanius of Salamis aso speaks of "vesperal psalms" (asa/mo/Iyehnikai), but he was originally # monk in Palestine before becoming a bishop in Cyprus, and the office of his church could reflect Palestinian usage. At any rate, extant Jerusalem-type cathe- ral vespers have more than one vesperal psalm, whereas in twaditions of the Antiochene family there was only Ps 140, and this later structure seems to accord with what little evidence We can find for the pristine form of these services in our fourth- ‘century sources. ia include not only psalms and antiphons, and the customary concluding intercessions and dismissals, but ‘open with alight service in which the vespera light is, brought ‘out from the Holy Sepulcher, a rite clearly symbolizing the risen CChrist coming forth from the’ tomb to bring the light of his salvation to the sin-darkened world, Vespers are followed by brief stational services at the two shines before and behind the 59In outline these hagiopalte vespers looked somewhat as follows: Lighting ofthe lamps espera psalms, Including ps 140 Antiphons Entrence ofthe bishop Hymns or atiohons Intercessions and blessing Dismissal Stations before and behind the cross, with prayers and blessings Note that ext and none were also cathedral hours done in common in Jerusalem (tree was done only in Lt: 27-4- 5 hl Is unusual at this ealy date, and probably ettbutsing ony sae number of monks, nuns, and ascetics who flocked panes, nly Land ater the peace of Constantine and positge ical services at the Holy peo eats naa Places. . there gather Ow all the People, ag ae The: coutyerd to opem Ra ob eoer, HY Places boone 9 Soon the first cock crows, end at that the bishop centers, and goes into the cave in the Anastesis. ‘The doors are all opened, and all the people come into the Anastassis, which is elready ablaze with lamps. When ‘thoy are inside, a psalm is said by one of the presbyters, with everyone responding, and itis followed by a. praye then a psalm is said by one of the deacons, and another prayer: then a third psalm is said by one of the clergy, a third prayer, and the Commemoration of All. 10. After ‘these three psalms and prayers they take censers into the cave of the Anastasis, so that the whole Anastosis basilica i filled with the smell. Then the bishop, standing inside the screen, takes the Gospel book and goes to the door, where he himself reads the account of the Lord's resurrection. At the beginning of the reading the whole assembly groans and laments at all thatthe Lord underwent forus, and the way they weep would move even the hhardest heart to tears. 11, Whan the Gospel is finished, the bishop comes out, and is taken with singing to the Cross, and they all go with him. They have one psaim there and a prayer, then he blesses the people, and that is the dismissal. As the bishop goes out, everyone comes 10 kiss his hand, 12. Then straight away the bishop retites to his ‘house, and all the monazontes go back into the Anastasis 10 sing psalms and antiphons until daybreak. There are Prayers between all these psaims and antiphons, and Dresbyters and deacons take their turn every day at the Anastasis to keep vigil with the people. Some lay men ‘aud women like to stay on there till daybreak, but others Prefer to go home again to bed for some sleep, Egoria's account ofthis vigil is precious witness to the history of the cathedral hours, for remnants of this Sunday resurrection service can be found still in many extant offices in East and West. It was a popular service of great solemnity. aIn outline these hagiopolite vespers looked somewhat as follows Lighting ofthe lamps Vesperal sls, including ps 140 Antiphons Enuronce of the bishop Hymns or entiphons Intereassions and blessing Dismissal Stations before and behind the cross, with prayers and blessings Note that sext and none were also cathedral hours done in common in Jerusalem (terce was done only in Lent: 27:45), wich is unusual a this early date, and probably attributable tothe large number of monks, nuns, and ascetics who flocked to the Holy Land after the peace of Constantine and partici- pate, Ege tls us inthe bee! services at the. Holy aces ‘The services on Sunday began at cockerow with a resur fection vigil. Those who arrive early for it pray ix forit pray in the atrium Until the basilica opens, but this prayer is not part of the ‘ureus of offices. Egeria describes this in chapter 26:8-12. 24:8. But on the seventh dey, the Lord's Day ‘the courtyard before cocker Se Ow all the people, as many = Easter. ‘The courtyard is 60 9 Soon the first cock crows, and at that the bishop ‘enters, and goes into the cave in the Anastasis, The doors are all opened, and all the people come into the Anastassis, which is already ablaze with lamps. When ‘they are inside, a psalm is said by one of the presbyters, ‘with everyone responding, and itis followed by @ prayer ; then a psalm is said by one of the deacons, and another ‘prayer; then a thicd psalm is sald by one of the clergy, a and the Commemoration of All 10. After these psalms and prayers they take censers into the cave of the Anastasis, so that the whole Anastasis basilica Is fillod with the smell. Then the bishop, standing inside the sereen, tekes the Gospel book and goes to the door, where he himself reads the account of the Lord's resurrection. At the beginning of the reading the whole assembly groans and laments at all thatthe Lord underwent for us, and the way they weep would move even the hhardast heart to tears. 11. When the Gospel is finished, ‘the bishop comes out, and is taken with singing to the Cross, and they sll go with him. They have one psalm there and a prayer, then he blesses the people, and that is the dismissal. As the bishop goes out, everyone comes to kiss his and, 12. Then straight away the bishop retires to his house, and all the monazontes go back into the Anastasis to sing psalms and antiphons until daybreak. There are prayers between all these psalms and antiphons, and ‘resbyters and deacons take their ttn every day at the Anastasis to keep vigil with the people. Some lay men ‘aud women like to stay on there til daybreak, but others, prefer to go home again to bed for some sleep. Egeria's account ofthis vigil is a precious witness to the history of the cathedral hours, for remnants of this Sunday resurrection service can be found still in many extant offices in East and West. It was a popular service of great. solemnity. arons foto asta Ea Ege i us (242), ® Maho reer ing theo set itebranc iho weekly cya Ts wes Unusual 1S iSealon coil services At thor Hous the Bishop Ivete pnmoay ond shat the Tower lrg. delaying Mire anne onl tse for ns thw Intros Sls eafocs od gv taal ssn Bet M9 roses Sonal wie om that esomponied beyond doubt ty he pester and dota, wating the entonce of he pao chnel of he Holy Sepa ‘The church is ablaze, brilliantly lighted by hundreds of flaring a ans. The sno pers wth hee palms, In toned inv bebe, « dese, and another of the Stray, the peal ponding tthe verse with eoponsory Gr rein. A cles follows each gram." Thistretld lugiel unt of paninody and prayer coresponde to the "ive prayers sanding nem of hin whose In the day"in Aoatote Contiuvare "1,6 hed ceowe Mateos hs shown tht th trm “ayers eucha) hone ood ier sees canbe taken to fous aco yeiog ed Genes! The wil maces alow the toe erin Than tiles “we ‘rough no. the Holy Seon Bobsiy in memory ete Mysophoe, "he women wo rouse "see w the tonto moc ae ‘he Lord ordi aca th it wna ey ot (Mak 163-8 Luke 2888-268-15 ob Mat Dose ah in the remnants ofthe vigi ne Armenian and Byzantine tradition ie provera Aameron an rants atone Ate este oss futon, Fam Ege seamen oth announcing the resurrection like ‘the angel before the tomb tthe arrival of the Myrth-bearing women. The office concludes with a brief station at the cross, 8s was customary in hagio- polite cathedral services ‘So the Sunday resurrection vigil looked 2s follows ‘Three responsories or antiphons with collects, in honor of the resurrection on the thitd day General intercessions Incensation paschal Gospel procession to the cross, with chanting Psalm and collect Blessing and dismissal Station at the cross Mateos is certainly ight in supposing a hagiopolite origin {or this vigil The link botwoon its symbolism and ite cele- bration in the Anastasis rotunda with the empty tomb or Holy Sepulcher is obvious. At the conclusion of the vigil the bishop and others depart, while the ascetics remsin for their usual devotional vigil to await mating at daybreak, which in turn are followed immediately by mass (25:1-2). The day hours are omitted. on Sundays but vespers are held as usual (25:3) ‘Apropos of these cathedral offices Egeria romarks that “the psalms and antiphons they use are always appropriate, whether {t night, in the early morning, at the day prayers at. midday or! thiee o'clock, or at Lucernare. Everything is suitable, appro- priate, and relevant to what is being done” (26:5). This is precisely whet distinguishes cathedral offices from the monastic salmody that we shall encounter in the next chapter. Cathe dral offices had se/ect psalms, chosen because of their sultas bility for the particular service—e.g, Ps 62 at matins and Ps 140 at vespers. The psalmody of monastic offices was continuous, ®. it simply followed the numerical order of the biblical psalter, with no attempt to coordinate the theme of the biblical text ‘with the nature and spirit of the hour of prayer. There were 63erences alo inte exction ofthe psalmody. The monks, Se ee iy tected the gaan vse BY vere, or Mmate's cum caso. In extudal usage popular varciutonin he pmedy was assured by tho edn of pare and oniphons ovine. slit chantod the pears to wngh tho congragrion responded with Toney ed pal vse or allie wih an ant phon eo wpe or vata, aac of arlsascal poetry. De rear ae the vous mint fols(lshop, ree byt, descr ee) and inoue of carria—ight, Incene, brcraon bat of nich wae const forego mona: tic usage. We saw these characteristic cathedral elements ‘edumbrated in other sources. In Egeria we see them under full el, CONCLUSION This is inden oh feast of sees that we have found in the soond half ofthe fourth century. With the exception oF Fay, where the picture not lea, bythe. endo the centr in Palos, Sy, Asa Minor, and Constantinople wos seen akesdy wl established curs of eater offices Celebrated bythe wile conmity shop, ergy, aed gos, Matns and vespers wero the two pvleges Nour ch ely Bare anh ofess comms pone elements sucha ‘elect ets and ances, chosen becouse of int suet tres on ce th gop pang et {teoniaes ond anphen: the ewan woe ee {neense, processions; and the usual pet onary intercessions ‘for the needs dear to the people's, hearts, — we resin roma pclon stations, he icoee ure probably looked ty Daily ties suchas the Jerusalem Pinca ore of the soe lewhat as follows et Sundays Resurrection Vigit Three antiphons with preyers Imercessions Incense Matins: Morning psalms and canticles, including Ps 62 Gloria in excelsis Intercessions Blessing end dismissal Eucharist Vespers Light service and hymn Vesperal psalmody, including Ps 140 Incensation Hymns and antiphons” Intereessions Blessing and dismissal Nor was there anything arcane about the rationale of these "es. The morning hour of prayer was @ service of thanks and praise for the new day and for salvation in Christ Jesus. It was the Christian way of opening and dedicating the new ‘day. And vespers were the Christian way of closing it, thanking God for the day’s graces, asking his pardon for the day’s faults, and beseeching his grace and protection fora sate and sinless Fight, The basic symbol of both services was light. The rising ‘sun and the new day with its change from darkness to light recalled the resurrection from the dead of Christ, Sun of Justice. The evening lamp recalled the Johannine “light of the world shining amidst the darkness of sin. And Christians did these prayers in common because, as Chrysostom and the Apostolic Constitutions affirm, theit sole power was as the Body of Christ. To absent oneself from the synaxis is to weaken the body and deprive the head of his members. 65ores CHAPTER IIL 1. "The Origins ofthe Divine Office, Worship 41 (1967) 477-488, 2. Onthicuation wR tes, Dio Sehitoung in Kateniteenconsons (ae, Haser Bacher {80th tn-Syan ley oef tenet pre od pia“ ad ead onion Goer Suraay See AS hdean nt Syrah Oe (oan Belageee Pes 8 8 Zen Nae ay ore ees Stn clans ao sme dah (Ota a Rn, 1976? )443. The gospel now re : in days otter be Sen Sete batons ton he laLugy oe ceca int cn of Sunda a eas Ron te Mee flowing StS Pc, arse teat 8 imarton oth Cate ape (ohendene eae Stun 8 Sergio ohana cage Woe a ae &, Moun Co he igies Feeye A: insole 2. 9623 600, 4. PG 24, 49, 5. PG 25, eas, 8 Haut, Uneschn bet (Publications de Vinstitut fon 6 at vespers on certain days st8 isnot an original part of zum koptischen Stundenge- ona ato lice Loin tae Ne aol dawn tte gael 7. PO31, 33 trom this eon,” TM anons ited below are translated 8. See Tah,» 8 The Frequency of the Euchatit 66 ue 9. H.E. Wallis Budge, Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt (London: British Museum 1916) text, 437; see also 953, and O.H.E, Burmester, “The Canonical Hours of the Coptic Church,” OCP 2 (1836) 82. 10, See note 8 11. Private communication, and Untersuchungen 8-13. 12H. Fleisch, “Une homélie de Théophile d'Alexendrie en Vhonneur de St. Piorre ot de St. Paul. Texto arabe publié pour ljpremiare fols et traduit per H. Fleisch,” Revue de IOrient chratien 30 (1935/1946) 398. 13, The cited passages are translated from P. Maraval (ed), Grégoire de Nysse, Vie de sainte Macrine (SC178, Paris: Cerf 1971) 212, 226, 14, A. Ciferni, “The Lucernstium,” Liturgical Prayer § (Winter 1976-1977) 32-93 16, The early Christian lucernarium and its pagan_ parallels are discussed in the works cited in ch. 2 note 2. See also J. Mateos, “Quelques anciens documents sur I ‘office du soi OCP 35 (1969) 349-351; A. Tripoitis, “Phis hileron. Ancient Hymn and Modern and Modern Enigma, “Vigilise Christianae 24 (1970) 190ff; A. Quacquarali, Retorica e liturgia antinicens (Ricerche patristiche 1, Rome: Desclée 1960) ch. 7: “Lux perpetua e inno lucernsre,* 163-180. G. Winkler favors. @ domestic Jewish origin of the Christian Jucsrnarium in hor study "Uber die Kathedralvesper in den verschiedenen Riten des Ostens und Westens,”" ALW 16 (1974) 6Off. 16, Oration 18, 28-28, PG 35, 1017-1021, interpreted by F. van do Paverd, “A Text of Gregory of Nezianzus Misinter- preted by F.E. Brightman,” OCP 42 (1976) 197-206, 17. "Un horologion Iingdit de Saint-Sabas. Le Codex sinaitique grec 863 (IX* slécle)", Malanges Tisserant 3 (ST 233, Vatican: Typis polyglotis. Vaticanis 1964) 56, 7Off 67418, The letters of Bosi cited here and below are translated from. Courtonne (ed,),S. Basile, Lettres, 2 vols. (Paris Socité d'édition "Les Belles Lettres” 1957/1961). 19. “Lrotfce monastique d la fin du 1V* siécle: Antioche, Palestine, Cappadace,” OC 47 (1963) 85-86, 20. Daily Prayer $6.56. 21. “Lotfies monastique”€6. 22, Letter 207° 2, ed, Courtonne, vol. 2, 18. 23, Ibid. vol. 1,6, 24. A Wonger (ed), Jean Chrysostome, Huit catéchdses baptisms inzdltes (SC 60, Pats: Cerf 1957) 256-257. 25. The relevant passages are in PG 56, 426-430, 26. 6 62, 530, 27. Pa 55, 182, 28. Taft, "The Frequency of the Eucharist 15, 28. Sermon on Anna 4,5-6, PG 54, 666-668, 30. The text is tra Consttuiones Apoealorum (Padebon 31. tbid, 170-173, nslated from F. X. Funk, Didescalia et “ F. Schoeningh 1905) 34. PG 80, 286, 35. PO 55, 420.439, 36. E. Beck (eg ‘sib, C800 218 218, sa ¥ol83, 56 . 38. “La vigile cathédrale chez Egérie,” OCP 27 (1961) 261-312. 39. Daily Prayer 74 40. See PG 67, 200, and F. van de Paverd, Zur Geschichte der Mosstiturgie in Antiocheia und Konstantinopel gegen Ende des vierten Jahrhunderts. Analyse der Quellen bei Johannes Chrysostomos (OCA 187, Rome: PIO 1970) 124tt 41, “Quelques anciens documents’ 360, 42. “La vigile cathédrale choz Egérie 209-301. 43, [bid, 287. On the cathedral vig and the remnants of iin other sources and extant ites, see also J. Mateos, “Les diferentes espéces de vigiles dans le rite chaldéen,” OCP 27 (1961) 47-63; fd. “Les matines chaldéenes, moronites et sytiennes, “OCP 26 (1960) 51-73; id, Lelya-Sapra 55-66, 423-491; id. "office dominicale de la résurrection,” Revue du Clergé africain (May 1964) 263-288; id. “Quelques pro: blemos de lorthros byzantin,” POC 11 (1961) 17-35, 201-220; esp. 203-205; J. Tabet, “Le témoignage de Bar Hebreeus (411288) sur la vigile cathédrale, Melto 6 (1968) 113-121; id. "Le témoignage de Sévtre d’Antioche (4838) sur Ia. vi cathédrale," Melto 4 (1968) 6-12; id. L’otlice commun maronite. Gtude dn Ilys et du safro (Bibliothéque de V'Ut sité S.-Espnt, Kaslik [Lebanon] 1972) 210¥f 69IV ‘THE EGYPTIAN MONASTIC OFFICE IN THE FOURTH CENTURY families: the “pure” monastic office of the Egyptia ieser, ction remains valid as long as we realize feasts Soe wa ‘and that ofthe THE TRADITION OF scenis tury there were three nd Scetis, located Western Desert west of these monastic "nt Natron Valley or thwest of Cairo, of the Nile Det “dosers for our ston Wadi an-Natrun, syn The most important "Vis Seats, the pres 'y-fve kilometers nowt he has iat usa assian lived in edly visited the two nearby monastic centers of Nitria and Kellia about seventy, Kilometers to the north, and may have had contact with the Pachomians of the Monastery of the Metanoia at Canopus on the coast in the Delta (he knew the “Rule” of Pachomius since he rofers to it in the Preface, 5, of his Institutes. But he never set foot on Tebennesiot ground in the Thebaid or Nile Valley ‘of Upper Egypt. In his Incitutes, written around 417-426, some twenty years after leaving Egypt (he says himself he no longer tusts his memory: Preface, 4). Cassian is attempting ‘ota history of Egyptian monasticism, but a reform of Gallcan rmonesticism along Egyptian lines. So he accommodates his experiances of the semi-anchoretie. monasticism of Scetis to the framework of Galican cenobitism’ presents a somewhat idealized Egyptian office thats apparently a synthesis of various elements, then claims universal authority for it as. the tradition of “the whole of Egypt and the Thebaid” (Jnst. 11, 3-4), But In spite of similarities betwoen the systems of Upper and Lowe Eoypt, Cassian cannot be taken aso reliable witness to Pacho- ian uses, 28 we shall see shortly. All this must be borne in ‘mind when weighting Cassian’s lengthy and detailed account ‘of the Egyptian offices in Books Il and Ill of his /nsttutes:¢ 11, 5... One rose up in the midst to chant tho Psalms to the Lord, And while they were all siting (as is still the custom in Egypt), with thelr minds intently fixed on the ‘words of the chanter, whon he hed sung eleven Psalms, ‘separated by prayers introduced between them, verse after ‘verse being evenly enunciated, he finished the twolfth ‘response of Alleluls, and. then, by his sudden dis appearance from the eyes of all, put an end at once to thelr discussion and their service. 6. Whereupon the venerable assembly of the Fathers lnderstood that by Divine Providence a general rule had been fixed for the congregations of the brethren through ‘the angel's direction, and so docreed that this number ‘should be preserved both in their evening end in their hnocturnal services; and when they added to these two Tessone, one from the Old and one from the New Testa- ‘ment, they added them simply as extras and of their own nappointment, only for those who liked, and who were eager to gain by constant study a mind well stored. with Holy Scripture. But on Saturday and Sunday they read them both ftom the New Testament; viz., one from the Epistles or the Acts of the Apostles, and one from the Gospel. And this also those do whose concern is the ‘reading andthe recollection ofthe Scriptures, from Easter 10 Whitsuntide 7. Thee sod aye, then, they begin and finish in uch ways when tho Paina ended they eat hut atone kn down, ae some ofc dei at county... Anan the, thet i not so, bor as ‘hy ben th kes hy pay fort see ne {hile they ae staning up spend the grestr pert ef the stn pre. Ande arth, fore ie one Sie. thoy monte hase tothe gowns ae ae ‘ante Dhne May nds son ar preie thoy bad eanitg etect with outspread hands jue og 'ad been standing to Pray before—rer at thoughts ‘intent upon their prayers Bu ea |S to “collect” the prayer tises from the Soar Wan in honot P Pestmody funy ended of 8 Tiny 10, When, than, they meet together to celebrate the ‘aforementioned rites, which they term synaxes, they are all so perfectly silent that, though so large a number of the brethren is assembled together, you would not think a single person was present except the one who stands up and chants the Psalm In the midst; and especially is this the case when the prayer is completed, for thon thore is ‘no spitting, no clearing of the throat, or noise of coughing, ‘no sleepy yawning with open mouths, and gasping, and no groans or sighs ate uttered, likely’ to. distract those standing near. No voice is heard save that of the priest concluding the prayer... They think it best forthe prayers to be short and offered up very frequently 11, And, therefore, they do not even attempt to finish the Psalms, which they sing in the service, by an unbroken ‘and continuous recitation, But they repeat them separately ‘and bit by bit, divided into two or three sections, according ‘0 the number of verses, with prayers in between. For they {do not care about the quantity of verses, but about the Intelligence of the mind; aiming with all their might at this: "Iwill sing with the spirit: Iwill sing also with the Understanding.” And so they consider it better for ten ‘verses to be sung with understanding and thought then Yor a whole Psalm to be poured forth with a bewildered rind IIL, 2... except vespers and noctuens, there are no_ public services emong them during the day except on Saturday fand Sunday, when they meet together at the third hour for holy communion. From this description we learn that there were only two daily offices, one at night—that is, at cockerow, in the we hours of the morning (Inst. 11, §)-and one in the evening. The core of the offices comprised twelve psalms, doubtless “in course,” with private prayer, prostration, and a collect after each. The final psalm, apparently an “alleluia_ psalm.” ‘was followed by the Gloria pati and two lessons of Sacred Scripture. So both offices had exactly ihe same structure: 3