The Divine Office: A Study of the Roman Breviary

by Edward J. Quigley

Etymology.—The word, Breviary, comes from an old Latin word, Breviarium, an abridgment, a compendium. The name was given to the Divine Office, because it is an abridgment or abstract made from holy scripture, the writings of the Fathers, the lives of the Saints.

Genres: Catholic, Religion

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Bojan Tunguz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Divine Office is an ancient Christian practice of praying psalms, reading the scriptures and other Church writings at prescribed hours throughout the day. Its origins can be traced to the ancient Judaism, and it has undergone many modifications and expansions throughout millennia. The practice brings certain discipline to devotional life, and it is required part of the daily routine for all Catholic clergy and religious. Laity have traditionally not been expected to recite the Divine Office, and it is not hard to see why: the Breviary, the book of the prayers that make up the Divine Office, is anything but brief, and in its full form extends over several densely-written volumes. Navigating it and knowing which prayers are appropriate for each hour of each liturgical year can be rather daunting, and most people are anyways too busy with their daily lives to have enough time to invest in this practice. However, in recent years with the advent of the Internet and especially with the arrival of Internet enabled smartphones it has become almost a trivial matter to partake in this wonderful prayer practice. I have been using on and off an iPhone version of the Breviary for almost a year, and have been really happy with this addition to my daily prayer life. However, even if you are able to follow the Breviary you may not be able to fully understand its internal rationale and logic. With that in mind, a book like Edward Quigley's "The Divine Office" would be a great source of information and explanations about the Breviary and praying of the hours. The book was originally published in 1920, and many of its statements and injunctions feel dated. Furthermore, its targeted audience are the priests, but even so can be used by general lay public. The book quotes many sources in Latin, but does not generally provide translations of those passages. In that respect it harkens to days when all priests, in the Roman rite at least, were assumed to be completely versed in that language. The writing in the book is very informative, but it also tends to be a bit dry and matter-of-fact - this book is certainly not a page-turner. However, it is a useful first step in understanding the Divine Office and a practical guide to its practice as a daily prayer. Anyone who is interested in implementing this practice in their prayer life would benefit from reading this book.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently purchased a copy of this. Perhaps the best way of summing it up would be to say that it was both scholarly and accessible. This excellent, straightforward, book about the development of the Roman Breviary from its earliest days to Pope Pius X's Divino Afflatu reforms of 1910-1913 well repays a good read. It is aimed more at the average parish priest or reasonably intelligent layperson than those with a specialist interest in liturgical history. However as someone with an above average interest I found it perfectly readable and not at all patronising.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, this book is free from Project Gutenberg, if you can't find printed copies.



A detailed book that goes in great detail into aspects of the Divine Office. It is fittingly pious, with excerpts from the Saints, history for each hour of the Office, detailed structure and rubrics. It does need some background of Catholic life and a basic understanding of Latin.



And it needs access to the old Breviarium Romanum, of course. Which is available here [http://www.officiumdivinum.org/].

[Gerald Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good historical look

I chose this particular rating because of its detail in giving concise data without boring the reader. I recommend this product for students in the seminary mostly

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very informative book for those interested in the music and prayers of the early Christian church. A functional understanding of Latin is helpful.