Office of Readings

[Ave Maria Totus Tuus]

I recently got into praying the Liturgy of the Hours with the book "Christian Prayer" and I finally understand how to navigate with Morning, Daytime, Evening, and Night Prayers, including observing all the special additions/changes depending on Memorials, Feasts, etc. In the Office of Readings, I understand how to determine which psalms you say for the day, as those are determined by the Four Week Psalter/Proper of Seasons. But, how do you determine which Verses or Readings are said for a specific day? When are you required to say the Te Deum? I suppose I just need a clarification of the Office of Readings...

Thank you!!


~Mallory

[cappie]

The Office of Readings has its own proper psalms and readings. I don't know if you have the book that has it in it as there are 2 versions one has Morning Prayer Evening Prayer and the others. The full version runs to 4 books and has the Office of readings.proper psalms before Morning prayer. If you have the complete book then for example today (Wednesday) the Proper Psalms are from Wednesday week 2 and the readings set down are in the front of the book under Ordinary time corresponding to the Sunday of the year in this case Ordinary 18.

You can check out the Office of Readings at
[url="http://www.universalis.com/readings.htm"]Matins[/url]

The Te Deum is said on Feasts and Solemnities

[cappie]

Came across this it may help:

Office of Readings
The Office of Readings may be said in conjunction with any of the Hours or by itself anytime during the day.

If the Office of Readings is done first in the day it must be preceded by the Invitatory (Part II). Otherwise it begins with "God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me" and then a Glory.

The sequence of the Office is as follows:

Hymn

Antiphon 1
Psalm 1
Glory to the Father...
*** Psalm Prayer
Antiphon 1 (Repeated)

Psalm 2
Canticle
Glory to the Father...
*** Psalm Prayer
Antiphon 2 (Repeated)

Antiphon 3
Psalm 3
Glory to the Father...
Psalm Prayer
Antiphon 3 (Repeated)

*** Keep in mind there will only be a Psalm Prayer if it is the end of the Psalm or the end at the third Psalm. The reason for this is that the longer Psalms are used in the Office of Readings and some of them like Psalm 18 are actually spread over a couple of days.

Verse - Marking the transition from Psalms to Readings
Biblical Reading

Responsory
Non-Biblical Reading - Includes writings from Church Fathers, Bishops, Pope, Vatican II, etc. This is the section that make the Liturgy of the Hours so much larger (4 Volumes) than Christian Prayer (1 Volume)

Responsory
Te Deum - Required only on Sunday and certain Solemnities and Feasts
Closing Prayer - Taken form the Proper of Season, Proper of Saints, or Commons and it is concluded with "We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with your and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Acclamation - at least in communal celebrations. "Let us praise the Lord. And give him thanks."