Lauds: Difference between revisions

The name is derived from the three last psalms of the psalter (148, 149, 150), the [[Laudate psalms]], which in former versions of the Lauds of the Roman Rite occurred every day, and in all of which the word ''laudate'' is repeated frequently. At first, the word "''Lauds"'' designated only the end, that is to say, these three psalms. LittleOver bytime, little''Lauds'' thecame titleto Lauds wasbe applied to the whole office, and supplanted the name of [[Matins]],.<ref name=Catholic/> which in turn was reserved to the night office and replaced the name "[[Vigil (liturgy)|Vigil]]".

== History ==

Lauds, or the Morningmorning Officeprayer or Office of Aurora,{{cn|date=May 2024}} is one of the most ancient Officesoffices and can be traced back to [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostolic]] times. The earliest evidence of Lauds appears in the second and third centuries in the [[Canons of Hippolytus]] and in writings by St. [[Cyprian]], and the [[Apostolic Fathers]]. Descriptions during the fourth and fifth centuries appear in writings by Ss. [[John Cassian]], St. [[Melania the Younger]], [[Hilary of Poitiers|St. Hilary]], [[Eusebius]], [[John Chrysostom]], and in the ''Peregrinatio Ætheriae'' by St. [[John Chrysostom]]. During the 6th century [[St. [[Benedict of Nursia]] gave a detailed description of them in his [[Rule of St. Benedict|Rulerule]]. [[Gregory of Tours]] also made several allusions to this office, which he calls ''Matutini hymni''.<ref name=Catholic/>

According to John T. Hedrick, in ''Introduction to the Roman Breviary'', Lauds were not originally a distinct canonical hour but Matins and Lauds formed a single office, the Nightnight Officeoffice terminating only at dawn.<ref name=Catholic/> The monks prayed Matins during the night and said Lauds in the early dawn.<ref name=Parsch>[http://www.cantius.org/go/liturgy_devotions/divine_office/canonical_hours/ Pius Parsch, Pius. "''The Canonical Hours",'' in ''Commentaries on the Breviary'']</ref> In the 5th and 6th century the Lauds were called ''Matutinum''. By the Middle Ages, the midnight office was referred to as "Nocturns"[[Nocturn]]s, and the morning office as "[[Matins"]]. The lengthy midnightnight office later became "the liturgical hour of Matins" and was divided into two or three "nocturns"; the morning office became "''Lauds"''.<ref name=Billett>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TxIABQAAQBAJ&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=Lauds+%28canonical%29&sourcepg=bl&ots=iutENfSdnp&sig=yXEkZIv3selMj7t32aUoUHbv4-4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AmYsVaCHKJb_sATPl4GACw&ved=0CD8Q6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=Lauds%20(canonical)&f=falsePA32 Billett, Jesse D., ''The Divine Office in Anglo-Saxon England, 597-C.1000'', Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2014] {{ISBN|9781907497285}}</ref>

After [[Pope Pius X|St. Pius X]]’s reform, Lauds was reduced to four psalms or portions of psalms and an Old Testament canticle, putting an end to the custom of adding the last three psalms of the Psalterpsalter (148-150148–150) at the end of Lauds every day. With the reforms of Vatican II, Lauds is now called "Morning Prayer".

=== Symbolism and significance ===

This is the Officeoffice of daybreak and hence its symbolism is of Christ's resurrection. According to DomFernand Cabrol, "Lauds remains the true morning prayer, which hails in the rising sun, the image of Christ triumphant—consecrates to Him the opening day.".<ref>Cabrol, Fernand. ''The Day Hours of the Church'', London, 1910</ref> The Officeoffice of Lauds reminds the Christian that the first act of the day should be praise, and that one's thoughts should be of God before facing the cares of the day.

*A The [[hymn]], which is optional when combining with the Office of ReadingsMatins

* A morning [[psalm]], an [[Old Testament]] [[canticle]], and a psalm of praise. Theseall areof opened andthem closedwith bytheir [[antiphon]]s.

* The ''[[Canticle of Zechariah|Benedictus]]'', with its antiphon

* The [[Lord's PrayerPreces]]

All psalms and canticles are concluded with the [[doxology]], "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen." (The current translation of the [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]], given here, differs from the traditional [[English language|English]] translation used in other countries.) The psalms and readings are distributed in a four-week cycle, which forms the heart of the prayer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.universalis.com/lauds.htm|title=Universalis: Morning Prayer (Lauds)|website=www.universalis.com|access-date=2017-05-01}}</ref>

In the importantsome seasons of the Churchliturgical year, such as [[Lent]] or [[EasterEastertide]], many of the prayers are proper for each day of the season. In Lent, [[ChristmasHoly Week]], the octaves of [[Holy WeekChristmas]], and Easter Week, and the last eight days of [[Advent]], celebrationthese of feastliturgical days is somewhat restricted. On some of these days, a memorial may be celebrated as a "commemoration", adding an extra prayer atdisplace the endcelebration of the hour, while on others the memorial is completely removed from theother calendarfeasts.

In the [[Ambrosian Rite|Ambrosian Office]], and also in the [[Mozarabic Rite|Mozarabic]], Lauds retained a few of the principal elements of the Roman Lauds: the ''Benedictus'', canticles from the Old Testament, and the laudate psalms, arranged, however, in a different order (''cf.'' [[Germain Morin]], ''op. cit.'' in bibliography). In the [[Benedictines|Benedictine]] Liturgyliturgy, the Officeoffice of Lauds resembles the Roman Lauds very closely, not only in its use of the canticles but also in its general construction.<ref name=Catholic>{{Catholic|wstitle=Lauds|inline=1|last=Cabrol|first=Fernand|volume=9|year=1910}}</ref>

The Armenian Morning (or Early) Hour (Armenian: Առաւաւտեան Ժամ ''aṛawotean zham'') corresponds to the office of Lauds in the Roman Liturgy, both in its position in the daily cycle and in its importance. This is the most complex of all Armenian church servicesliturgies in terms of the variations in the order and text of the serviceliturgy depending on the day of the week, liturgical tone, commemoration of the day, and liturgical season.

Many manuscripts and printed editions of the Armenian Book of Hours (Armenian: Ժամագիրք ''Zhamagirk`'') state that the Morningmorning Hourhour commemorates the Son of God, with some manuscripts adding, "at the time he was seized by the Jews.". This is in reference to the story of the arrest and interrogation of Jesus found in the New Testament Gospels.

===Outline of the Morningmorning Serviceservice===

In the Morningmorning Hourhour for Sundays and Festal Daysfeasts there are seven slots into which hymnody may be inserted which reflects the theme of the day. Each of these seven slots is associated with a Psalmpsalm or Canticlecanticle from the Old or New Testaments.

Among the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] which follow the [[Byzantine Rite]], the office comparable to the Lauds of the Roman Rite is the [[Orthros]]. It also contains the three Laudate psalms (148-150148–150), with which it traditionally closes.

Like the other [[canonical hours]], Lauds is observed by Christians in other denominations, notably those of the [[Lutheran Church]]es.<ref name="Giewald2011">{{cite book|last=Giewald|first=Arne|title=The Lutheran High Church Movement in Germany and its liturgical work: an introduction|year=2011|language=English|isbn=9781470973780|page=36|publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref> In the [[Anglican Communion]], elements of the office have been folded into the service of [[Morning Prayer (Anglican)|Morning Prayer]] as celebrated according to the [[Book of Common Prayer]], and the hour itself is observed by many [[Anglican religious order]]s.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

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{{commonsCommons category|Liturgy of the hours}}