The Ceremonies of the Holy-Week at Rome

by Charles Michael Baggs

PART 1. Introductory. Breviary—Divine office, its origin—performed by the early Christians—ancient and modern editions of the breviary. PART 2. Descriptive. Office of Tenebræ—Matins and Lauds—extinction of the lights—meaning of this ceremony—chant, lamentations—conclusions of the office—Miserere, its music—Card. Penitentiary at S. Mary Major's. Trinità dei Pellegrini.

"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall always be in my mouth". Ps. XXXIII, 2.

"He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross". Phil. II, 8.

P. I. Breviary.

We shall not hesitate to borrow the following account of the church office contained in the Roman Breviary from a Protestant divine (Tracts of the Times no. 75). "The word Breviarum first occurs in the work of an author of the eleventh century (Micrologus) and it is used to denote a compendium or systematic arrangement of the devotional offices of the church. Till that time they were contained in several independent volumes, according to the nature of each. Such, for instance, were the Psalteria, Homilaria, Hymnaria, and the like, to be used in the service in due course. But at his memorable era, and under the auspices of the Pontiff who makes it memorable, Gregory VII, an Order was drawn up, for the use of the Roman church, containing in one all these different collections, introducing the separate members of each in its proper place, and harmonising them together by the use of rubrics.

Divine office, its origin.

"Gregory VII did but restore and harmonise these offices; which seem to have existed more or less the same in constituent parts, though not in order and system, from Apostolic times. In their present shape they are appointed for seven distinct seasons in the twenty four hours, and consist of prayers, praises and thanksgivings of various forms; and, as regards both contents and hours, are the continuation of a system of worship observed by the Apostles and their converts. As to contents, the Breviary service consists of the Psalms; of Hymns and Canticles; of Lessons and Texts from inspired and Ecclesiastical authors; of Antiphons, Verses and Responses, and Sentences; and of Collects. And analogous to this seems to have been the usage of the Corinthian Christians, whom St. Paul blames for refusing to agree in some common order of worship, when they came together, every one of them having a Psalm, or a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation (1 Cor. XIV, 26). On the other hand, the catholic seasons of devotion are certainly derived from apostolic usage. The Jewish observance of the third, sixth and ninth hours for prayer, was continued by the inspired founders of the Christian church. What Daniel had practised, even when the decree was signed forbidding it, "kneeling on his knees three times a day, and praying and giving thanks unto his God", S. Peter and the other Apostles were solicitous in preserving. It was when "they were all with one accord in one place", at "the third hour of the day", that the Holy Ghost came down upon them at Pentecost. It was at the sixth hour, that St. Peter "went up upon the house-top to pray" and saw the vision revealing to him the admission of the gentiles into church. And it was at the ninth hour that "Peter and John went up together into the temple", being "the hour of prayer". But though these were the more remarkable seasons of devotion, there certainly were others besides them in the first age of the church. After our Saviour's departure, the Apostles, we are informed, "all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren": and with this accords the repealed exhortation to pray together without ceasing, which occurs in St. Paul's epistles. It will be observed that he insists in one passage on prayer to the abridgment of sleep (Eph. VI, 18); and one recorded passage of his life exemplifies his precept: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them".

In subsequent times the Hours of prayer were gradually developed from the three, or (with midnight) the four seasons above enumerated, to seven, viz. by the addition of Prime (the first hour), Vespers (the evening), and Compline (bedtime); according to the words of the Psalm, "Seven times a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous judgment. Other pious and instructive reasons existed, or have since been perceived for this number".[⁴⁶] Thus far our Protestant author, with whose remarks we are too well pleased to go out of our way to dispute with him the truth of some other portions of his tract, which are objectionable.

Performed by the early Christians.

That the early Christians continued after the time of the apostles to observe the hours of prayer above enumerated is proved by Martene (De Ant. Eccl. Rit. T. 3) who has collected many decisive passages from the Greek and Latin Fathers. We shall content ourselves with one taken from a work on prayer by S. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage in the third century. Having mentioned Daniel's practice of praying three times a day, he observes, that it is manifest that there was something mysterious or symbolical in the ancient practice. "For the holy Ghost descended on the disciples at the third hour; at the sixth hour Peter going to the house-top was instructed by God to admit all to the grace of salvation; and the Lord, who was crucified at the sixth hour, washed away our sins with his blood at the ninth hour, and completed the victory by his passion. For us however, besides the hours anciently observed, the times and also the symbols of prayer have increased. For we must pray in the morning, to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord; also when the sun recedes and the day ceases; for Christ is the true sun and the true day, and when we pray that the light of Christ may again come upon us, we pray that his coming may impart to us the grace of eternal light: and let us who are always in Christ, that is, in the light, not cease from prayer at night". See also Dr. Cave's Primitive Christianity Part. 1, c. 9.

Editions of the breviary.