The canonical hours of the present day Breviary originate in the Old Covenant of God with His Chosen People. God commanded the Aaronic priests (Aaron – first priest of that Covenant, brother of Moses) to offer morning and evening sacrifices. Other related prayer inspiration may have come from King David’s Psalm (Ps. 119:164): “Seven times a day I praise you”, and “the just man meditates on the law day and night”(Ps. 1:2)
Christian prayer and worship in the New Covenant Tradition continued the Jewish practice of regular morning and evening prayer. New Testament biblical texts, the writings from the Church Fathers, excerpts from the lives of the saints, and songs of praise based on the psalms were gradually added to the Old Testament psalms and readings. These formed the growing body of devotional practices in the Christian communities.
Breviary: In the first steps of this development the Psalms were separated into a choir-book. The president of the local church, the Bishop, or the Leader of the Choir chose a suitable psalm for use in the assembly.
Monks who practiced the daily recitation of the 150 Psalms around the fourth century began to group some of these psalms together and extended the prayer of the psalter over a week since the daily recitation of the whole psalter took a long time. Within the week each day was divided into hours and each devotional hour was assigned its portion of the Psalter.
In the sixth century St Benedict also advocated this arrangement.
Bishop Alcuin of York established an adaptation in the eighth century that included a prayer for each day and some other prayers but no lessons or homilies.
In the ninth century Bishop Prudentius of Troyes abridged the very large collection of material to a practical length. Books known as the Breviarium Psalterii, the shortened form for the laity, gave a few psalms for each day.
Communal payer developed further with additions to these psalter choir-books of antiphons to the psalms and the responses at the end of an entire psalm or a section of it. Various other short prayers were included over the years as well as passages from both the Old and New Testament. Reflections on the Gospel Reading of the day and homilies from the writings of the Church Fathers were added as well.
Note: Mendicant friars (wandering friars) travelled the country to spread the faith and help the poor. They needed an abbreviated daily office all in one portable book. Therefore single-volume breviaries flourished from the thirteenth century onwards.
Before the printing press Breviaries were written by hand, often richly colored and gilded. Initials and miniature illustrations from the life of Christ or the saints or from Bible stories surrounded the text.
Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085), simplified the liturgy. He gave this abridgment the name Breviary referring to the collection of several works into one. After variations of these payer books were used and spread by religious orders in different ways Pope Nicholas III (1277-1280) adopted the so-called “Roman” version for the curia and the basilicas of Rome. Further adaptations according to decree of the Council of Trent were published under order of Pope St. Pius V (1566-1572). Additional revisions of the Roman Breviary have occurred. Most recently by Pope Pius X in 1910. Pope John XXIII revised the Breviary in 1960 introducing changes drawn up by his predecessor Pope Pius XII.
The Liturgy of the Hours divides the payer life of Religious and lay faithful into regular periods throughout the day.
The Roman Breviary, the Breviarium Romanum, refers to a four volume set. Each volume corresponds to a ‘season’ in the cycle of the Church year. Certain religious congregations have Breviaries of their own. Generally speaking the Roman Breviary is the one in use in the world.
Some variations occur regarding celebrations of liturgies for saints venerated by a particular religious order, a nation, or local region. National Conferences of Bishops and local bishops determine the use of the Breviary in their jurisdiction.
No, not another kind of Bible – The compact book in its zippered case that priests carry with them is their Breviary; their constant companion which they pray throughout the day.
The Breviary is not exclusively Catholic. In fact any person who wishes to take up this ancient, always new practice of regular daily prayer which spiritually unites so many peoples in the world may do so.
The books are easily obtainable and any priest as well as many lay persons would be pleased to introduce a novice to this beautiful devotion. Phoning the Chancery Office of the Catholic Church in your area will provide help.