>On Tue, 8 Dec 1998 Bill East <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>And now the promised word about Prime. This is "Prima Hora", the first
hour
>of the day, that is, an hour after sunrise. At the Equinox, this would
>occur at 7 am; in the winter, rather later, in the summer, rather
earlier.
>It is one of the "canonical hours" at which the Church has
traditionally
>offered prayers. <snipped>
>According to Cassian, Prime was introduced as 'altera matutina', a
second
>Matins, in his monastery in Bethlehem about 395 AD. It was first
recited in
>the dormitory, then became part of the choir office, and finally became
>recognised as part of the office even of the secular (non-monastic)
clergy.
Cassian actually tells us "sciendum . . . hanc matitutinam canonicam
functionem [i.e. Prime] nostro tempore in nostro quoque monasterio
primitus institutam" (Instit., III, IV). Not often do we have such a
specific reference to claim the origin of a liturgical practice. As the
'hora prima' of the day hours (Matins/Vigils and Lauds/Matins were most
often night hours, i.e., sung at night or at least completed before
daybreak) its original purpose seems to have been a practical one. Monks
returned to bed after the night offices for a bit more sleep. Some monks
did not arise again until Terce (ca. 9am), the next hour to which they
were summoned. To stop such idle behaviour, Prime was added to be sung
shortly after daybreak to get monks busy at work or reading. With the
work connection, it wasn't long before the monastic 'business bits' were
added, viz., martyrology, chapter, etc. The collect in question and its
sister collect, the 'Dirigere,' fit very naturally into the framework of
the activities that accompanied this hour.
>In 1964 its recitation was made voluntary for the secular clergy, and
it
>finds no mention at all in the current Breviary. I don't know if any
>religious orders anywhere still recite it; perhaps Mon Lib could
enlighten us.
The elimination of Prime (December 1963) was one of the very few
specific directives given by SCVII about liturgical reform. [_SC_ n.
89d] Most were of a more general nature. Prime is still sung or recited
today only by those (monks, religious, clerics, laity) who use the
so-called 'Tridentine' liturgy. [I.e., the _BR_ of 1960 and the _MR_ of
1962.] Although one can still see Prime listed on some monastic
schedules, most often the office of Lauds is actually sung at that hour.
That said, there is wide latitude for monastic communities to customise
their office from the _Thesaurus_, so one may find it still in use
outside of the so-called 'Traditional' communities.
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