How to Learn the Breviary

A medieval illuminated breviary

The breviary is a book of prayer that includes the complete Daily Offices of the Catholic Church. Some breviaries are personalized with an individual's or parish's preferred prayers for the morning and evening. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that the breviary "is constructed of the following elements: (a) the Psalter; (b) the Proper of the Season; (c) Proper of the Saints; (d) the Common; (e) certain special Offices." You can find the appropriate prayers for each day online at ebreviary.com. To learn the breviary completely takes considerable study, a difficult but not impossible task.

Things You'll Need

• Breviary

Instructions

1. Consult the Catholic Encyclopedia on the praying of the breviary for an overview of what Psalms, Propers, and special Offices must be said on which days.

2. Read and memorize (if you wish) the appropriate Psalms for each day of the week and learn what times they should be said. Recite the Psalms daily, stating aloud what day of the week each is for to connect these elements in your mind.

3. 

   Study the Propers of the Season and of the Saints. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that "The Proper of the Season contains, therefore, the Office of all the Sundays and festivals belonging to it, with special lessons, extracts from the Gospels, and frequently also proper antiphons, responsories, and psalms, adapted to the peculiar character of these different periods." This is a considerable amount to material to learn, so give yourself plenty of time to study each aspect of the Propers. Check with your parish priest about variable (moveable) saint's days and the appropriate prayers for any saints you wish to include beyond the most widely used group.

4. Study the Common. The Common includes "all the lessons, Gospels, antiphons, responsories, and versicles which are not reserved to a special occasion, but may be employed for a whole group of saints." Reading and analyzing these materials will help you get a good grasp of the Common.

5. Consult the calendar frequently and mark upcoming days on which Special Offices are required. Every hour of each Office includes its own set of "psalms (and now and then canticles), antiphons, responsories, hymns, lessons, versicles, little chapters, and collects (prayers)." Study these elements for each hour of the Office and meditate on them.

Tips & Warnings

• Many churches have study groups; you might ask to start or join a group studying the breviary. Consult your parish priest with any questions you have about the order of prayers or other issues.

References

• Catholic Encyclopedia: Breviary
• ebreviary.com