“Brethren, how fine a thing it is to move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day. The time is now at hand when we enter on a new beginning: the proclamation of the blessed Passover, in which the Lord was sacrificed. We feed as on the food of life, we constantly refresh our souls with his precious blood, as from a fountain. Yet we are always thirsting, burning to be satisfied. But he himself is present for those who thirst and in his goodness invites them to the feast day. Our Savior repeats his words: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink…”
From an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop, Liturgy of the Hours, Office of Readings — Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent.
“The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer…”
I hope that most readers have some familiarity with the Liturgy of the Hours. For those who may not be familiar, the link (above) to the USCCB website provides a good summary and introduction. In addition to being the “Daily Prayer of the Church,” the Liturgy of the Hours, along with the Readings and prayers of daily and Sunday Mass, guide us through the Church’s “Liturgical Year” and the “Seasons” of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time.
A little over a week ago, on Friday, March 20, when I read the “Easter Letter by St. Athanasius” (quoted above), I was struck by the way in which these words of St. Athanasius, written more than 1,600 years ago, can continue to “speak” to us today and can help us in our preparation to celebrate the Sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, as we “move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day…” I encourage you to take the time to read the full, brief (3 paragraph) excerpt of the Letter, given to us by the Church for our prayer and reflection.
The “Office of Readings” in the Liturgy of the Hours is a “treasure trove” of wisdom and insight into the spiritual life. One blessing of modern technology and the internet is that this “treasure trove” is easily accessible online. With the hope that you may be reading this sometime between Wednesday of Holy Week and Easter Sunday, I offer (below) links to the Office of Readings for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. If you are reading this on or after Easter Sunday, the reflections can still have great “value” for prayer and meditation.
Whether you had a wonderful and prayerful Lent and you were able to faithfully keep your Lenten promises and sacrifices, or, perhaps, your Lent did not go as well as you may have hoped, we should all remember that Lent prepares us for the Joy of Easter. The Church celebrates the Joy of Easter, the Joy of the Resurrection, not only on Holy Saturday night and on Easter Sunday, but also during the whole week following Easter Sunday, known as the “Octave” (eight days) and during the 50 days of the Easter Season.
If you are looking for a way to deepen your prayer life and live your faith more fully, the Liturgy of the Hours can be a great resource. Unless you are a priest, deacon, bishop, or religious who has made a promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day, you don’t have to do all five “hours” (Morning, Mid-Morning, Mid-day, Evening, and Night Prayer) every day. Trying to pray “one a day” (like a vitamin) is a great way to start. In addition to the five “hours,” there is the Office of Readings, which can be a great place to start as well.
Let us pray especially for one another, for the whole Church, and for Peace, during this, our most Holy Week. Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. Happy Easter!!
The Liturgy of the Hours — Office of Readings:
**The Second Reading in the Office of Readings on Holy Saturday is especially beautiful. It is, “From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday,” and begins: “Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep…” I strongly encourage you to take the time, perhaps in the morning or during the day on Holy Saturday, to prayerfully read the full, brief homily. It is a wonderful preparation to celebrate the Joy of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
