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.
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