I don't know, but I try to give an introduction and then to discuss it with you. And I think every one of you has the English translation of it. And according to our scientific method in Sant'Antonio in Rome, our first intention is to ask myself and also to invite you to ask yourself how far this English translation is corresponding to the real document. which we have here in Latin. Here is the original source to which the Sacred Congregation of Worship has given its approval. And then I would say The directory, the English text, is a good and free, but very free, translation of the Latin directorium, the opera dei cartel vendo, the directorium, a directory for the good realization of the opera dei, of the worship, following exactly the single numbers.

[01:07]

But in a very strange way, two numbers have not being presented. Number six, Musica Modulatio, the musical modulation. And number 27, Cantus in Celebratione. Therefore it seems that the people who translated this were not interested, I don't know why, in every song. It's not true because sometimes they are speaking about melodies. But nevertheless, all this is the first draft And later on they added some musical ideas or they have taken it away, I don't know. And also, therefore, to 28 Latin numbers there are corresponding only 26 English numbers. And also in number 25 of the English text

[02:10]

in a very strange way, there is not given the last part of the Latin text concerning vigils as the most important hala of the worship because of its eschatological meaning. It seems that modern Benedictine monks And I have this experience in San Canselmo in Rome and also in my own monastery in Maria Lach. I don't like to rise, to awake too early. Four o'clock in the morning is quite impossible for the majority of the monks of today. In San Canselmo we are How do we say arise or awake? We are awake only at six o'clock and in Marial Ark we are arising only half past five, very late. I don't know the reason. Then sometimes, for example, in No.

[03:13]

26 is added some short word about a place where the symbol workers are staying during the office. At the center, the president, the canto, or in front, the reader, and so on. And also about external expressions of worth. It must be in the office, the worship must not be too uniform in the acclamations, in the proclamations, in song. Therefore, they are realizing also the necessity to change. And also, I am sorry that titles of the single numbers are not given. For example, In number one, you have Eminentia operis Dei in benedictina traditione. It's very helpful to know that in number one you are speaking about the eminent position of the worship in the tradition of the benedictine monastic life.

[04:20]

It's not very important, but it would be helpful to give them. And there are also some other For example, if you take number six, it's number seven in the Latin text, and the title is Signia Externa, External Signs. It's a marvelous text. The community will participate in the Opus Dei with the entirety of its interior and exterior being, because the action and attitude and the voice itself must be signs that the community experiences the presence of the mystery of Christ, which it shares, and is moved by the action of the Spirit. external expression of the presence of the mystery of Christ, and all that is done by the action of the Spirit.

[05:24]

It's excellent theology. It's quite corresponding to the theology, to the Latin text. And also, the sequent elements are well translated. The exterior elements, which make up a celebration, make this liturgical action only if they are the means of contact, efficacious signs, with the theological reality to which they refer. Thus, gathering together at a place of prayer is not merely obedience to a task commanded, but must express the will to act as the living Church, one of the most essential ideas of this directorium. We are doing not something only juridically, because we are deputated, to do our duty, but we are expressing ourselves in external signs as the Church of Christ, the local church.

[06:26]

The texts are proclaimed and in turn heard precisely with the desire to have the word penetrate the heart. The song or the proclamation of Psalms is a way of implanting in us the inspired voice of Christ, the pleading and the praise of all men. And acclamation must be the echo of a conscious interior enthusiasm. A silent pause is the will to dig into the spirit in order to make a spring of prayer rise up in response to the word. To be all this, the celebration first must not fix the attention on itself, but on the reality of the mystery. If it fixes attention on itself, it would be an obscure sign. Secondly, must not be incomprehensible. It would then be an empty sign.

[07:29]

Thirdly, must not be carried out in a mechanical way. It would then be an absurd sign, because it would be contrary to its end of communicating spiritual life. And so far, it is quite responding to Latin text. But no, The sign value of the celebration demands that the opposite day, even with respect to the laws which govern it, must never be performed on a purely legalistic plane to obtain validity, nor should its form be cold, detached, governed only by protocol and falsely hieratic, thus dehumanizing the action and the celebration in general. But in Latin, there is said more. And in a very strange way, it is fine, and innovations and councils are taken away. Let me say it first in Latin, and then I try to translate it.

[08:31]

The reality which our celebration wishes to signify and to produce is touched not only by the text of the words, not only in the observation of norms, but also in the external form of the celebration. The English text does not speak about this external form. And it continues, magna citisce dignitate, que a pompa certe distat executionis, Therefore, the external form is described by this word, magna dingitate, with a great dingity. I am very sorry that we did not speak about it.

[09:35]

We must not do it, how do you say it in English? Very often, people today celebrate the liturgy, especially in the parish churches. Excuse me, some priests, some younger, some older priests, without any dingity. Our intention is to go away from this old baroque pompa, with a big mitre, with a great crochet, and with many people on the altar, with very great baroque vestments. and so on. We won't be able to speak about this very long. No, we don't wish to do it any more so. But nevertheless, also in the greater simplicity we are seeking today, we must preserve a great dignity. And you are doing it here. But it would be necessary to insist in it against some tendency in younger people of today, in Europe, and also in the United States of America.

[10:38]

Magna Dignitate, in great dignity, in the way to execute it. In absentia precipitationis. Precipitation, how do you get it in English? Precipitation, to go on too quickly. That must be absent. Not too quickly, with a great calm. We can wait, we have time. We waste time for God. Not quickly to finish. in the presence of quiet and silence in certain times. At least in the greater solanities, in this solanity which is given by the song. All this part is not here in the English text.

[11:42]

I don't know the reason, but I believe that the translators who have been very able, very capable, who understand the text, think it is not so necessary to insist, to shorten it a little bit. But they have taken away very important things. And we must also be very attentive to that we may not be too rationalist. What's that? Just rational. Intellectual, yes. Not too much. Because today we are, after the Vatican Council, we have an invasion of wars. And we are speaking too much.

[12:44]

Forgetting the solemnity, the dignity, the silence, and to be open to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, not too much reasonable. Too much. It must be reasonable. It must be intellectual, but not too much. And so that we are reduced to verbositas. What's that? To loquacity, yes, and all these things. Verba sine ullo dubio sunt signa maximumente in liturgia. The words, without any doubt, are signs of the greatest importance in liturgy. Nevertheless, if we are remaining only in words, then we would be depoporati, they would be impoverished. Therefore we must have not only words but also a song, a certain solemnity, not pomposa, but a certain solemnity. And we must have silence sometimes, to be open only to the Holy Spirit who is speaking in silence.

[13:48]

We don't need words then. Therefore, we would be very poor, we become very poor, if we would have only words without signs. Ut sunt musica, lux, corporales habitus, ornamenta. And these signs are music, light, and the way in which we are staying, kneeling, sitting, and so on, the corporales habitus, and ornamenta, some ornaments, and so on. And then the rest is very good. The tone of the voice, the attitude and the way of pronouncing a formula and of proclaiming a reading must be supported by a true interior. How do you pronounce it? Verum. Which, while it shows everyone that we are present to ourselves, it is added. It's not found in the Latin text, but it's very excellently said. Therefore, the people who translated it were understanding the meaning.

[14:48]

And here they have given a very good commentary. We must be present to ourselves, not mechanically. We must know what we are doing. Therefore, and interior realms, which while it shows everyone that we are present to ourselves, succeeds also in communicating to others, to the people which are, who is present, sharing in our celebration, to others the living presence of Christ as something perceived by us in the world and in our response. And then, both in Latin and English, the citation of Luke 24, did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us? Stay with us, Lord. So we must celebrate. Therefore, I have given this example to show you that you have in this English translation, a good presentation of the Latin text, but sometimes something is lacking, sometimes they say more.

[15:57]

And now, this directory in Latin is therefore in its original text the first part of this book. The first part only, very short part of this Thesaurus Liturgiae Orarum Monasticae, or translated in English, the treasure of monastic liturgy of the hours. And this directory is composed first of the directorium, the directory, then some prenotanda, some introduction words, and the Thesaurus itself. A. The calendar, the structure of the office and schemes to dispose sound in different ways, according to the rule of St. Benedict, according to the method of the Abbey of Zion in Germany, according to the method of Christogonos Vador in Gesemane Abbey.

[17:10]

Three, four examples. only as examples. You can dispose the psalms as you like to dispose, but nevertheless here I give some examples for the people who need it. And then, after that, you have a disposition of the entire psalms from 1 to 150 antiphons. And you have then also all the antiphons which are necessary during the year for Benedictus and Magnificat, for the saints, and you have the command of the saints, you have the office of the of the dead, and finally you have some appendices, some final conclusions for the abbess who wish to retain the prima, the first hour, and for others who wish to You don't wish to say the prime, but you must then put the Psalms first given to the prima, to other hours.

[18:18]

And then also the hymns, which are proper to the Benedictine Confederation, and some prayers and introductions for our father, and some other things of minor importance. No. The intention of this directory, of the thesaurus, would be, of this entire work, is not to create again a rigid uniformity. This is excluded. The abbots did not wish it. The people who have composed this did not visit, and also the congregation of worship is agreeing with that. Nobody is obligated to have the unique form of the Benedictine breviary as it was before.

[19:21]

But the intention was only to present the framework for a convenient restoration on the vivification of our apostate in the light and in the spirit of the Vatican Council, of the liturgical constitution, and of the realization of these spiritual principles in the Roman Liturgy of Hours, Liturgia Horarum. But here again the intention is in no way to give us this Liturgia Horarum. Only we must restore our own office, our own worship in the light of this principle given in the Vatican Council and then presented concretely in this Liturgy of the Hours for the Roman Light. And in the spirit of this restoration, the spirit of the Vatican Council, the spirit of this realization of the Liturgy of the Hours is given in a marvelous Institutio Generalis in Liturgia Horarum.

[20:29]

General Institution, General Introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours. And this work of the greatest importance, and it would be convenient for everyone to read it too sometimes, it is also translated in every language now, was made by the consultors of the worship congregation. And the consultors of this first congregation, of the Concilium Ad Exequendum Constitutionum de Sacra Liturgia, of this Council created to install, to reform the liturgy, to execute the ideas and the desires of the liturgical constitution of the Vatican Council, have been the most excellent liturgists from all over the world. Some cardinals, some bishops, very excellent bishops. The American was especially a good bishop who died already, I don't remember, out of Atlanta.

[21:34]

Yes, he's an excellent man, but other people too. And then, because the bishops are alone, with the help of the Holy Spirit, could not do the work, some learned liturgists from all over the world who must do the work. And sometimes when we were speaking too much, the bishop says, you must not speak, we wish to stay alone. you are excluded. Then we went away for two, three days, and then the bishop said, please come back again and help us. But you can't speak only if we are asking you. For one day we did so. After two days, again, we could speak. Therefore, we have worked together in peace after this only one difficulty we had. And the most learned liturgists from all over the world, therefore, McManus, Gottfried Dieckmann, to say only two names from the States and then all from France and Germany and so on.

[22:39]

And many Benedictines. So we can say that the spirit of this institutio generalis, of this general institution, is made already in a benedictine spirit. Sometimes we were fighting when we were discussing the problems of the new liturgy and composing this institutio about some principles. For example, somebody said, some secular priest, it is awful to say every day the benedictus. It's too heavy. After all the psalms, still the benedictus. And we were fighting to retain the benedictus for every day in the magnificat, and we obtained the victory. And also in other things, sometimes I am very sad when I see that now benedictine monasteries don't say every day the benedictus. It's against the spirit. of the reformation. Repeat psalms, not every day new psalms, but every day old psalms must be repeated.

[23:44]

Let's say, go on, in our heart, meditus magnificat, and so on, and other psalms too. Repetition sometimes is a good instrument to gain it. But nevertheless, we have tried to go via media, a good middle way, And therefore, we can say that already the Instituto Generalis, a marvelous work of theology and also practical information, is filled with the spirit of the Benedictine tradition. And now again, after that we have made this Instituto Generalis for the Liturgy of the Hours, we must see our own worship and the restoration of our own worship in the light of this Instituto Generalis, in the light of the principles of the Vatican Council. The Abbots' Congress has elected a commission of four abbots to compose the Thesaurus and also some introduction to it, in which we are thinking about the main lines of our worship in the light of the Vatican Council and of the Reformation after it.

[25:08]

And the men who then really did it, was Albert Salvatore Marsili. It is true, the directory is not given in his authority. the four abbots were speaking, and the abbot's congress were agreeing, and finally the sacred congregation in the authority of the pope has given his agreement to it. Nevertheless, it is very interesting, as in every ecclesiastical document, to know also the way in which it was made. And therefore we can say the document was written by abbot Salvatore Massili, and then perhaps corrected a little bit and finally taken by the commission of the Four Abbots and the Ecclesiastical Congregation. Who is Salvatore Massili? He is a monk of a very small monastery in the north of Italy, who by And this monastery has been one of the first Bedritten Abbeys in Italy to promote the liturgical movement since 1914.

[26:19]

He died in the magazine Revista Liturgica. And the abbot who was beginning it, Abbot Caronte, very famous in Italy, and his successor, Abbot Boniface, tried in 1925 to get in contact with Maria Lach, with my own abbot. And therefore, he sent a monk to Maria Lach, and together with this monk, who stayed there for the summer of 1925, Fr. Damaso Swinson, a monk of Trio, This monk and I, we made a great travel to Germany, Switzerland to build this monastery. Here I have seen for the first time marvellous Benedictine hospitality. And between the boys, which then in the last day were greeting us, was one who some years later came to St. Gancelmo and he said, Father, do you remember one of these boys in 1925?

[27:23]

And it was Salvatore Massili. And therefore, he liked very much our abbey. And he came to the famous Benedictine Academy founded by Abbot Ildefon Selvig in 1931 and passed the entire year in our monastery. And he fell in love for us, for our liturgy, and for our theology, and especially for Odo Castle. When he came back after his very well-made studies in Rome Sant'Anselmo, He was writing about the orgy of Kassel, the presence of the mystery of Christ, and he did not please the abbot-president of his congregation, Abbot Caronte, who condemned him to silence. And the greatness of Sabbatore Massili is that in this difficulty, in which many people very often leave the monastery, he remained faithful. he remained in silence. He was sent to the south of Italy, condemned to be there, far from every active life, and he obeyed, until after the troubles of the war, where he also was field chaplain, etc., etc., etc., a little bit difficult, also politically, until he, in 57, 58, was called to St.

[28:44]

Anselmo. And here, as professor of liturgy, he could also speak about this theology he has known in Marialart, Kassel, and so on. Therefore, he became one of the most excellent theologians, speaking about liturgy as realization of the mystery of Christ. was also always insisting in this theological religion, until now, when he became abbot and so on. And in 1608, he had then, when he was professor and president of the institute, a very open mouth. And he was speaking also openly, very openly, so that he did not please some people in the sacred Roman congregation. And this people said to the Abad primates, Wood, Cardinal Wood, you must put him down.

[29:48]

The Abad primates did not do it, defending him, also in big difficulties. He is obscene. And on a certain day, 1968, I don't remember, One of these men in the Sacred Roman Congregation said to the Rector, Augustinus Meyer, the actual Archbishop and President and Secretary of the Congregation for Religious People, said to him, say to Abbot, to Salvatore Massili, that he may be silent. And Augustinus Meyer came to me and said to me, say you, to Salvatore Massili, that he is more prudent, that he is not speaking so openly. I said it to Salvatore Massi and he said to me, no, I have 50 years, I am a monk, they can depose me, I shall obey, but I shall not close my mouth. So far he allowed me to speak, I speak what I think.

[30:53]

But very painful. And when he had written a certain article in the Osvatore Romano at that time, Some people were not very edified by it. And then in the audience with the Pope, the Pope said to him, ah, you are the man who made explode this bomb. But the Pope was very kind to him. Therefore, you can say, a man who is faithful and intelligent at speaking, he can do it. And finally, he will not have difficulties. But, nevertheless, speaking openly, and if the superior is persevering in his opinion, he was obeying. Therefore, I tell it to show you the man who was composing this directory. is a man who can be said spiritually a disciple of Otto Castle, very near to the entire theology of Maria Lark and then president of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute until he was elected abbot in 72.

[31:58]

Eminent professor still today of our Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome, still today the first editor of the Revista Liturgica and also the first editor of the manual of liturgy which we are editing with the title, very signifying title, Anamnesis. memorial, memorial as the main idea for the entire liturgy. Liturgy is memorial, but memorial in the strong sense of Kassel, memorial which is realizing which we are remembering, that we stay in the presence of this topic which we are remembering, analysis. Do that in memory of me. And he was invited in this day, last days, last week, to speak in Maria Laage about the theology of Udo Kassel in the last years, under the concept of memorial, anamnesis, memoria.

[33:01]

Excellent man. And, therefore, he was composing this directory And we can say that therefore he is speaking precisely in his view, underlining in the principles of the Vatican Council this idea of liturgy is this solemn action in which the entire work of salvation is realized, as the liturgical constitution says it in number two. The liturgy, especially the Eucharist, is realizing the work of salvation. It is one of the main ideas of Odo Castle, according to this wonderful old oration on the oblates, formerly on the 9th Sunday of Pentecost. All the times that we are celebrating this commemorative sacrament, the work of salvation is exercised in the most eminent way in the Eucharist.

[34:19]

But in every liturgical action, the work of redemption, the mystery of Christ, the Paschal mystery, death and resurrection is represented, is given to us, that we can touch it, that we can stay in it, go in it, and die with Christ and be resuscitated with him. This idea is for him the main idea, and therefore speaking about it, not always, and also the abbots later on have mitigated a little bit this thing with a little bit too carthelian. This theology of Kassel is presented in a very peaceful way, finally. Not too much, not too strong, but it's a deep realm. Therefore we could find in this directory a wonderful presentation of these main ideas of Kassel, of Maria Laax, which today also is the fundament of your own monastery here, taken by the Vatican Council, taken now by the liturgical reform. that we can worship according to our Benedictine tradition, but in the light of these wonderful principles seen by the entire liturgical movement in the last 50 years and now approved by the Council.

[35:34]

And in this, Father Massili and the Abbottsmen and the Abbottscongress present us this directory not to repeat the marvelous theology, as you can read in the preface here, not to repeat the marvelous theology of the institutio generalis in the liturgy of the house, but to speak about the directive norms of the monastic tradition in the light of the principle of the new renovation exposed in this Instituto Generalis. As you can see it in the second and in the third section of the first page, preface, Its scope is not to represent nor even to summarize what is already to be found in the Instituto Generalis, which deals admirably with both the theological-spiritual aspects and the actual order of celebration, rather taking as

[36:49]

Our starting point, the preeminent importance that the Opus Dei has always had in the tradition of monastic prayer. It is our intention to examine it in the light of the principles of renewal and reform which are laid down by the General Institution. In these principles we find all the features of the theology of spirituality which, with regard to the celebration of the divine office, have always been safeguarded by the monastic tradition. However, as we hear them once again proclaim with authority, we are given the incentive to make sure that the Opus Dei retains its central position in the lives of our Communities, as the luminous centre whereby the Church comes to be more and more manifest each day in her liturgy. Therefore we, and that is the intention of Abbot Vasilian, this entire directory, we wish to retain our old tradition, but to see it now again in the light of this marvellous theology of the Council and the liturgical reform after it, which is approving our entire tradition and is repeating it again with great authority against the temptations

[38:15]

to which we are all exposed, to say, oh, today we must work, we must be apostles, we must go out. To pray is not necessary. Ah, no, no, no. To pray is the first way to do it, because praying, really, in the wonderful theological deepness of our Benedictine monastic worship, to pray so is to be apostles, is to be a witness and to find a source for all our activity. So, we actually wish to insist on one side in our tradition And on the other side, to say the tradition in the new light of the Vatican Council, in a new light which is nothing else than a very authoritative exposition of the old and very good principles of authentic worship.

[39:30]

And so far, Yeah, we could now begin to read the book itself. But now I must ask, perhaps I was speaking already too much. And it would be better to finish today, perhaps to go on the territory itself another day and to invite you to discuss, to speak about these things. And I must ask you if you could understand me. My English is not so bad and so on. The intention of this book... Pinalpia, okay, yes, near to, between the French frontier and Genoa, in the Riviera. Pinalpia.

[40:34]

A very, very small monastery and also he does not have many novices. We are very sorry. But his revista, his magazine, Revista Liturgica, is still one of the most excellent liturgical revues we have. the question liturgique de Louvain in Belgium. The Vista Liturgica perhaps is one of the best, but in Italian only. And Massili also courageous to write also openly in his Vista an article when Bongini was deposed. Remember, three years ago, the Secretary, who was the most excellent worker in the German reform, was sacrificed. Because many people also, the Kurya Romana, have been against this reform. And he was the Jyotindran Bok, the animal to be sacrificed.

[41:42]

He was sent away and he became the Nuncius Apostolicus in the end of the world in Tiharan, where our father Ansgar has seen him. and when he was deposed he has written an excellent article where the literary is going and in the end of this article he has given a citation of my letter I have written to him what has happened the catastrophe in Rome and he then said some friend of Germany has written me a letter catastrophe I don't know if I'm going to be able to fix it, but I'm going to have to do it.

[42:46]

In a certain way it is the same. We are Christian people and all we must pray, must worship, must adore. But we have, as a monastic, according to our monastic tradition, we have the possibility to pray in a better way, coming from the silence and the recollection of our monastic existence. We have the possibility to realize some forms which cannot be realized by the secular clergy or by the secular pagis, for example, vigilists, night vigilists. You can do it. People outside cannot do it. We have more time for it. According to our monastic tradition, the worship which must be a central point for everyone, for us must really be the central point of our entire day.

[44:03]

It must be the source of our spirituality, our authentic spirituality and the means for the disposition of our entire life. As it is said in number one of this directory, the source of authentic spirituality is that we can stay really in Christo-Jesu, to live in Christo-Jesu, to live in Christ, strengthened by the Word of God. hearing it, confessing it, praying it, praising the Lord. It's the intention of every Christian. But for us, in a more excellent way. In a certain way, as every monastic life is nothing else than Christian life, but in greater receiving, greater excellency.

[45:08]

So all pray. It's the same as for everyone, but made better. With all the means we have to sing, to listen to it, to hear in silence, to keep answer to it. In while the poor clergy outside sometimes is praying, very quickly, and they must go to work, they have no time, they cannot listen, they have no time that the Word of God is going into their hearts. We are in this wonderful situation that we have time for it. And if we don't do it, then there are those in the Christian world who, not offending their difficulties, sometimes are praying, sometimes are doing it better than we in the monasteries. That's why I put an answer to your question. I would say the directorium itself was speaking about the vigils as the most eminent monastic hour of the day and here

[46:41]

Also, not only the directorium was speaking about it, also the council itself has said it is true there are two cardinal hours, how do you say, principal hours, Lord's and Vespers, but then it's the third hour, Hora Lectionis, the hour of reading. Therefore we have not only two principal hours, but after Lord's and Vespers we have still a very important hour which for the Christians in the world is, how do you say, is taken away from any respect to time. You can say the hour of reading, the Hora Lectionis, today in every moment. You are not obliged to say it in the morning, you can say it at noon, when is most comfortable for you. But monks are invited to say during the night, so far as possible, in the sense of we. We, when we were preparing The new liturgy of ours, obeying to the word of the council, we must try to give to everybody its veritas pure.

[48:03]

It must be said in the right time. Lord's really for sun rising in the morning. Third at nine, more or less at normal, in the beginning of the morning. Six at noon, more or less, noon, in the afternoon, in the first afternoon, best was in some setting tonight, and complete before we go to bed at two o'clock in the morning. And when we are going to bed. It must be the last prayer. But one hour is without any respect to time. If it is comfortable for you. If you have time. And in some excellent book in Germany, written in the 60s, in the 50s before the Council, it was said that for the modern man in the world, the most convenient time to relax after the daily walk is at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when you come from your institute, from your bureau, and you are washing a little bit, you are refreshing, you are eating at four or five o'clock, and then you have time to listen to the radio, to read the newspapers.

[49:13]

And here, the Christian would have the time to pray. And here would be the most convenient time for the whole religion. But for monks, it would not be so. For monks, it would be necessary to insist in this meaning of vigil, where we, during the night, are ready to wait for the coming of our Savior, in the second, in the fifth, in the sixth hour of the night, ready when he is coming. And in a certain way, it would be an awful thing if monks would forget this necessity at least in the first morning. So for as you are doing it, for our God, it's marvelous. It may be a little bit tiresome, and nevertheless, monks are invited to do it. Therefore, here we must follow, we could say, the principles of the Vatican Council.

[50:15]

And in the same time, and the directory is written in this way, in the same time retaining our tradition, which is insisting in the eschatological aspect and essence of the visual character of the Hora Lectiones. And we must do it, and we are invited to do it. When more or less the Liturgia Hora, the Roman office, was finished, let me say, 68, 69, 70. Bongini has told to me, at that time I was still the predecessor of Henry Ashford, the secretary of the Liturgical Commission of the Order. He said to me, no, you must make your office. You are not invited to take the Roman office. You must take your own. You must adapt your own breviary to the principles exposed here in the liturgy of the house, according to the Romanites, inconvenience for clergy, for Christians in the world.

[51:21]

But no, you must adapt the same according to your tradition, and therefore you must do a little bit more, and you must do it so that this, your office, according to your tradition, retaining the most principled elements of your tradition, is really the source of an authentic spirituality. and also a very important meal to give them the characteristic disposition of your entire day. You are walking not according to your civil work, but you are walking after laws, after highness, before six, after noon, therefore your entire day is characterized, is determined by the prayer life. Also you are working very much. Then the former would explain that there is no practice, but it must be practiced by God, that's the practice.

[52:26]

All the entire knowledge is explained, In addition to that, we need to treat this possibly as an effort, not as a case of opposition to an independent future. Oh, no, no, position, no, [...] it's more, it's more, more, more, yeah, yeah. Oh, yes, you are right, you are right. There are still cardinal points of the day. You are beginning the workday with the Lord, you are finishing the workday with restfulness, more or less, and then during night you have time to stay in peace for, to hear the readings, and not only, and we were very much insisting on it, not only to hear the readings, but also to pray. When we were composing the new liturgy, somebody has said, it's only Hora Lectionis, it's only an hour of readings, without any psalms. Then we said, no, no, there must be also some prayer, at least two or three psalms, and you have more.

[53:30]

According to our monastic tradition, we have not only two or three psalms, as in the Roman office, we get more. Nevertheless, it's very important to have readings, Holy Scripture, Blessed Scripture, and Father, as you are doing it very well. Therefore, we are invited to we form our breviary, and we are invited, and the entire tendency of today is to do it in a certain, we must speak about this reading later on, directory, we must do it in a certain spontaneity, so that every local church is able to create its own liturgy, as you are doing it. Therefore we shall no more have a Breviary Monasticum for the entire Benedictine Confederation as they had it.

[54:31]

It was very comfortable. And I liked it too. But the intention is not to give again a Breviarium. And all the people who were expecting that we would produce a previarium are disappointed. Because here is not a previarium, here is only the treasure in which you find all the elements which you must use to compose your own office. You are invited to do it. That is very difficult. That is difficult because many monasteries are not able to do it. And other monasteries have not the money to do it, have not the time to do it. Nevertheless, for example, if a single monastery is not able to do it, then the congregation must do it. If the sisters are not able to do it, they can ask the help of the monks. Therefore, some offices are made for a greater group, from congregations to their own offices. But the greater Abbes wished to have their own office, and therefore here I have the possibility to have spontaneity, according to the modern tendency.

[55:39]

But this spontaneity must not be forgotten. It is very important, and the entire directory is made in this way, to show us the principles which must lead us. You cannot make our office, let me say, introducing only the Rosary. Other means. Excellent ways to do it, but not Benedictine monastic tradition. We must follow the old tradition which is praying not 150 Ave Marias, Hail Marys, according to the Rosary, the Great Rosary, 150, but 150 times. Here is our word, our prayer. And also so far as possible, according to our tradition, in a shorter time. Possibly in one week. But it's too difficult because we are insisting very much today more in quality than in quantity.

[56:40]

And to consign our office, to consign it with silence, to consign it with dignity, in peace, we need perhaps a greater time. Therefore, it is quite possible to say the 150 psalms not in 8 days, but in 15 days. or in four weeks. In my monastery, in Maria Lark, according to the ideas of Fr. Raphael, we are seeing many psalms only every four weeks. You can repeat every psalm in every day, or every week. And the congregation in Rome is agreeing with that, but so that we are more or less seeing in a fortnight 150 psalms. Not all the psalms, but at least more than 150 psalms. Therefore, a minimum, also in numbers, is required.

[57:42]

Also, for the distribution, is liberty. Spontaneity, in the same time, is obedience, faithfulness to our old tradition. And also, in the distribution of the hours during the day. According to our tradition, it is not possible, as somebody has written it in Germany, an excellent book is through, as the daily prayer of Christian men of today is not pray in morning, afternoon, but once a day only. because in the morning you have no time. You are waking, are waking, and you must very quickly go to your office, to your work. Tonight you have no time because you must go to theater, to conferences, and to all this work. But in the afternoon at five o'clock you have Before the evening is beginning, all this activity of a modern light, you have half an hour to pray.

[58:47]

For monks, it's not right so. We must say the cardinal laws one night, and also at noon, and during night. Therefore, twice a day, three times a day, and during night, if not seven times. but we are not insisting in the letter. It's not necessary to pray seven times during the day and once during the night, as the rule is saying. But the principle, the spiritual principle of the rule must be retained. We must pray so that the prayer is going through the entire day. Morning, noon, afternoon, night. You know what I remember too, I asked Pat to meet up with me. And I told him I was going to meet up with him. [...]

[59:49]

And I told him I was going to meet up with him. And I told him I was going to meet up with him. Yes, there is still remaining, but also here is a certain liberty. I think that is your idea of all the 150 psalms in a certain interval of time. It's not living away one, three, four psalms. In the course of how long it is? Yeah, 150. Therefore, we were fighting about it in our Concilium ad ex sequentum constitution, and then we were preparing the new liturgy. And somebody said, it's impossible to say every psalm, because there are psalms which, in their mentality, are no more corresponding to our actual situation. How do you call them? Prupt psalms? Christians, we, the Benedictines, or many of us, not all, were fighting, defending them. And you remember, perhaps, that Notro Fuglestov has written an excellent small booklet, an article also, in the Review of the Jesuits in Germany, Schlimm an der Zeit, where he was strongly defending the Christians, according to the rule of St.

[61:01]

Benedict, who says, let us destroy these little children on the wall. Alidens parvulos cogitaturus diavoli malignus in Petra Christoseph. We must destroy the little children, the little thoughts of temptation in the rock which is Christ. And so we must give this spiritual interpretation. We are defending it, but we could not prevail. And finally, also with the authority of the Pope himself, In the Roman office, the cursing Psalms and also some verses have been taken away, because the Pope said, and he is right in saying so, we must take away any argument for people who say we don't pray this Plataeum, this liturgy, because it is against the spirit of the New Testament.

[62:01]

And when I, in the concilium, was defending it, some French priest asked me, do you still say your psalms in Latin? Yes, father. And you could not speak here, because if you say it in German, and the people are hearing it, how you are fighting against your enemies, how you are washing your feet in the blood of your enemies, how can they, the Christian people, and there is some truth in it. It is difficult to pray without an explication. Therefore, that may be taken away. Any argument against the prayer, the Pope wishes that it is only a New Testament prayer, where the Psalms are given only if they are really corresponding to the spirit of the New Testament, the testament of love. But she said expressly in the holy scripture, they are remaining. But we, we wish in our monastic office, according to our education, our possibilities, our explanations, according to the rule of St.

[63:09]

Benedict, we wish to retain the quadriceps. And we are free to do it. And if you don't like it, you are free to take them away. You don't want to suggest it, right? When the damage was done, there was a young, non-Christian, Bethany Freeman, a staff at our hospital, and the group of us three, that's how you describe it, Christian family. You are right, yes, yes, yes. These people hearing now in the modern language our crossing words are terrified, you are right. Per se, they would need immediately an explanation. We don't speak against our political enemies. We could not speak against Khrushchev, against Russia, against somebody in the state, against our democratic party and so on. Only against the devil. In the Kingdom of God, we must say that. Therefore we must explain the sound in a spiritual way.

[64:12]

We need the spiritualization of the sound. If we don't do it, oh no, no. Nobody can tell it against my enemy who yesterday has made me in troubles, against the gunfire. It's difficult. We could continue another day to return. You can tell me one.

[64:47]

@Transcribed_v004
@Text_v004
@Score_JI