Prologue: Christian Prayer in the New Testament and its Jewish Background
from
The Liturgy of the Hours in the East and the West
The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today
by
Robert Taft, S.J.
(I took professor Taft's course at Notre Dame, shortly before this book was first published. At that time summer courses still lasted seven weeks, meeting either three or two times a week in alternation. Taft put almost all of the relevant books in English on reserve and gave us a fine outline and bibliography.
He expected us to read as much as possible and make up our own minds as to what it meant. His job was to tell what he thought it meant. Taft argued that knowledge of the past by means of research using original languages was necessary.
However he also said that he did not have the pastoral experience to solve all the problems of the contemporary church. Master's degree students had to understand the research as deeply as possible and then use pastoral experience to interpret its meaning for today.
My Purpose
My aim is to interpret Taft's book and the meaning of the Divine Office for those who wish to celebrate the Divine Office both personally and/or in groups, especially in their homes and other locations outside of parishes, especially for being inclusive with people of other Christian traditions.
Chapter Summary
1.
Christians were urged to pray, daily and constantly, whether alone, together,
or separate, at home, in the temple, or synagogue.
Christians
were to pray persistently, constantly, with faith and confidence, without hypocrisy
or ostentation, or many words, and to be ever watchful.
2.
First Corinthians Chapter 11, the earliest report of Christian worship,
describes assemblies with speaking in tongues, revelations, prophecy, teaching,
psalmody, blessings, and thanksgiving. What is new in Christian worship, the
belief in salvation and new life in Christ is more important than the
background and context.
3.
The Old Testament with its psalms, hymns, images, and typology provided the
background for Christian prayer.
4.
Morning and evening prayer were the most general and privileged hours of prayer
in the several traditions of Judaism. However for the most part there is little
evidence of direct borrowing from Jewish prayers and rituals. For example the absence
of Psalm 140 (141) the classical Christian evening psalm in Jewish evening
prayer.