Breviarium Romanum [new] Direct

You might just find that the "shortened" prayer takes you into the very depths of eternity.

Whether you are a Latin Mass enthusiast, a liturgical historian, or simply a Christian curious about your heritage, I encourage you to find a copy. Open it to Compline. Read the Nunc Dimittis in Latin. Let the ancient words wash over you. breviarium romanum

To pray the Breviarium Romanum is to pray the exact words that St. Thomas Aquinas prayed, that St. Thérèse of Lisieux (who had a special devotion to the Office) prayed in her cloister. It is a direct, unbroken line. You might just find that the "shortened" prayer

There is a theological precision and a spiritual power in Latin that many find absent in translation. It is a sacred language, set apart from the daily chatter of the street. Read the Nunc Dimittis in Latin

Before you picture a dusty, leather-bound book locked in a monastery library, let me assure you: this book is a heartbeat. It is the rhythmic prayer of the Church, beating across time zones and centuries. But what exactly is it? And why should a modern Christian care? The name Breviarium comes from the Latin brevis (short). Ironically, the full Roman Breviary is anything but short. It is a monumental compendium containing the Liturgia Horarum (Liturgy of the Hours)—the official set of prayers marking the hours of each day.

Requiescat in pace. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

There is a quiet romance in old Latin phrases. They speak of empires, of cathedrals, of whispered prayers in candlelit cells. For over four centuries, one such phrase governed the daily life of every priest, bishop, and religious in the Western Church: Breviarium Romanum —the Roman Breviary.