Either or both commons?
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    My parish will be celebrating Evening Prayer (Ordinary Form) in common this Thursday, February 3. When planning it out, I see that the selections for St. Blaise may be taken either from the Common of One Martyr or the Common of Pastors.

    My question is: Is it permissible to mix the two commons, or should one or the other be chosen? For example, could I use the first psalm from the Common of One Martyr, the second psalm from the Common of Pastors, and the canticle from the Common of One Martyr?

    When options for two commons are provided, may they be mixed?
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    By the way, I have combed the GILH (which has a far less snappy acronym than the GIRM), and can find nothing about this.
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    common ... or ... common

    We are given a choice at a Common level, not at a component level.

    If you are a priest or deacon or religious with an obligation to pray the LOTH,
    you set your book ribbons after Compline,
    or maybe first thing in the morning.
    Then, several times a day,
    you open the volume and just pray the next Hour as found at the appropriate ribbons,
    and then move on to the next task of the day.
    The idea of browsing and planning before any Hour
    to pick bits and pieces from different commons does not even cross your mind.
    (Well, if it did, it disappeared before the end of the first week!)

    I think this practical experience might explain why there is no discussion in the GILH.
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    If this is an occasional celebration and not a regular one, you can basically pick any Psalms you want legally:

    252. Everyone should be concerned to respect the complete cycle of the four-week psalter. [7] Still, for spiritual or pastoral advantage, the psalms appointed for a particular day may be replaced with others from the same hour of a different day. There are also circumstances occasionally arising when it is permissible to choose suitable psalms and other texts in the way done for a votive office.

    Is your Church dedicated to St. Blaise? Most places in the U.S. Blaise is an optional memorial and if celebrated ranks, therefore, as a memorial. So the Psalms don't ordinarily come from the Common of Martyrs or the Common of Pastors at all, but from the current week and day, unless there are proper Psalms (which you say there aren't, I don't have the LoTH in front of me):

    Memorials During Ordinary Time

    235. In the office of readings, at morning prayer, and at evening prayer:

    a. the psalms and their antiphons are taken from the current week and day, unless there are proper antiphons or proper psalms, which is indicated as the case occurs;

    b. the antiphon at the invitatory, the hymn, the short reading, the antiphons at the Canticles of Zechariah and of Mary, and the intercessions must be those of the saint if these are given in the proper; otherwise, they are taken either from the common or from the current week and day;

    c. the concluding prayer from the office of the saint is to be said;
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    (OF) LOTH
    Proper of Saints
    Feb 3 St Blaise
    Office of Readings Second Reading and Responsory
    Prayer

    No other propers.

    I still do not see how to read the GILH paragraphs
    so as to argue for mixing *bits*
    from the options available (Ordinary, Martyr, Pastors).
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    Thanks, all. No, my parish is not dedicated to St. Blaise, and I never considered just using the psalmody from the normal cycle (which seems like far too obvious and logical of a choice to have occurred to me). In the Proper of Saints, you are correct; the only thing listed as proper is the Prayer (which we will coincidentally skip since we will be celebrating in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction). It also says that the psalms and canticle should come from the Common of Pastors or the Common of One Martyr. I believe you when you say that we should normally use the cycle, but just to play devil's advocate: under what circumstances would you use the suggested commons for St. Blaise? Would it be if he were a patron of the parish (in which case, it would be a solemnity)?

    Other than that, I also agree with eft that we have a choice at the option but not the component level. There certainly seems to be more consistency in prayer that way.

    Thanks again!
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