brewiarze

Breviary, in Polish brewiarz (plural brewiarze), is a liturgical book used in Christian worship, most commonly in the Roman Catholic tradition. It contains the set of daily prayers, psalms, readings, hymns, antiphons, and prayers that together compose the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours. The breviary is designed to structure the day’s prayers for clergy, monks, nuns, and, in some cases, laypeople, guiding the recitation across the canonical hours.

Historically, the practice of daily liturgical prayer grew in the early church and expanded in medieval monastic communities. Manuscripts and, later, printed editions spread widely in Europe. A standardized Latin form known as the Roman Breviary emerged in the early modern period, providing a uniform set of texts for the main hours. After the Second Vatican Council, reforms led to the modern Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office), published in the 1960s–1970s, which broadened access, incorporated vernacular languages, and reorganized the structure of the hours.

Contents and structure vary by rite and edition but typically include the psalter (the Book of Psalms), canticles, biblical and patristic readings, hymns, antiphons, and the prayers for the day and liturgical seasons. The traditional arrangement covered hours such as Matins (Office of Readings), Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline, though contemporary editions commonly emphasize Lauds, Vespers, and Compline with the Office of Readings.

Usage varies by tradition: clergy and religious communities use the office as a daily routine, while some laypersons use breviaries for personal devotion. In Polish-speaking contexts, brewiarze serve similar liturgical and devotional purposes within the Catholic heritage.