invitatories

An invitatory is a short liturgical invocation used to invite participants to prayer, typically at the opening of a service or the daily offices. It serves to prepare the congregation and mark the beginning of worship.

In Western Christian liturgies, the invitatory usually consists of a brief opening antiphon or psalm, often followed by a canticle or hymn. The most common form is a canticle or psalm known as the Invitatory Psalm, with Venite (Psalm 95) being the traditional text in many rites. Because texts and languages vary by tradition and local usage, the exact wording of the invitatory can differ between Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and other liturgical families, and even within regional rites.

The function of the invitatory is practical and theological. It provides a concrete invitation to praise, acknowledging God’s presence and calling the faithful to commune in prayer. It typically occurs at the start of the Liturgy of the Hours (the Divine Office) in monastic and clerical contexts, but similar opening invocations appear in various forms of morning prayer and some services of worship.

Historically, invitatories developed in early Christian and medieval monastic practice as a structured way to begin the day’s prayer. In modern usage, they persist in many Christian traditions as a recognizable opening element of morning prayer, though the precise texts and structure may differ. In all forms, the invitatory maintains the core aim: to invite the community to turn its attention to prayer and to begin the liturgical day.