Chapter 15: When the Alleluia should be said
From the holy feast of Easter until Pentecost the Alleluia must always be said in the psalms and the responsories. From Pentecost until the beginning of Lent it is said only with the last six psalms in the night office. On every Sunday outside Lent, however, the Alleluia is included in Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext and None....
(From Ch. 15 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
Benedict expands the expression of joyful praise to the greater part of the liturgical year. Seeking God in this way enlivens my experience of being, and brings me, perhaps, just a bit closer to continuous prayer of selfless attention.
We introduced in our vacation bible school “prayer” with the first letter –p- standing for “praise”. Teaching young children brings everything down to the simplest ideas. Christ asked us to become like little children. “Alleluia” can stand for any praiseworthy meaning we can give-“God, you’re awesome” “Hey, God, you are great”. Using our own words gives meaning and depth to the “Alleluia” .
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