Studia Pastoralne
Rocznik Wydziału Teologicznego UŚ

THE UNIQUE DEVOTION OF THE MORNING PRAYER OF CHRISTMAS
Summary
„The Morning Prayer of the Christmas” – performed usually before the Shepherd’s Mass – is a unique devotion which prepares for the immediate celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. The structure of this devotion is based partially on the Liturgy of the Hours but the texts and melodies represent a folk tradition. The eldest known version of its text is from the first part of the XIX century (handwritten Kancjonał z Ligoty from 1832). The first known music written to the text is from the second part of the XIX century (Chorał do Kancjonału ks. Janusza from 1873). There is a superficial analogy between the Catholic devotion of „The Morning Prayer of the Christmas” and a popular Protestant matins, but they are essentially different. Nevertheless in both cases they express a strong devotional tradition popular, mainly, among the Christian communities of the Cieszyn Silesia.