Aggregating the LOTH - And also doing Mass as a reader's service with no Eucharist

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Errham

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Hello,

One of the focal points of my day is praying the LOTH. Recently I’ve started praying a few hours from the Orthodox Horologion as well. Problem is, as expected, I have a job (evening shift), and that cuts back on my ability to pray the LOTH fully. Currently I can only manage Matins, Lauds, Terce and Compline. Now, one of the interesting things that I discovered while introducing myself to the Horologion, is that the Orthodox don’t usually pray the offices at their respective hours, but rather group them into three aggregates - Morning (Midnight Hour, Orthros and First Hour), Afternoon (Third Hour, Sixth Hour and Divine Liturgy/Typika) and Evening (Ninth Hour, Vespers and Compline) as well as variation as the schedule requires (for instance, when Great Compline is prescribed, the Ninth Hour and Vespers are actually tacked on to the Afternoon Aggregate, leaving the entire evening free for Great Compline).

Now, I know it’s not traditional in Catholicism, but could a similar aggregate system work for the Catholic LOTH? I already aggregate the Midnight Office (when using the Horlogion as well), Matins and Lauds. With an aggregate system, I could pray Terce and Sext at 9:00 AM and None, Vespers and Compline when I get home around 11ish. It would definitely strengthen my prayer life to know that I can pray a full seven-hour cycle. What do you guys think of the idea?

And also, a separate question. The Orthodox have a form (more of a substitute for the Divine Liturgy) called Typika. If I understood correctly, this is meant to replace the Divine Liturgy when no priest is present, or on days when no mass is celebrated. It functions entirely as a reader service, more or less just consisting of the Liturgy of the Word without any Eucharistic elements (although a deacon may distribute communion if any is left in the Tabernacle.) Is there any similar service in Catholicism? I can’t attend Daily Mass because of my job schedule, and I feel that at least being able to pray an abbreviated service myself could help ease my conscience for not being there.

Pax
-Errham
 
As a Third Order Lay Carmelite I pray four parts of the LOTH daily. Since we are lay people living in the world we suit the times according to our life style, unlike those who are in monasteries. I am in the habit of praying the Office of Readings, Morning, Evening, and Night prayer.

When there is no priest available we have a Communion Service and that happens for three days a year, on weekdays, when the priests in our diocese are attending a retreat

How good that you decided to do those prayers! I know praying the LOTH has helped me a lot in my prayer life.

The Lord’s blessings to you,

Dorothy
 
Errham said:
Hello,

One of the focal points of my day is praying the LOTH. Recently I’ve started praying a few hours from the Orthodox Horologion as well. Problem is, as expected, I have a job (evening shift), and that cuts back on my ability to pray the LOTH fully. Currently I can only manage Matins, Lauds, Terce and Compline. Now, one of the interesting things that I discovered while introducing myself to the Horologion, is that the Orthodox don’t usually pray the offices at their respective hours, but rather group them into three aggregates - Morning (Midnight Hour, Orthros and First Hour), Afternoon (Third Hour, Sixth Hour and Divine Liturgy/Typika) and Evening (Ninth Hour, Vespers and Compline) as well as variation as the schedule requires (for instance, when Great Compline is prescribed, the Ninth Hour and Vespers are actually tacked on to the Afternoon Aggregate, leaving the entire evening free for Great Compline).

Now, I know it’s not traditional in Catholicism, but could a similar aggregate system work for the Catholic LOTH? I already aggregate the Midnight Office (when using the Horlogion as well), Matins and Lauds. With an aggregate system, I could pray Terce and Sext at 9:00 AM and None, Vespers and Compline when I get home around 11ish. It would definitely strengthen my prayer life to know that I can pray a full seven-hour cycle. What do you guys think of the idea?

And also, a separate question. The Orthodox have a form (more of a substitute for the Divine Liturgy) called Typika. If I understood correctly, this is meant to replace the Divine Liturgy when no priest is present, or on days when no mass is celebrated. It functions entirely as a reader service, more or less just consisting of the Liturgy of the Word without any Eucharistic elements (although a deacon may distribute communion if any is left in the Tabernacle.) Is there any similar service in Catholicism? I can’t attend Daily Mass because of my job schedule, and I feel that at least being able to pray an abbreviated service myself could help ease my conscience for not being there.

Pax
-Errham
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The General Instructions of the LOTH require that we respect the verity of the hour. We do not have to pray at a fixed hour every day, but Morning Prayer should be fairly early in the morning, Terce sometime mid morning, Sext sometime around the lunch hour, None sometime mid-afternoon, Vespers sometime in the early evening, and Compline before bed. The Office of Readings can be prayed at any time, and can be combined with any hour (but not the Mass). I pray the Office of Readings as Vigils either very early in the morning (around 5:30 am) or by anticipation the previous evening, as my circumstances allow. As I usually work from home, my other hours are pretty much on a fixed schedule:

Lauds 6:30
Tierce 9:30
Sext 12:00
None 15:00
Vespers 17:00
Compline 20:15

I have been known to “speed-pray” an Office if in a hurry (at work, or going out). I don’t know what kind of work you do but in my case it was possible to pray at my desk or on break when I was working; Evening Prayer would take me about 10 minutes, less than a smoke break outside that most smokers took several times a day! But then I had a desk job.

With respect to your second question, the General Instructions allow the combining of any of the hours except the Office of Readings, with the Mass. It’s regularly done at monasteries. Last November I spent a week in a monastery in Rome and Lauds and the Mass were combined.

I do know our parish combines Lauds with a communion service (no Mass) on weekdays. I can’t find specific rubrics for that; my understanding is that while this is permitted on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation when a priest isn’t available, it’s discouraged on weekdays, since there is not normally an obligation to receive communion during the week (except for HDOs). However if no Mass is being held on a weekday, the Liturgy of the Hours alone is encouraged.
 
OraLabora said:
I have been known to “speed-pray” an Office if in a hurry (at work, or going out). I don’t know what kind of work you do but in my case it was possible to pray at my desk or on break when I was working; Evening Prayer would take me about 10 minutes, less than a smoke break outside that most smokers took several times a day!
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I know I have done a speed pray version too, but I always feel guilty when I do so. Like I can’t devote a full 20 - 30 minutes with God.
 
KD8TZC said:
I know I have done a speed pray version too, but I always feel guilty when I do so. Like I can’t devote a full 20 - 30 minutes with God.
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It happens. I’ve prayed it on planes, in trains, before Mass, etc. but usually at home.

Once I was traveling with a monk in my car; he read Terce aloud while I drove (there were three of us in the car traveling to the ordination to the diaconate of an oblate). One does what one can.

Yesterday was a “speed pray” day as I had to pick up my wife at the airport, drive home, make a quick late dinner for us, and then bedtime. The airport is an hour and a half away so with waiting time for luggage and rush hour traffic, I was away from home from 3 pm 'till 7:30 pm.
 
The Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham includes Morning Prayer, Prayer during the day, Evening Prayer and compline. There is no Office of Readings included as MP and EP contain two readings, with the option to use the Spiritual literature also included in the volume.

EP may be said with the Nunc Dimitis if compline is not to be used (as is usual) or with a replacement canticle if Compline is to be said later. The final anthem can be used after EP or compline.

MP or EP may also replace the Liturgy of the Word if Mass is to follow directly.

I know this doesn’t particularly apply to you but it demonstrates options available from the Ordinariate.

(I usually use the LOTH for morning prayer and then the Customary for EP and Compline - just have to take care to select the correct readings).

As I can’t attend Mass each day I always read the Mass readings of the day along with a daily reflection.
 
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