Can Laity pray the Liturgy of the Hours?

[Joannm]

Hi Luigi,

It’s not an obligation as such for oblates to pray the entire Office every day. It’s an obligation to pray it as much as our condition in life allows it. That could mean one Office a week or one Office a day, or the whole thing, or some days the whole thing and other days a part of it. Or it could be what your superior requires (the rest of course being optional).

But for sure were not supposed to just ignore it.

Oblates can also pray what ever Office they prefer. They can pray the LIttle Office of the BVM, the Office that is in Magnificat (which is slightly different than the official LOTH), or they can pray the Monastic Durinal. Each monastery can pray their own version of the Office as well as each monastery is independent although they are part of a greater congregation. Our monastery has their own version but they don’t publish it so we oblates can’t get copies of it so we are asked to pray whatever we prefer as long as we pray some form of it.

 

[OraLabora]

Oblates can also pray what ever Office they prefer. They can pray the LIttle Office of the BVM, the Office that is in Magnificat (which is slightly different than the official LOTH), or they can pray the Monastic Durinal. Each monastery can pray their own version of the Office as well as each monastery is independent although they are part of a greater congregation. Our monastery has their own version but they don’t publish it so we oblates can’t get copies of it so we are asked to pray whatever we prefer as long as we pray some form of it.

Yes this is true. Our abbey uses a published Monastic Liturgy of the Hours (Schema B, 150 psalms per week). I alternate between it an the LOTH depending on how busy I am. The books are no longer in print alas; for Lauds and Vespers, they do it in Latin Gregorian chant with house books, fortunately the Oblate Director gave me copies, but it’s possible to put it together from existing books.

Our abbey does publish this schema in a small “breviary” for Oblates that contains Lauds, Vespers and Complines, the suggested hours to pray each day; there are two versions, French only and Latin/French but with no musical notation.

 

[NikitaRhea]

As many of those who have posted on this thread have mentioned, it is not forbidden for us Laymen and women to pray the LOTH. Those priests of the Religious Orders are under obedience, so it is consider a serious sin. While those of the 3rd Order (Laity of a Religious Order) are not bound, but are told it is recommended (unless noted by their Constitution and Rules) that you must try if you can, but are not bound by it.

As a Dominican Laywoman, I pray the LOTH as often as I can, but sometimes life gets in the way (cooking dinner, working, trying to handle kids, have troubles with family, volunteering at the parish, taking our kids to soccer games, and etc. are just some of the answer you will hear some of laity tell you why they could not say evening prayers or night prayers.) and that is what makes us different from those with the vocation of religious life or priesthood.

It is great when you can, but if you cannot, always know that you can say little prayers as you are letting your life take control instead of what you want to do.

God Bless.

 

[joanofarc2008]

Been doing it for a year and a half now. You can also check out divineoffice.org if you are a new to it and want to try it first. This may cut down on some of the confusion of getting started and allow you to focus on some of the prayers themselves. They actually chant some of them on the site as well. It is an absolutely wonderful experience.