Can you silently pray TLOH and other questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Benedict11
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Benedict11

Guest
when praying the liturgy of the hours is it okay to pray it silently when by yourself? Also when alone how do you handle the response part? This question also applies to any prayer with a response (angelus, hail holy queen, etc). I always say both parts to myself, but don’t know if this is the official way to recite it.
 
Benedict11 said:
when praying the liturgy of the hours is it okay to pray it silently when by yourself? Also when alone how do you handle the response part? This question also applies to any prayer with a response (angelus, hail holy queen, etc). I always say both parts to myself, but don’t know if this is the official way to recite it.
Click to expand...
Yes, you may recite the LOTH silently when praying it alone. In this way, you can pray it while riding a commuter train or standing in line (a long line 😉), etc. I pray it alone every day and I do the responses. I figure the angels are praying it with me, so I do their part for them and my part for me. 😃 Only when praying the Invitatory Psalm do you not need to recite the antiphon after each stanza, but you may if you’d like to.
 
Thanks so much. Tomorrow I’m going to get back in the groove and start praying it again 👍
 
God can always read your thoughts. So, He has no problem hearing you when you pray the LOTH silently. The good and bad angels, Blessed Virgin Mary and the other saints in heaven, on the other hand, cannot ordinarily read your thoughts, unless God specially wills it. Although I know from personal experience that God indeed does sometimes share our silent prayers with the good angels, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the other saints in heaven, it is probably a good idea whenever possible to at least silently mouth the words when praying to them, such as when praying the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the conclusion of the Night Prayer of the LOTH
 
Benedict11 said:
when praying the liturgy of the hours is it okay to pray it silently when by yourself? Also when alone how do you handle the response part? This question also applies to any prayer with a response (angelus, hail holy queen, etc). I always say both parts to myself, but don’t know if this is the official way to recite it.
Click to expand...
The LOTH is designed for common prayer but also accounts for individual prayer when alone.

Generally speaking, you just read whatever is printed. Example, the Responsory, you just read both parts. You answer Amen to yourself.

For the Intercessions, you can simply read through the intro and the italicized response once then just read the intercessions in sequence. Repeating the response when done alone is optional (you may, though, no problems; in fact some Commons do print the italicized responses in between petitions).

The key thing (with Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer) is that you don’t greet “The Lord be with you” to yourself at the conclusion. It’s always “May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.”

For Night Prayer, you ALWAYS end with “May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.”
 
Yes, one can pray TLOH silently. As a Discalced Carmelite Secular I pray TLOH silently when alone. hen in Community we pray it out loud with the group. When we pray not all prayers even fomal one’s need to be said out loud and can always be prayed silently.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top