Divine Office w/ King James

[scottzacky]

Hi, is it all right if I use the King James for the psalms when praying the divine office?

 

[OraLabora]

No. If you’re praying the Divine Office as a liturgical prayer, you need to use an approved translation.

If it’s just a personal devotion you can do what you want, but it won’t be liturgical, that is, you won’t be praying the universal prayer of the Church.

 

[benedictgal]

Hi, is it all right if I use the King James for the psalms when praying the divine office?

To augment what OraLabora said, you need to use the approved text if you are going to pray the Divine Office. Now, the new Grail Psalter has been approved and a new office should be in the works. South Africa already has it.

Now, if you want to use text that has beautiful language, why not use the Douay-Rhiems Bible. The text is pretty much the KJV, but, it is Catholic.

 

[OraLabora]

To augment what OraLabora said, you need to use the approved text if you are going to pray the Divine Office.

Benedictgal is correct, all texts used for the Divine Office have to be approved. Some variations on which texts to use may be allowed, for example which hymn, reading and Gospel canticle antiphon to use for memorials that don’t have proper texts, but they need to be approved texts as well.

I think the only escape from that would be inserting personal intentions at the intercessions, which is allowed.

Constructing your own Divine Office from a bible sounds like a daunting task. Surely buying one of the approved breviaries (Christian Prayer, the 4-volume LOH), would be easier? Or if you can’t afford it, using an on-line source (not Universalis.com which does not use approved texts, incidentally)?

Even the 4-volume, though it seems expensive, isn’t so bad if you spread out the purchase over a year: buy as first volume whatever is being used now, then buy the next volume shortly before you need it, and so forth. That’s what I did.

 

[scottzacky]

Very helpful; thanks so much, everyone.