Help - Christian Prayer: Liturgy of the Hours

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Ok, so while doing my first Perpetual Adoration I couldnt help but notice the man next to me was reading his entire hour from a book I saw called Christian Prayer.

So, I became very curious. I went to the bookstore and found that book. Without a second thought, I purchased it.

Well, as Im sure many of you know, this is a bit hard to just pick up and dig right in. I really am having trouble figuring out what the “flow” of this book is. Where do I start? Where do all these ribbons go?

Is there a system that any of you use to go through it?

Please help! =)
 
Try divineoffice.org Then click on whatever prayer you are saying. As an example, tomorrow, Sunday, the morning prayer for the Christian Prayer is:

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Propers: 125
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, Page 925

You can always get the Saint Joseph Guide for Christian Prayer from catholicbookpublishing.com. The 2010 Guide is number 406 and sells for $2 + a small shipping charge.

Hope this helps,

Richard
 
Ok, so I have the 2010 St Joseph Guide and lets take for example January.

Right underneath it reads: EP 173 (1368); NP 1034 or 1037.

Do I then read 173 and 1368 for the Evening Prayer? Or both? What do the parenthesis mean?

Then for Jan 1 it says Mary, Mother of God (Sol) 175

Do I go to page 175? What part of that page would I then read?
 
Here is a link to a 46 Mb pdf file that is an easy to understand book about how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The author, Seth Murray, later refined this a bit and released it as “Lord, Open My Lips: The Liturgy of the Hours as Daily Prayer”. This is pretty much identical to that text.

Discovering Prayer

Also, check out The Guide to Christian Prayer. It’s a free online version of the $2 daily guide that is available at bookstores (and which may have been included with your copy of Christian Prayer).

Peace, Love & Prayer!
 
Or you can look into "The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step by Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours ". Its on Amazon for like $3 and it certainly helped me out when I first started with Christian Prayer: LotH
 
The one thing I am not getting at this point is when you see this:

MP (103) 897

Which one do you read? Both? Pick one?
 
Jotobo said:
The one thing I am not getting at this point is when you see this:
MP (103) 897
Which one do you read? Both? Pick one?
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It’s the essential Catholic answer of Both/And!

The numbers without parentheses are the psalms and readings for that day in the regular rotation of the Psalter. The pages within parentheses are the prayers which may be used for special feasts and memorials, they basically “trump” or supercede the regular readings.

So: Read from 103, as it is particular to the season or date, and then use 897 from the Psalter for what portions it doesn’t cover.
 
It has been so long since I’ve used a St Joseph guide (show-off 😛 ) – Isn’t there a bit in the beginning of it that explains the notation?

Since I do not have a paper copy, I will parse an example from the St Francis de Sales page, and an extra-tricky example at that:

Sunday 20 December 2009, The Fourth Sunday of Advent, taking one office at a time:

  • *]MP 112 (926) (Ant 126);
    Morning Prayer, Proper of Seasons, beginning on p 112 you will find the psalm antiphons, reading, responsory, intercessions, and prayer.
    Beginning on p 926, Psalter, you will find the psalms to use (the antiphons are handily reprinted here in small type).
    The antiphon for the Benedictus (Canticle of Zacariah) is taken from p 126, “20 December”.
    *]DP 994;
    I hope Daytime Prayer is self-explanatory.
    *]EP (114) 931 (Ant 127);
    Just like Morning Prayer, the Proper of Seasons begins on p 114.
    The psalms on p 931 of the Psalter.
    The Magnificat (Caticle of Mary) antiphon on p 127.
    *]NP 1037
    Again, Night Prayer is self-explantory.
    ][OOR 1850, Rd 1810f & 1942f; TD Pr 113]
    The Office Of Readings, psalms begin on p 1850.
    Read one of the biblical readings in the section beginning on p 1870    , and one of the non-biblical readings from the section beginning on p 1942.
    It is Sunday outside of Lent, so pray the Te Deum (hope you saved the insert).
    The closing prayer of the office is the same as Morning Prayer, found on p 113.

    (* The St Frances de Sales page misprints this as “1810”)

    tee
 
^^^

Oh duh, lol

I cant believe I havent noticed this, haha. It is a bit confusing but now that Ive spent the last 4-5 hours reading about it, its making a ton more sense.

I only have the 2010 guide so I will adjust until 2010 starts.

Thank you all for the help!!!
 
Now that I have figured this bad boy out I can only say one thing about it…

Its just awesome!

Next to the Bible everyone, and I mean everyone, should be using this daily.
 
Jotobo said:
Now that I have figured this bad boy out I can only say one thing about it…

Its just awesome!

Next to the Bible everyone, and I mean everyone, should be using this daily.
Click to expand...
I wholeheartedly agree with this!!! It is absolutely the best thing that has happened to me in ages!!! (outside the obvious mass, reconciliation, Bible, etc. etc. etc.) It has improved, deepened, and increased my prayer life beyond my imagination. It also allows you to understand the Bible more deeply by showing you, in a way, how the different parts fit together and how different passages refer back to other passages. It takes a bit of time to get used to this, but it is LOVELY!!!

Joyfully,

FSC
 
Jotobo said:
^^^

Oh duh, lol

I cant believe I havent noticed this, haha. It is a bit confusing but now that Ive spent the last 4-5 hours reading about it, its making a ton more sense.

I only have the 2010 guide so I will adjust until 2010 starts.

Thank you all for the help!!!
Click to expand...
This is probably the worst possible week to try and figure it out (week before Christmas). When we get to “ordinary time”, it is much easier to follow. Then, after a while in ordinary time, you’ll be ready for other parts of the liturgical year which introduce more complexities. Hang in there and do the best you can!!
 
My advice (based on how I became familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours)
  1. get really familiar with the ordinary, so you know how each hour flows. That way you won’t have to ask, “wait what’s next?” Instead you’ll be able to say, “okay, next is the Magnificat … it’s a memorial, so let me get the antiphon from the proper if it’s there, otherwise the common or weekday.”
  2. Besides knowing each hour’s structure, get used to the differences between weekdays, memorials, feasts and solemnities. E.g., memorials are usually everything from the weekday except what’s in the proper of saints (sometimes just the concluding prayer, or the antiphons for the gospel canticles). For the most important solemnities (e.g. Christmas) pretty much everything will come from the proper of saints or seasons
When you get used to the flow of each hour and how each celebration takes more particular prayers (and less of the weekday’s general prayers) the more solemn it is, this will all get easier and easier.
 
What about the ribbons? I feel like they are kind of useless being I have the St Joseph Guide.

How do I place these?

Also another question about the Guide:

[OOR 1867, Rd 1882f & 1955f, TD Pr 146]

At what times of day do I read from these?
 
newyorkcatholic said:
My advice (based on how I became familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours)
  1. get really familiar with the ordinary, so you know how each hour flows. That way you won’t have to ask, “wait what’s next?” Instead you’ll be able to say, “okay, next is the Magnificat … it’s a memorial, so let me get the antiphon from the proper if it’s there, otherwise the common or weekday.”
  2. Besides knowing each hour’s structure, get used to the differences between weekdays, memorials, feasts and solemnities. E.g., memorials are usually everything from the weekday except what’s in the proper of saints (sometimes just the concluding prayer, or the antiphons for the gospel canticles). For the most important solemnities (e.g. Christmas) pretty much everything will come from the proper of saints or seasons
When you get used to the flow of each hour and how each celebration takes more particular prayers (and less of the weekday’s general prayers) the more solemn it is, this will all get easier and easier.
Click to expand...
 
I use the Christian Prayer book for the Liturgy of the Hours and use a guide from
the Leaflet Missal company of Saint Paul , Minn., number 06542. I no lomger
use the hymns for personal reasons. I assign certain hours to certain hours
of the day. If I am busy during those certain hours, I do not say those
prayers. For example, I went to the nursing home as a volunteer to have
lunch on this Christmas Day as an act of perfect charity and did not say the
Office Readings.
John Romanoski
 
Jotobo said:
What about the ribbons? I feel like they are kind of useless being I have the St Joseph Guide.

How do I place these?
Click to expand...
In whatever way *you *find most helpful. Puerly as a suggestion off the top of my head for 5 ribbons:
  • The Proper of Seasons
  • The Psalter
  • The Proper of Saints
  • The Common of Saints
  • The OOR Psalter
And I would suggest a holy card or other bookmark (perhaps the insert with the Te Deum) in the Ordinary, at least until you get used to it.

NB too: If you want to go wild, you can purchase a second set of ribbons – My CP has an attached supplement of Franciscan Proper Offices, so I use a second 5 ribbons to mark: The Ordinary, Daytime Prayer, Night Prayer, the Hymn section, and the Franciscan Propers.
Jotobo said:
Also another question about the Guide:

[OOR 1867, Rd 1882f & 1955f, TD Pr 146]

At what times of day do I read from these?
Click to expand...
Again, the *General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours *(primarily: #59):
  1. The Constitution on the Liturgy directs that the office of readings, “though
    it should retain its character as a night office of praise when celebrated in
    choir, shall be adapted so that it may be recited at any hour of the day; it
    shall be made up of fewer psalms and longer readings.” [11]
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  1. Those who are obliged by their own particular law and others who commendably
    wish to retain the character of this office as a night office of praise (either
    by saying it at night or very early in the morning and before morning prayer),
    during Ordinary Time choose the hymn from the selection given for this purpose.
    Moreover, for Sundays, solemnities, and certain feasts what is said in nos.
    70-73 about vigils must be kept in mind.
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  1. Without prejudice to the regulations just given, the office of readings may
    be recited at any hour of the day, even during the night hours of the previous
    day, after evening prayer has been said.
Click to expand...
  1. If the office of readings is said before morning prayer, the invitatory
    precedes it, as noted (nos. 34-36). Otherwise it begins with the verse, God,
    come to my assistance with the Glory to the Father, As it was in the beginning,
    and the Alleluia (omitted in Lent).
Click to expand...
tee
 
I just do this on my own, not at Church or anything. I dont know if that makes a difference.

I really do appreciate all of the (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
Another question…

Do you have to buy a whole new book each year or just a new St. Josephs Guide?
 
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