Help me to learn to pray the LOTH

[mercygate]

AJV - Thanks for your reply. It is very helpful.

Too bad I’ve been doing the wrong thing on Memorials though!

We’re reporting you to the Breviary Gestapo right now!You would take the psalms and all other apparatus from the Common if you were celebrating a memorial as a feast or solemnity – for example, if St. Bernard were your parish patron. In the Confraternity of Penitents, we celebrate the memorial of the Queenship of Mary as a Solemnity because August 22 is the anniversary of our foundation. So not only do we use the psalms from Sunday, week I, we also do not have to fast (we fast on Wednesdays) and we can eat meat (we don’t eat meat on Wednesdays). Everything that is not in the Proper of Saints will come from the Common.The answer to your other question about the prayer of the day being used for all the hours is that for the little hours, you may use the prayer of the day or not. You can pray the little hours on memorials as if the memorial did not exist.Also the hymn and the psalm prayers are optional. They may be omitted.

 

[maryj]

Can I get a little help again. I’d like to know if I’ve got this correct… This is how I prayed the LOTH this morning with Christian prayer
Page 947 Tuesday week IV
Lord open my lips…
Ant. Come let us whorship the Lord, our almighty God
Psalm 95 pg. 688
Glory be to the Father…
antiphon repeated
Hymn no. 13 pg.1521
antiphon. I will sing to you, O Lord: I will learn…
Psalm 101 Pg 948
Glory be…
Psalm prayer So that your people may walk in innocence…
ant. Lord do not withhold your compassion from us
Canticle Azariah’s prayer in the furnace
Glory be…
Ant. O God, I will sing to you a new song
Psalm 144: 1-10
Psalm prayer Lord God of strength, you gave your Son…
Reading Isaiah 55: 1-3 All who are thirsty…
Responsory Lord listen to my cry (not sure about the red lines here, and if I should be repeating the response before or after red line??)
Canticle of Zechariah pg 691
Ant. Lord, save us from the hands of all who hate us.
Intercessions again not sure if I am to repeat before or after red line and what it is I should be repeating??
Our Father
Closing prayer
Conclusion pg 694 May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlating life. Amen

Am I close??? Thanks in advance.

 

[AJV]

Can I get a little help again. I’d like to know if I’ve got this correct… This is how I prayed the LOTH this morning with Christian prayer
Page 947 Tuesday week IV
Lord open my lips…
Ant. Come let us worship the Lord, our almighty God
Psalm 95 pg. 688
Glory be to the Father…
antiphon repeated
Hymn no. 13 pg.1521
antiphon. I will sing to you, O Lord: I will learn…
Psalm 101 Pg 948
Glory be…
Psalm prayer So that your people may walk in innocence…
ant. Lord do not withhold your compassion from us
Canticle Azariah’s prayer in the furnace
Glory be…
Ant. O God, I will sing to you a new song
Psalm 144: 1-10
Psalm prayer Lord God of strength, you gave your Son…
Reading Isaiah 55: 1-3 All who are thirsty…
Responsory Lord listen to my cry (not sure about the red lines here, and if I should be repeating the response before or after red line??)
Canticle of Zechariah pg 691
Ant. Lord, save us from the hands of all who hate us.
Intercessions again not sure if I am to repeat before or after red line and what it is I should be repeating??
Our Father
Closing prayer
Conclusion pg 694 May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlating life. Amen

Am I close??? Thanks in advance.

Assuming that the hymn is correct, yes absolutely Today being an obligatory memorial of St. Pius X, the Closing Prayer should have been “Father to defend the Catholic faith…” under August 21 in the Proper of Saints instead of “Increase in us, Lord…” as under Tuesday Week IV to be absolutely correct.

There are also some alternatives (according to your comfort since the above method is much easier). You could have chosen from the Common of Pastors:
Invitatory ant- Come let us worship Christ chief shepherd…
Reading - Heb 13:7-9a : Remeber your leaders who spoke…
Resp: - On your walls Jerusalem
Ant. for Canticle of Zech. - What you say of me
Intercessions as given under Morning Prayer in the Common of Pastors -“Christ is the good shepherd…”

But as I said, its your choice (see post 59) because the above parts are not special for the saint (Proper). Tomorrow for example, on the Queenship of the BVM, the antiphon for the Canticle of Zach. is Proper - so it will have to be used.

The antiphons for the psalms, canticle and Cant. of Zach. are repeated before and after.

The responsory would have gone like this:

Lord listen to my cry; all my trust is in your promise
Lord listen to my cry; all my trust is in your promise

Dawn finds me watching, crying out for you
All my trust is in your promise.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Lord listen to my cry; all my trust is in your promise

For the intercessions you can either say the whole thing through, or repeat the response (e.g. "Hear us Lord for the glory of your name [Tues, Wk IV]) after every petition. The red lines are actually meant for a group recitation. Then there are also two ways of reciting:

• the leader says one half of the petition before the hyphen and the group says the second half
  E.g.

**Leader: **We thank you , God and Father, for Jesus Christ our Saviour
**Group: **for the knowledge and immortality you have given us through him

• the leader says each petition and the group says the response
  E.g.

**Leader: ** We thank you , God and Father, for Jesus Christ our Saviour for the knowledge and immortality you have given us through him
**Group: **Hear us Lord for the glory of your name

 

[maryj]

AJV, where would I find the Proper for the Canticle of Zechariah? And just to say this…:extrahappy: I got it right, yeah for all my teachers here.

 

[Philothea53]

This is turning out to be my most favorite thread on this forum. I have learned so much in such a short period of time. AJV you have done good, brother (brother, not sister, right? )

I’m sure I will still have questions but already I feel more confident.

 

[stpetric]

I was in the bookstore this past Saturday with my husband and he bought me the four-volume large print set (my birthday is next month) because he knows how much I have enjoyed praying in this way.

Wow. It is beautiful! But it’s different. I never prayed the OOR because it’s not in the Christian Prayer volume and I had not really done much with the Office of Saints, or with Memorials, Feasts, and Solemnities because I wanted first to get used to the basic rhythm.

I sometimes feel much older than I am. I have tried to read online and I have “Lord, Open my Lips” but I’m kind of feeling like a dummy here. What I am looking for is someone willing to guide me - what page to start, when to flip to a different page, which prayers to use when - basically I have to start from scratch.

Other people have already replied with excellent resources to help you learn the Office, so I won’t duplicate them.

There is a bit of a learning curve with the LotH – but stick with it!!! Once it “gets into you”, it’s exhilarating and addictive, and it will become a mainstay of your spiritual life! All blessings as you progress with the Office.

 

[Philothea53]

Other people have already replied with excellent resources to help you learn the Office, so I won’t duplicate them.

There is a bit of a learning curve with the LotH – but stick with it!!! Once it “gets into you”, it’s exhilarating and addictive, and it will become a mainstay of your spiritual life! All blessings as you progress with the Office.

Thank you, stpetric. It is exhilarating and addictive - in the best way! I sometimes have trouble praying with my own words - feeling like I’m just not really saying what I am feeling. The Liturgy of the Hours has such a uniques way of speaking to whatever my state of mind is that day. And I am reading Scripture that I admit I have never read before. What a neat little package.

 

[stpetric]

It is exhilarating and addictive - in the best way! I sometimes have trouble praying with my own words - feeling like I’m just not really saying what I am feeling. The Liturgy of the Hours has such a uniques way of speaking to whatever my state of mind is that day. And I am reading Scripture that I admit I have never read before. What a neat little package.

Yeah, it’s hard to beat! I’ve been praying the Office for many years now, and at this point when I miss one of the hours I feel the loss – my day feels out of balance.

And you identified one of the great blessings of the Office – when you have trouble praying, it will carry you along. It’s a tremendous way to encounter God daily.

 

[AJV]

AJV, where would I find the Proper for the Canticle of Zechariah? And just to say this…:extrahappy: I got it right, yeah for all my teachers here.

You mean for the Queenship? It will be under the Proper of Saints, August 22.

 

[AJV]

AJV, where would I find the Proper for the Canticle of Zechariah? And just to say this…:extrahappy: I got it right, yeah for all my teachers here.

You mean for the Queenship? It will be under the Proper of Saints, August 22.

normally in the one volume, for the saints, only the Closing Prayer is Proper. But some of the memorials in the next few months with other stuff (usually the Ant. for the Canticle of Zahc. and Mary) that is proper are:

St. Bernard - August 20
Queenship of the BVM- August 22
St. Monica - August 27
St. Augustine - August 28
St. Gregory - September 3
OL Sorrows- September 15 (here everything is proper for Morning and evening Prayer, and the psalms are form the Common)
Ss. Cornelius and Cyprian - September 16
St. Vincent de Paul - September 27
St. Theresa -October 1
Holy Guardian Angels -October 6 (again, like OL Sorrows, everything is Proper here)
St. Francis- October 4
St. Ignatius - October 17
St. Martin de Porres - November 3
Presentation of the BVM - November 21
St. Cecelia- November 22

The list has omitted memorials that occur on Sundays since Sundays will replace them.

and aside from these dates, watch out also for any Feasts or Solemnities in the General Calendar. For them, for Morning and Evening Prayer, anything that is not Proper will be taken from the Common (including psalms) instead of the weekday.

 

[mercygate]

Assuming that the hymn is correct, yes absolutely Today being an obligatory memorial of St. Pius X, the Closing Prayer should have been “Father to defend the Catholic faith…” under August 21 in the Proper of Saints instead of “Increase in us, Lord…” as under Tuesday Week IV to be absolutely correct.

There are also some alternatives (according to your comfort since the above method is much easier). You could have chosen from the Common of Pastors:
Invitatory ant- Come let us worship Christ chief shepherd…
Reading - Heb 13:7-9a : Remeber your leaders who spoke…

For an obligatory memorial, which St. Pius X is, Morning Prayer uses this reading and the responsory from the Common. It also takes the antiphon for the Gospel canticle from the Common since there isn’t one in the Proper.

The portions of the office for morning and evening prayer on obligatory memorials are taken first from the Proper of Saints (whatever is in there), second from the Common (whatever is in there), and last from the weekday. Intercessions are from the weekday. On feasts they are taken from the Common.

On optional memorials, you can just skip the proper/common and treat the whole day like a feria. But if you’re going to observe it, the sequence is as above: Proper, Common, weekday.

But as I said, its your choice (see post 59) because the above parts are not special for the saint (Proper). Tomorrow for example, on the Queenship of the BVM, the antiphon for the Canticle of Zach. is Proper - so it will have to be used.

The antiphons for the psalms, canticle and Cant. of Zach. are repeated before and after.

Repeating the antiphon after the canticle (and after each psalm for the Psalter) is optional.

Maryj – get The Divine Office for DODOS*. *It will make all of this so much easier!

 

[AJV]

For an obligatory memorial, which St. Pius X is, Morning Prayer uses this reading and the responsory from the Common. It also takes the antiphon for the Gospel canticle from the Common since there isn’t one in the Proper.

The portions of the office for morning and evening prayer on obligatory memorials are taken first from the Proper of Saints (whatever is in there), second from the Common (whatever is in there), and last from the weekday. Intercessions are from the weekday. On feasts they are taken from the Common.

Isn’t the way that maryj said also correct as long as she says the correct Closing Prayer, St. Pius X? I was thinking so, based on the following:

Memorials During Ordinary Time

1. In the office of readings, at morning prayer, and at evening prayer:

a. the psalms and their antiphons are taken from the current week and day, unless there are proper antiphons or proper psalms, which is indicated as the case occur

b. the antiphon at the invitatory, the hymn, the short reading, the antiphons at the Canticles of Zechariah and of Mary, and the intercessions must be those of the saint if these are given in the proper; otherwise, they are taken either from the common or from the current week and day;

 

[mercygate]

Isn’t the way that maryj said also correct as long as she says the correct Closing Prayer, St. Pius X? I was thinking so, based on the following:

I read that last instruction “either from the common or from the current week” to mean that they are taken from the common if there is something in the common, otherwise from the weekday . . . I may not have interpreted that correctly.

There is a lot of flexibility in much of this stuff, and you may well be right. In the Confraternity of Penitents, we take whatever is appropriate from the Common from the Common rather than the weekday. I know a convent that never takes anything from the common for obligatory memorials, and uses only the proper prayer & antiphon for the cantcle from the Proper. I just thought they were asleep at the switch.

 

[Philothea53]

I’m not that old. I’m not stupid. But, I am getting so confused on Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials.

I am considering getting the eBreviary personal prayer subscription to help me through this. I STRUGGLED so much today that after evening prayer instead of feeling the contentment I used to feel after using Christian Prayer I am feeling frustrated and like I gave less than my best.

I want to use the full four volume. I don’t want to give up. Does anyone have any experience with eBreviary? I understand Universalis isn’t always quite right…

The meager $29.95 subscription for eBreviary seems to be a pittance if I can use it as a study aid to get me used to what trumps what and what Common to be praying from, etc. What do you think?

 

[porthos11]

I’m not that old. I’m not stupid. But, I am getting so confused on Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials.

I am considering getting the eBreviary personal prayer subscription to help me through this. I STRUGGLED so much today that after evening prayer instead of feeling the contentment I used to feel after using Christian Prayer I am feeling frustrated and like I gave less than my best.

Don’t worry about a thing. You’re new to this, and even seasoned LOTH-addicts slip up from time to time. “Not getting it right” is not the same as “wrong” for one who really tries.

Now, what was your latest problem so that we can help?

I want to use the full four volume. I don’t want to give up. Does anyone have any experience with eBreviary? I understand Universalis isn’t always quite right…

The meager $29.95 subscription for eBreviary seems to be a pittance if I can use it as a study aid to get me used to what trumps what and what Common to be praying from, etc. What do you think?

This is just me, but a book is waaaay better in the hands than a computer.

 

[porthos11]

I read that last instruction “either from the common or from the current week” to mean that they are taken from the common if there is something in the common, otherwise from the weekday . . . I may not have interpreted that correctly.

Sorry, but you didn’t

The rubric means exactly what it says. “From the common or weekday” means one has the choice of either Common or Weekday" according to one’s preferences, not “Common first, then weekday”.

There is a lot of flexibility in much of this stuff, and you may well be right. In the Confraternity of Penitents, we take whatever is appropriate from the Common from the Common rather than the weekday. I know a convent that never takes anything from the common for obligatory memorials, and uses only the proper prayer & antiphon for the cantcle from the Proper. I just thought they were asleep at the switch.

For most memorials, I never take anything from the Common. I take everything from the Weekday, except where there are parts in the Proper. I usually turn to the Common only when the Proper directs me there.

But both of what you describe here are legitimate options of the rubric you cited. EITHER Common or Weekday.

 

[AJV]

I’m not that old. I’m not stupid. But, I am getting so confused on Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials.

I am considering getting the eBreviary personal prayer subscription to help me through this. I STRUGGLED so much today that after evening prayer instead of feeling the contentment I used to feel after using Christian Prayer I am feeling frustrated and like I gave less than my best.

I want to use the full four volume. I don’t want to give up. Does anyone have any experience with eBreviary? I understand Universalis isn’t always quite right…

The meager $29.95 subscription for eBreviary seems to be a pittance if I can use it as a study aid to get me used to what trumps what and what Common to be praying from, etc. What do you think?

Judging from their free Friday supplement, they are very good and they make use of the ICEL translation.

But what was your problem with today? (I’m guessing you meant Queenship- I’m bad at calculating time differences)

 

[mercygate]

I’m not that old. I’m not stupid. But, I am getting so confused on Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials.

I am considering getting the eBreviary personal prayer subscription to help me through this. I STRUGGLED so much today that after evening prayer instead of feeling the contentment I used to feel after using Christian Prayer I am feeling frustrated and like I gave less than my best.

I want to use the full four volume. I don’t want to give up. Does anyone have any experience with eBreviary? I understand Universalis isn’t always quite right…

The meager $29.95 subscription for eBreviary seems to be a pittance if I can use it as a study aid to get me used to what trumps what and what Common to be praying from, etc. What do you think?

Reverend Mother mercygate, here: get DODOS. Right now! You’ll be praying the Office with ease in 3 months or less.

I second Porthos observation that not getting it right isn’t the same as getting it wrong. We all slip up. My last boo-boo was in praying the Memorial of Our Lady on a Saturday when I took compline from the weekday instead of from Sunday II. I don’t think I’ll go to Hell for that, but it won’t happen again (unless I forget!).

But I quibble about obligatory memorials: the reading, responsory and antiphon on the Gospel canticle should be taken from the common if they’re not in the proper.

 

[porthos11]

Reverend Mother mercygate, here: get DODOS. Right now! You’ll be praying the Office with ease in 3 months or less.

I second Porthos observation that not getting it right isn’t the same as getting it wrong. We all slip up. My last boo-boo was in praying the Memorial of Our Lady on a Saturday when I took compline from the weekday instead of from Sunday II. I don’t think I’ll go to Hell for that, but it won’t happen again (unless I forget!).

That still happens to me, and I’ve been at it for four years now. I remember not too long ago I was halfway through Morning Prayer when I realized that I was praying the previous day’s Psalms. It really annoyed me but since the plan was to pray and not be scrupulous, I just flipped to the right texts and continued. I think I forgot to set the ribbons the previous day.

But I quibble about obligatory memorials: the reading, responsory and antiphon on the Gospel canticle should be taken from the common if they’re not in the proper.

Well, as mentioned earlier, all these parts may be taken from either Weekday or Common, according to preference. Unless Proper, of course. I, for one use the Weekday texts rather than the Commons for memorials.

 

[AJV]

Reverend Mother mercygate, here: get DODOS. Right now! You’ll be praying the Office with ease in 3 months or less.

I second Porthos observation that not getting it right isn’t the same as getting it wrong. We all slip up. My last boo-boo was in praying the Memorial of Our Lady on a Saturday when I took compline from the weekday instead of from Sunday II. I don’t think I’ll go to Hell for that, but it won’t happen again (unless I forget!).

I know the psalms of Sunday II can be used at any time- but don’t the Saturday texts come usually from the weekday (i.e. Sunday I?)

But I quibble about obligatory memorials: the reading, responsory and antiphon on the Gospel canticle should be taken from the common if they’re not in the proper.

Well look at it this way: the Common has all the parts so the “if not Common then weekday” wouldn’t make much sense?

But I agree with you, on the Common texts especially the antiphons for the Gospel Canticles because the psalter ones simply make use of a text form the canticle itself . I’ve recently started experimenting with using the Evening Prayer I antiphons instead of EP II too add some variety. “Priest of the Most High God” sounds better for the Popes and Bishops.