Help with the Liturgy of the Hours:D

[Oumashta]

Sorry if this isn’t the right place. I thought that since it had to do with the Liturgy of the Hours it could go here
It really is overwhelmingly confusing to pray it I bought the book “Christian Prayer” and I also bought the St. Joseph’s guide to Christian prayer for 2010. I kind of understand it, yet, my mind is boggled.
When they say
Tuesday: MP (1414 or 1434) (460) 802;
and the office of readings
[OOR 1812, RD 1910 & 2045f or 2046f; Pr 1129 or 461]

Does that mean I have to pray (in morning prayer) page 1414, 460, and 802 all the way until the next day or until it says “evening prayer”? It all seems quite long and I had to say the Gospel Canticle 3 time for each page and following they told me to go to.

How do I chant the antiphons? Is there a place online where I could listen to them or teach me how to chant them?
I also don’t know many of the hymns… Is it ok to just say them?

Also, the readings, do I have to read it all the way from 1910 to 1924 & 2045f to 2056 where is says “Ordinary time” and “Poetry”? It’s really long and I was wondering if I could read it throughout the day rather than all at one time. Or… is it just reading that page and nothing more? Or… Am I doing it all wrong?? Please help me I’m really confused and don’t know what to do. All help is appreciated
God bless.

 

[Kilo1Mike21]

I started about two years ago praying the Christian Prayers and it is confusing at first. I wish I had my book with me roght now…
Anyway, you start off by praying the OOD (usually in the 1800 pages) and it starts with “Lord, open my lips…” ensure you cross your lips when you pray this…
Next, you move on to the MP. Since we are in the Easter season, there is a bunch of extra prayers (if it is too much/not enough time, my sipritual advisor said to pray the Easter prayers only in the morning/evening). So pray the prayers on pg 1414 (morning), and as you see it leaves off where the evening prayers are.
Night prayers are easy, there are no Easter specific in the book.
The RDs are Readings of the Day (I think) since they contain exerpts from the Bible.

So basically it depends on how much you want to pray and how much time you hvae to pray…

Hope this helps…

 

[Kilo1Mike21]

Sorry, for got about the on line thingy…

You can pray the actual LOH online at http://divineoffice.org/

Highly recommend you use the sound file so you are able to hear the hymns…

 

[Oumashta]

I started about two years ago praying the Christian Prayers and it is confusing at first. I wish I had my book with me roght now…
Anyway, you start off by praying the OOD (usually in the 1800 pages) and it starts with “Lord, open my lips…” ensure you cross your lips when you pray this…
Next, you move on to the MP. Since we are in the Easter season, there is a bunch of extra prayers (if it is too much/not enough time, my sipritual advisor said to pray the Easter prayers only in the morning/evening). So pray the prayers on pg 1414 (morning), and as you see it leaves off where the evening prayers are.
Night prayers are easy, there are no Easter specific in the book.
The RDs are Readings of the Day (I think) since they contain exerpts from the Bible.

So basically it depends on how much you want to pray and how much time you hvae to pray…

Hope this helps…

I’m still kind of confused
Do I have to say page 1414, 460, and 802 in MP? Or just one? All of them are almost the same format and I have to say the Gospel Canticle 3 times if I were to say all of the 3 pages.
Do I have to read ALL of the OOF? from 1910 to 1924? Or can I just read some now and some later? Sorry I’m really confused and if you could help me out here
Night prayer and daytime prayer is ok for me You don’t have to flip to a bunch of different pages.

 

[rkrispies]

I’m still kind of confused
Do I have to say page 1414, 460, and 802 in MP? Or just one? All of them are almost the same format and I have to say the Gospel Canticle 3 times if I were to say all of the 3 pages.
Do I have to read ALL of the OOF? from 1910 to 1924? Or can I just read some now and some later? Sorry I’m really confused and if you could help me out here
Night prayer and daytime prayer is ok for me You don’t have to flip to a bunch of different pages.

I happen to have my copy right here . . .

For morning prayer today (Tuesday, Week II), You start with the Invitatory antiphon on pg 802. Then you say your Invitatory Psalm (mine is on a piece of paper, also found on pg. 688). Pray the rest of the Tuesday morning prayer until you hit the Reading (do not say the reading). Go to pg. 460, and continue the MP from the reading listed under “Tuesday Morning Prayer”.

NOTE: If you are praying morning prayer for the Feast of St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr, then go to pg. 1414 for the optional feast today. Use that page to direct you what to pray and where. pg. 1414 is the offfice for on martyr.

As for the Office of Readings, I am not sure. I usually go just MP or sometimes MP and EP. Someone else will have to help with that one.

 

[kimaz]

I recommend you pick up a copy of The Divine Office for Dodos if you can, it is incredibly helpful and covers every aspect of praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I know, it’s another book to buy, but its, completely worth it if you want to pray the LOTH regularly.

I might also add that the full 4-Volume set is much easier to use, that is of course if you can afford it. Asking a priest or religious to pray it through with you is also helpful.

 

[rkrispies]

I recommend you pick up a copy of The Divine Office for Dodos if you can, it is incredibly helpful and covers every aspect of praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I know, it’s another book to buy, but its, completely worth it if you want to pray the LOTH regularly.

I might also add that the full 4-Volume set is much easier to use, that is of course if you can afford it. Asking a priest or religious to pray it through with you is also helpful.

I would second the reccommendation for The Divine Office for Dodos. I used it and was up and running in no time flat.

 

[curlycool89]

Oh, I see why today is confusing. Today is an optional memorial for St. Martin I. So:

Tuesday: MP (1414 or 1434) (460) 802;

1414 is the Common of One Martyr, 1426 (it really should be 1426 and not 1434) is the Common of Pastors. 460 is from the Proper of Seasons (so Tuesday, Second week of Easter), and 802 is Tuesday in the week II on the Psalter.

What I did this morning at least was prayed the psalms, canticle, and antiphons from the Psalter (802), and then the reading through intercessions from the Proper of Seasons (460), and the closing prayer from the Saint (so that’s 1129) (As far as I know this is allowed for memorials). Or you could choose to follow either the Common of One Martyr (1414) OR the Common of Pastors (1426) (the psalms/canticle will be from Sunday week 1 for the morning either way), with the prayer from today (St. Martin, 1129).

Or because it’s an optional memorial, you can choose to ignore it and just treat today as a regular Easter weekday. You don’t have to do all of them, just the one you choose.

edit: Ok, it looks like I was unknowingly following this guide.

 

[rkrispies]

The other thing to consider is this:

Assuming that you are not canonically mandated to pray the LOTH, you can’t do it “wrong”. So if you were to just say the prayers for Tuesday, week 2, and skip the optional memorial, skip the proper of seasons, it’s ok. Don’t sweat it. I can’t imagine God looking down on you and saying “Thou hast not said the prayer from the optional memorial for St. Martin I! Thou hast said the alternate prayer for Tuesday, second week of Easter! I shall smite thee!” Relax and enjoy the LOTH.

 

[Jotobo]

Best advice:

Have your priest show you.

Im dead serious. Otherwise it will take you 3 months before you even crack the surface.

 

[Oumashta]

The other thing to consider is this:

Assuming that you are not canonically mandated to pray the LOTH, you can’t do it “wrong”. So if you were to just say the prayers for Tuesday, week 2, and skip the optional memorial, skip the proper of seasons, it’s ok. Don’t sweat it. I can’t imagine God looking down on you and saying “Thou hast not said the prayer from the optional memorial for St. Martin I! Thou hast said the alternate prayer for Tuesday, second week of Easter! I shall smite thee!” Relax and enjoy the LOTH.

LOL I’m not a priest… So I guess I’m not obligated to pray it. Although I really like to and want to.

Oh… So I can just say the morning prayer according to the memorial, or say the prayers for week II and then skip over to the seasons for the readings and prayers. Oh ok thanks!

I was totally clueless before, thanks for all the advice everyone. Especially the divine office website.

 

[llblarosa]

Here’s my attempt at explaining:

Morning Prayer Consists of the Following:

Invitatory (Lord, open my lips…) and you are supposed to make sign of cross on your lips with your thumb as you say this.

Invitatory Psalm with its Antiphon

Hymn of the Day

Three Psalms with Their Antiphons (Glory to the Father… said at end of each psalm and before repetition of the antiphon - unless otherwise indicated).

Reading

Responsory

Canticle of Zechariah (only once) with its antiphon (Make large Sign of Cross at beginning of canticle)

Intercessions

Our Father

Ending Prayer

Ending Blessing With Sign of the Cross (May the Lord Bless Us, Protect Us from all Evil…

Evening Prayer is Identical except there is no opening psalm and invitatory. It is replaced by God, Come to My Assistance…Alleluia. - Big sign of cross is made here. And the Gospel Canticle is the Canticle of Mary.

Now, yesterday’s reading had a saint day attached to it, which means you have some choices. Look at your St. Joseph guide for yesterday. You could have chosen either p. 1414 or 1434 to go along with 1129. Among these pages, you should be able to piece together the above sequence. Also, you could have chosen pages 460 & 802 to piece together the above sequence.

Look this over and see if you have any more questions. I am sure you will have questions, and I am afraid there really isn’t much alternative than to have some go through it with you for a while.

I would be glad to help further, if I can.

Blessings,

Lisa

 

[OraLabora]

The other thing to consider is this:

Assuming that you are not canonically mandated to pray the LOTH, you can’t do it “wrong”. So if you were to just say the prayers for Tuesday, week 2, and skip the optional memorial, skip the proper of seasons, it’s ok. Don’t sweat it. I can’t imagine God looking down on you and saying “Thou hast not said the prayer from the optional memorial for St. Martin I! Thou hast said the alternate prayer for Tuesday, second week of Easter! I shall smite thee!” Relax and enjoy the LOTH.

It is the prayer of the entire Church; the laity is not mandated, but is encouraged to pray it, and it shows unity if you can get it right, but when something is marked “optional” in the rubrics, it really does mean “optional”. For example you may want to pray an optional saint if you have a particular devotion to him or her. While God won’t smite you if you get it wrong, I am sure there are special graces that shower on you if you get it right.

A few general guidelines for the degrees of celebration are helpful.

First of all the saints and other feasts: the degrees are:

1. Optional memorial (in the calendar just the saint’s name will appear without the words “memorial” beside; at least in my French version of the LOTH); you are not obligated to pray these saints, optionally, you could pray the saint at one hour only, or make the second reading the hagiographic reading at the Office of Readings. In my abbey, typically they will observe it by using the appropriate antiphon for the NT canticle at Lauds. Optional memorials are not celebrated on Sundays.
2. Memorial: you’re obliged to pray these, in the calendar you’ll see the words “Memorial” besides the saints name. Everything that is not in the Proper of the saint, must be taken from the Commons; some saints can have two possible commons (e.g. pastors or doctors). You have the option to chose one or the other; there are NO mandatory memorials in Lent, and in Advent from Dec. 17-24. All memorials are optional in those periods even if marked otherwise, and are observed as follows: do the full office of the season up until the final collect for that office, then chant the NT canticle antiphon for Lauds or Vespers, followed immediately by the collect of the saint, and then the conclusion of the office. Memorials are not celebrated on Sundays.
3. Feast: obligatory, everything that is not in the propers is taken from the Commons; only feasts of Our Lord are celebrated on Sundays (with first Vespers)
4. Solemnity: obligatory, same rules as above; Solemnities always have First Vespers.

 

[curlycool89]

1. Memorial: you’re obliged to pray these, in the calendar you’ll see the words “Memorial” besides the saints name. Everything that is not in the Proper of the saint, must be taken from the Commons; some saints can have two possible commons (e.g. pastors or doctors). You have the option to chose one or the other; there are NO mandatory memorials in Lent, and in Advent from Dec. 17-24. All memorials are optional in those periods even if marked otherwise, and are observed as follows: do the full office of the season up until the final collect for that office, then chant the NT canticle antiphon for Lauds or Vespers, followed immediately by the collect of the saint, and then the conclusion of the office. Memorials are not celebrated on Sundays.

Actually, I don’t think you have to take it from the commons. According to my Christian Prayer book, for a memorial the antiphon of the invitatory, hymn, reading, responsory antiphons for the Benedictus and Magnificat, and intercessions are primarily from the Proper, but “otherwise may be taken from the Commons or the current weekday”. To me, it sounds like you can take the Commons or the Psalter.

 

[OraLabora]

Actually, I don’t think you have to take it from the commons. According to my Christian Prayer book, for a memorial the antiphon of the invitatory, hymn, reading, responsory antiphons for the Benedictus and Magnificat, and intercessions are primarily from the Proper, but “otherwise may be taken from the Commons or the current weekday”. To me, it sounds like you can take the Commons or the Psalter.

Actually that’s true, I forgot about that. But if it’s in the Proper it should be taken from there.

I guess it’s become my in-grained habit to take it from the Commons for so long that I forgot

The exception I would make is if it was a hymn or antiphon that I find particularly challenging. You see I chant the Liturgy of the Hours daily in Latin, in Gregorian Chant. So I would in those cases substitute the hymn or antiphon for the day.

But that rarely happens now as I have a set of CDs that includes the first stanza of every hymn in the hymnal, and every antiphon followed by the first verse of the following psalm (for the psalm tone). So I have no excuse (other than laziness) for not being able to chant the hymn, I just need to practice it a bit before the office.

 

[JerrySeibert]

Kimaz is exactly correct. That book is awesome. I was more confused by other versions that the help they provided. Divine Office for DoDo’s tells you exactly how to pray the office. It has made it a joy now in my everyday life.

 

[oak2520]

I have only one question about the antiphone for Canticles. I asked my priest whether or not I must pray “Glory Be” at the end of the canticles before I recite the anitphone. He answered that I needed not do so. I only cite the “Glory Be” at the end of psalms/psalter prayer.

Now I found a good website that has complete ready-to-use Liturgy of the Hours, and it had the Glory Be at the end of canticles and psalms. Can anyone verify which is correct?

The website is universalis.com

By the way, you can also load their calendar to use with your Google Calendar as well. It’s absolutely great if you need to keep up with the Church’s calendar.

 

[Kilo1Mike21]

I have only one question about the antiphone for Canticles. I asked my priest whether or not I must pray “Glory Be” at the end of the canticles before I recite the anitphone. He answered that I needed not do so. I only cite the “Glory Be” at the end of psalms/psalter prayer.

Now I found a good website that has complete ready-to-use Liturgy of the Hours, and it had the Glory Be at the end of canticles and psalms. Can anyone verify which is correct?

The website is universalis.com

By the way, you can also load their calendar to use with your Google Calendar as well. It’s absolutely great if you need to keep up with the Church’s calendar.

Please keep in mind that due to copywrite laws, this website doesn’t print the entire pray for each time period (unless you pay for full access) …other than that, it’s a great site.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I have only one question about the antiphone for Canticles. I asked my priest whether or not I must pray “Glory Be” at the end of the canticles before I recite the anitphone. He answered that I needed not do so. I only cite the “Glory Be” at the end of psalms/psalter prayer.

With due respect, either you misunderstood your priest, or he was mistaken. The rubrics state that the *Gloria Patri *is recited at the end of every psalm and canticle, unless otherwise noted.

tee

 

[curlycool89]

With due respect, either you misunderstood your priest, or he was mistaken. The rubrics state that the *Gloria Patri *is recited at the end of every psalm and canticle, unless otherwise noted.

tee

I think just going by Sunday Week I morning prayer where it tells you not to pray the Glory Be, we can interpret that it is usually suppose to be said.