Is it okay to drink coffee while doing the Liturgy of the Hours?

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Prodigal1984

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This may sound like a ridiculous question. I’m not a religious and am not bound to say them but I enjoy it very much and try to do the Morning Prayer (Lauds), Evening Prayer(Vespers), and the Office of Readings ( Matins) at least; daily. Sometimes I will do the Psalms of the Day (Using Terce, Sext, or None),depending on the time of day I am doing or just add them to one of the other hours I normally do) ,and Night Prayer(Compline) as well.
I of course do them privately at home normally(sometimes I do them before or after Mass or at Adoration), but since it is an official Liturgy of the Church along with the Mass is drinking coffee while I say Morning Prayer even at home the same as if I brought coffee into morning Mass?
 
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Why wouldn’t it be okay? I wake up every morning, make some French press, and sit in my recliner while I pray the office. It’s not the same as bringing coffee into the church and drinking it during Mass. You’re at home, in a casual setting, praying it privately.

Full disclosure: if it’s been a long day and I’m groggy, I’ll take a big cup of coffee in for afternoon confessions on Saturday.

-Fr ACEGC
 
In all fairness, I have been known to bring a double-shot cappuccino to Easter Vigil rehearsal, it can be a tedious affair.
 
There’s an old saw:
A Franciscan and a Jesuit were friends. They were both smokers who found it difficult to pray for a long period of time without having a cigarette. They decided to go to their superiors and ask permission to smoke.

When they met again, the Franciscan was downcast. “I asked my superior if I could smoke while I pray and he said ‘no,’” he said.

The Jesuit smiled. “I asked if I could pray while I smoke. He said ‘of course.’”
😂😂

Perhaps you should re-phrase your question? 😂 :coffee:
 
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I do occasionally smoke a pipe while I pray. Erm… Pray while I smoke my pipe…
 
Thank you Fr.
Yah, I knew it was kind of a silly question but I just wanted to be sure since along with the mass it is the official prayer of the Church and wasn’t sure if it was appropriate while taking part in a liturgy of the Church. Thank you , now I won’t ever have to wonder or feel somewhat guilty over it 😂
 
If We eat and drink before praying the Office, we then clear the table of all leftover food and drink, and pray the office without distractions.
 
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@edward_george1
Father, I read your last paragraph to my husband, and he was highly amused and gave a burst of laughter “Well, I can relate to that! “he said, before returning to whistling “Adagio’” with his usual perfect pitch!
 
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So you are saying you think it is wrong to eat or drink while doing the hours?
 
edward_george1 said:
Full disclosure: if it’s been a long day and I’m groggy, I’ll take a big cup of coffee in for afternoon confessions on Saturday.
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If I did that, I couldn’t make it more than 20 minutes before I would need to leave to use the bathroom!!! Of course, a bigger issue with me drinking coffee while hearing confessions is I am not a priest 😆
 
I am saying what my monastic order does, And why. We treat the Liturgy of the Hours with similar solemnity and respect to the Holy Mass, where our entire attention should be on God and we fight hard to avoid distractions. But thats just us, others do differently, Ie chant the hours.
 
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I think everyone would agree that drinking coffee is inappropriate during a solemn or communal celebration of the Office.
 
Well yah. I mean that’s different then just reciting them by yourself though…
 
And we do this privately as well, by ourselves when praying LOTH , or with only a couple present. Its about negating distractions. One of our charisms is contemplative prayer. And that is all about pushing the distraction away.
 
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For what it’s worth, I almost always have coffee with Morning Prayer (unless it’s in a chapel with others) and Evening Prayer wouldn’t happen for me if I had to wait until I could eliminate distractions. (Not belittling the other poster’s practice; that’s admirable. It just isn’t feasible in my world at the present stage of life. Thomas Merton is quoted as saying, “If you have never had any distractions you don’t know how to pray.” My kids have taught me well! 😁)
 
Prodigal1984 said:
So you are saying you think it is wrong to eat or drink while doing the hours?
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I am no one. But I do feel guilty to eat or drink while praying the Divine Office, Rosary, Chaplet of St Michael, etc…

I’m one who will take a mile if given an inch. Where would I draw the line? Drinking tea? A Red Bull? A whiskey sour?

Can I pray the LOTH while listening to Bach? Tchaikovsky? Amy Grant? Jay Z?

Where does “common sense” stop & scruples begin?
 
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