Liturgy of Hours

[NMJenny]

I use the four volumn LOTH. I began years ago with an Anglican version (I can’t remember the exact title). After my conversion, I used *Christian Prayer, *but it felt incomplete, since it didn’t contain the Office of Readings, so I started saving my pennies (lots and lots of them actually!!! ) and finally purchased the four volumn set, which I love, although I don’t care for some of the translations it contains…

 

[bkovacs]

But Christian Prayer uses the Ordinary Form Calendar of feast days. But what if you follow the Extraordinary Form Calendar of feast days. How can you use Christian Prayer, won’t it get you confused.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Another question to ask. Christian Prayer uses the Ordinary Form Calendar of feast days. But what if you follow the Extraordinary Form Calendar of feast days. How can we use Christian Prayer, won’t it get you confused.

But Christian Prayer uses the Ordinary Form Calendar of feast days. But what if you follow the Extraordinary Form Calendar of feast days. How can you use Christian Prayer, won’t it get you confused.

If you insist on both using *Christian Prayer *(or the current edition of the Liturgy of the Hours) and following the 1962 calendar, I would say you have your work cut out for you. :twocents:

However: Parishes and communities seem to be celebrating the Gregorian Rite according to its calendar with minimal confusion – Can you not follow the same calendar?

tee

 

[bkovacs]

I prefer the 1962 calendar used in the 1962 Missal.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I prefer the 1962 calendar used in the 1962 Missal.

So I understand.

What makes it difficult to apply that calendar to *Christian Prayer *(should you insist to use it)?

Yeah, you won’t be able to just flip pages in order – That’s because it was set up according to the current calendar, which you do not prefer! To reiterate: You will have to do extra work.


tee

 

[Vivien]

Having been introduced to the Liturgy of the Hours by the Benedictine tradition, I use *Benedictine Daily Prayer - A Short Breviary. * Without any formal instruction other than the one page introduction, An Aid to Praying Benedictine Daily Prayer, I had no difficulty quickly learning the ropes.

Although I’m sure that many would disagree, I favour this version of the LOTH (albeit it not being the officially authorized Church version) because of its use of gender-neutral language in the Psalms. Moreover, sections of certain Psalms, which are “angry” or frightfully inappropriate to the New Covenant, have been omitted. One is always made mindful of this by the usual typographic formula.

An example of these “angry” Psalms is 137(136) which ends horrifically with verse 9 saying “Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (RSV-CE). *Benedictine Daily Prayer *omits the offending verse 9, together with the proceeding 2 verses, being 7 and 8. Although I am reasonably well versed in the arguments offered for the retention of these “angry” sections, I personally cannot pray those verses of the Psalms that I consider violent and retributive. Jesus directed us to love our neighbours and to forgive.

Pax

Vivien.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Moreover, sections of certain Psalms, which are “angry” or frightfully inappropriate to the New Covenant, have been omitted. One is always made mindful of this by the usual typographic formula.

An example of these “angry” Psalms is 137(136) which ends horrifically with verse 9 saying “Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (RSV-CE). *Benedictine Daily Prayer *omits the offending verse 9, together with the proceeding 2 verses, being 7 and 8.

While there may be other psalms you consider angry, it should be noted regarding this particular example that it is not unique to Benedictine Daily Prayer. The current Liturgy likewise incorporates only verses 1-6 of this psalm (Tuesday IV Evening Prayer).

tee

 

[Vivien]

While there may be other psalms you consider angry, it should be noted regarding this particular example that it is not unique to Benedictine Daily Prayer. The current Liturgy likewise incorporates only verses 1-6 of this psalm (Tuesday IV Evening Prayer).

Thanks Tee. I’m glad to learn that omiting “angry” verses of Psalms is common.

Pax

Vivien.

 

[GIMJ]

I recently bought the fourth volume (weeks 18-34 of Ordinary Time) of the Four-Volume set of Liturgy of the Hours see here.

Using the instructions that come along with the LOTH plus this free, downloadable book, I have been able to teach myself to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in its entirety over the course of a weekend. Also, just to make sure I wasn’t accidentally leaving anything out, I “checked my work” using ebreviary.com. They make the all prayers for Friday and Sunday available (plus the Night prayers for the rest of the week) free of charge. If you can, find a prayer group that prays Liturgy of the Hours, or ask your parish priest or deacon to let you pray with them so that you can learn.

I recommend getting the Four-Volume set so that you have all the prayers, including the Office of Reading (some of the most inspiring passages I have encountered so far are in the Office of Reading). It’s also more convenient – less page flipping – to get the full set than to buy one of the condensed versions.

If you are like me and don’t want to cough up the full $140 to buy the Four-Volume Set at once… don’t! I just bought Volume Four and that will last me until Advent, at which point I will buy Volume One. (Each book individually is only about $35, so that will give me plenty of time to save up.)

 

[ac_claire]

I have a few questions about praying the LOTH with the Christian Prayer book. First of all, when do you say the Office of the Readings?

There is a section after the 4-week Psalter called Daytime Prayer, and then another section after that called Complimentary Psalmody for Midmorning, Midday and Midafternoon. When and how do you pray these?

Thanks in advance. I’ve used the Shorter Christian Prayer book up till now, which only has morning, evening and night prayer…so I’m a bit lost.

 

[James0235]

I have a few questions about praying the LOTH with the Christian Prayer book. First of all, when do you say the Office of the Readings?

Christian Prayer doesn’t actually contain the Office of Readings. There are excerpts but not the whole thing. That is why it is able to be published in one volume instead of 4.

The Office of Readings is equivalent to the pre-VII Office of Matins. This was intended to be said either in the middle of the night or in the very early morning together with the Office of Lauds (Morning Prayer).

The modern LOTH changed this a bit. The Office of Readings is a kind of floating office. It can be said at any time of the day. Whatever works best for you. Certainly a novel concept in terms of the Divine Office but a very beneficial one as well in my opinion.

There is a section after the 4-week Psalter called Daytime Prayer, and then another section after that called Complimentary Psalmody for Midmorning, Midday and Midafternoon. When and how do you pray these?

Thanks in advance. I’ve used the Shorter Christian Prayer book up till now, which only has morning, evening and night prayer…so I’m a bit lost.

What is now called Daytime Prayer is comprised of the Offices of Terce (“Third Hour” - typically said at 9am), Sext (“Sixth Hour” - typically said at noon), and None (“Ninth Hour” - typically said at 3pm).

Among those who are obligated to pray the LOTH (priests and religious) I believe the requirement is now to pray at least one of these hours. It can be said at any time during the day (between Lauds and Vespers) and you would use the Daytime Prayer. If you want to pray more than one daytime hour you would use the complementary Psalmody.

Hope that helps.

James

 

[James0235]

I have a few questions about praying the LOTH with the Christian Prayer book. First of all, when do you say the Office of the Readings?

I forgot about this yesterday:

On p. 34 of Christian Prayer there is a section called General Principles. #1 gives the details on when the Office of Readings can be said.

And the Complementary Psalmody for Daytime Prayer is explained on the top half of p. 994.

James