Liturgy of the Hours question (advice)

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Luigi_Daniele

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I a Benedictine Oblate. My monastery uses a modified Liturgy of the Hours (LotH)…basically they add a Psalm (taken usually from the Office of Readings) to Lauds and a Psalm (usually taken from 1 of the Day hours) to Vespers.

Oblates are allowed to pray the modified LotH or the “regular” LotH. I am drawn to praying what my monks do (although they will occasionally pray the “regular” LotH when the are “on the road”).

I would pick the modified one in a heartbeat, but I am concerned that it would not “count” (ie, it would be a private devotion rather than parying with the Church).

Thoughts?
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
I a Benedictine Oblate. My monastery uses a modified Liturgy of the Hours (LotH)…basically they add a Psalm (taken usually from the Office of Readings) to Lauds and a Psalm (usually taken from 1 of the Day hours) to Vespers.

Oblates are allowed to pray the modified LotH or the “regular” LotH. I am drawn to praying what my monks do (although they will occasionally pray the “regular” LotH when the are “on the road”).

I would pick the modified one in a heartbeat, but I am concerned that it would not “count” (ie, it would be a private devotion rather than parying with the Church).

Thoughts?
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That is an unusual schema. Which psalms are added, say for the morning? It might be one of the approved schemas (though not A or B!).

In any case the choice is yours, whatever fits your needs and abilities. I do what my community does (Schema B, with Lauds and Vespers in Latin Gregorian chant), but have in the past when too busy used the 4-week LOTH. I’ve also experimented with Schema A (original psalm ordering of St. Benedict), but that one is too heavy for my present circumstances.

Licitly, you can use either, so it really comes down to a matter of choice, available time, preference, etc.
 
I was hoping you’d answer 😃

For yesterday Lauds:

Psalm 51, OT Canticle (Habakkuk), Psalm 147:12-20, Psalm 119:73-80 (this is the “added” Psalm)

🙂

Does that match one of the Schemas, amico mio?
 
Why would you question your superior? Lack of docility? Why not ask your superior the question?
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
I was hoping you’d answer 😃

For yesterday Lauds:

Psalm 51, OT Canticle (Habakkuk), Psalm 147:12-20, Psalm 119:73-80 (this is the “added” Psalm)

🙂

Does that match one of the Schemas, amico mio?
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Ah; 119 is usually read at the mid-day prayer in the LOTH, spread over 4 weeks, one section per day except Sundays. In the St. Benedict schema it is done on Sundays and Mondays at the minor hours; in my schema, every day at Terce

It’s a very important psalm for Benedictines, vs. 116 is the verse recited at profession or oblation! So they no doubt think 4 weeks is too long to get through the entire psalm.

My own preference would be to follow my community for a closer prayer union with them.
 
OraLabora said:
Ah; 119 is usually read at the mid-day prayer in the LOTH, spread over 4 weeks, one section per day except Sundays. In the St. Benedict schema it is done on Sundays and Mondays at the minor hours; in my schema, every day at Terce

It’s a very important psalm for Benedictines, vs. 116 is the verse recited at profession or oblation! So they no doubt think 4 weeks is too long to get through the entire psalm.

My own preference would be to follow my community for a closer prayer union with them.
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I am leaning that way, myself, TBH.

Thanks, amico mio. 🙂
 
I have been praying the LOTH for 30+ years and I have never heard of anything like this. I thought we all sent the same prayers up to God.
 
caranbest said:
I have been praying the LOTH for 30+ years and I have never heard of anything like this. I thought we all sent the same prayers up to God.
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Some monasteries pray the “old” Liturgy of the Hours (Monastic Diurnal). Each office is quite a bit longer.

Welcome to CAF, BTW 🙂
 
Luigi_Daniele said:
I a Benedictine Oblate. My monastery uses a modified Liturgy of the Hours (LotH)…basically they add a Psalm (taken usually from the Office of Readings) to Lauds and a Psalm (usually taken from 1 of the Day hours) to Vespers.

Oblates are allowed to pray the modified LotH or the “regular” LotH. I am drawn to praying what my monks do (although they will occasionally pray the “regular” LotH when the are “on the road”).

I would pick the modified one in a heartbeat, but I am concerned that it would not “count” (ie, it would be a private devotion rather than parying with the Church).
Thoughts?
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Regarding the highlighted portion,
I can understand what you are saying, but based on my understanding of “orders” , which mostly comes fro Br. JREducation’s posts, of course it would “count”. If it is part of their “tradition” it is part of the Church.
 
The term you use, “regular LOTH”, infers the Roman Rite. As a Benedictine oblate you obviously have permission to use their rite. All approved rites are the prayer of the Church. Therefore, whether you use the Roman Rite or a particular monastic rite, you are praying the prayer of the Church; not a private devotion.
 
Matthew_Holford said:
The term you use, “regular LOTH”, infers the Roman Rite. As a Benedictine oblate you obviously have permission to use their rite. All approved rites are the prayer of the Church. Therefore, whether you use the Roman Rite or a particular monastic rite, you are praying the prayer of the Church; not a private devotion.
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Thanks for that explamnation, sir. 🙂
 
Oneofthewomen said:
Regarding the highlighted portion,
I can understand what you are saying, but based on my understanding of “orders” , which mostly comes fro Br. JREducation’s posts, of course it would “count”. If it is part of their “tradition” it is part of the Church.
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Thank you, ma’am. 🙂
 
Yes, as other posters have said, it is “the prayer of the Church” regardless… Our Lord gave the apostles and their successors the power to “bind and loose”…any liturgical rites approved by the Church are by definition “the prayer of the Church”. Likewise, the eucharist is the sacrifice of Christ and equally powerful regardless of what approved rite it is celebrated in…Roman, Byzantine, Syriac, etc…
 
twf said:
Yes, as other posters have said, it is “the prayer of the Church” regardless… Our Lord gave the apostles and their successors the power to “bind and loose”…any liturgical rites approved by the Church are by definition “the prayer of the Church”. Likewise, the eucharist is the sacrifice of Christ and equally powerful regardless of what approved rite it is celebrated in…Roman, Byzantine, Syriac, etc…
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Excellent analogy! Thanks.
 
If I was conflicted on this as you are I would take the whole question to my spiritual director and ask him/her and not settle for “you pick”.
 
ByzCath said:
If I was conflicted on this as you are I would take the whole question to my spiritual director and ask him/her and not settle for “you pick”.
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Well, as Benedictine oblates it is for us to pick. Our oblate statutes state that we are to pray the Liturgy of the Hours as our condition in life permits. Some abbeys tend to be specific, ours isn’t but “suggests” Lauds, Vespers and Compline and even produces a condensed breviary for oblates to use, using the same psalm schema as the monks. The suggestion thus appears clear, to me at least. I consider myself blessed that I can pray all of the Monastic Liturgy of the Hours as our abbey prays with one small exception, I spread Vigils over two weeks as allowed by the GILH of the Monastic breviary I use.

Now, the GILH (Monastic version) in our “official” monastic breviary states that those engaged in external apostolates, and those traveling, can licitly use the 4-week LOTH. Secular oblates by their nature are engaged in a sort of “external apostolate” in that we are to live the spirit of the Rule in secular life (btw we have a couple of priests who are also oblates, and the Holy Father is rumoured to be an oblate himself).

It took me a lot of experimentation to find my own balance. At the lighter end, the 4-week LOTH, and at the heavier end, the original Benedictine schema which is still licit. I finally settled on what my community does with the exception noted above, and if I am on an extended trip, I will revert to the 4-week LOTH because it’s all self-contained in one book, and easier. If my life circumstances should change, I will reconsider my options.

My guess is that his spiritual director will not pick for him. He will most likely offer suggestions for him to try, but will leave the choice to the oblate. My suggestions it to not sweat it or obsess over it, and experiment. Anybody who regularly attends liturgy at a Benedictine abbey, and pays attention, will notice over time that the monks experiment with their liturgy (although some changes are subtle and you have to be aware). I’ve been an oblate for nearly 9 years (10 if you include my formation year) and it wasn’t really until this year that I figure I’ve found a nice balance.
 
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