Liturgy of the Hours Questions

[Neil_Anthony]

I am trying to start praying the Liturgy of the Hours but I find I have a lot of questions. I just got the Christian Prayer book yesterday and with the help of the guide I can find the prayers and readings for the day, but I still have some questions. Does anyone know of a website with more detailed instructions?

My particular questions so far are:

1. The daytime prayers have a section for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon, which I understand to correspond to Terce, Sext and None. However there is also a section in the daytime prayer that is before mid-morning prayer. Should that be said at 9am with the mid-morning prayers, or is that Prime, to be said at 6am?
2. People who say the liturgy of the hours, do you still pray your regular morning and bedtime prayers as well?
3. What time do you go to daily mass? Does it matter in relation to the LOTH?
4. How do you choose a hymn? In many places it just says to select a hymn, but there are a lot. I don’t even know most of them. Can I just use the 2 or 3 that I know the tune to? (i cant sight-read music)
5. I read that the psalms should be chanted. Is there a CD to help me learn to chant?
6. Most of the page numbers given in the guide can be deduced from knowing which week of the psalter we’re on and which week we are in the liturgical year, except for some of the Office of Readings. How did they pick which non-biblical readings for each day, and who picks that? Is there a way to figure that out without referring to a guide?

Thanks so much, any answers to any of these are very welcomed and appreciated!

God Bless!
Neil

 

[Joannm]

I am trying to start praying the Liturgy of the Hours but I find I have a lot of questions. I just got the Christian Prayer book yesterday and with the help of the guide I can find the prayers and readings for the day, but I still have some questions. Does anyone know of a website with more detailed instructions?

My particular questions so far are:

1. The daytime prayers have a section for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon, which I understand to correspond to Terce, Sext and None. However there is also a section in the daytime prayer that is before mid-morning prayer. Should that be said at 9am with the mid-morning prayers, or is that Prime, to be said at 6am?

Daytime prayer is the general heading that includes midmorning, mida, and mid afternoon. Those are the psalms that you pray for whichever hour you choose to pray. I usually do not pray the daytime prayers so I do not know which psalms you use if you want to pray all three,

1. People who say the liturgy of the hours, do you still pray your regular morning and bedtime prayers as well?

I usually meditate in the morning for a bit and pray MOrning prayer and the Office of Readings in church before mass…but I add other prayers to compline as well.

1. What time do you go to daily mass? Does it matter in relation to the LOTH?

See above.

1. How do you choose a hymn? In many places it just says to select a hymn, but there are a lot. I don’t even know most of them. Can I just use the 2 or 3 that I know the tune to? (i cant sight-read music)

I do not do the hymn unless it is a communal celebration

1. I read that the psalms should be chanted. Is there a CD to help me learn to chant?

Again chanting is usually for communal celebrations. I have been looking for a CD that contains the chant for all the psalms in TLOTH but have been unable to find one.

1. Most of the page numbers given in the guide can be deduced from knowing which week of the psalter we’re on and which week we are in the liturgical year, except for some of the Office of Readings. How did they pick which non-biblical readings for each day, and who picks that? Is there a way to figure that out without referring to a guide?

The guide makes it easier, but if you know the liturgical calendar then you should be able to fingure out where you should be in TLOTH.

Thanks so much, any answers to any of these are very welcomed and appreciated!

God Bless!
Neil

 

[RobNY]

1. What time do you go to daily mass? Does it matter in relation to the LOTH?

I don’t think there are any rules, but, personally, I attend morning prayer and mass at a Dominican priory, many mornings. So we sing lauds, and then have mass directly afterwards.

1. How do you choose a hymn? In many places it just says to select a hymn, but there are a lot. I don’t even know most of them. Can I just use the 2 or 3 that I know the tune to? (i cant sight-read music)

Usually there is a hymn for each day… like after the heading for morning prayer. Perhaps it is different in the, “Christian Prayer” book, which I’m assuming is an abbreviation of the LoTH. On the other hand, some days we sing hymns from the Worship hymnal. It depends, I suppose.

1. I read that the psalms should be chanted. Is there a CD to help me learn to chant?

Best way to learn may be to sit in on a monastic community which prays them. Besides… it’s awkward chanting on one’s on.

-Rob

 

[bpbasilphx]

<<1. The daytime prayers have a section for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon, which I understand to correspond to Terce, Sext and None. However there is also a section in the daytime prayer that is before mid-morning prayer. Should that be said at 9am with the mid-morning prayers, or is that Prime, to be said at 6am?>>

Prime (First Hour) has been, for the most part, suppressed in the Latin Church.

For those bound to the Divine Office, only ONE Little Hour is of precept. It may be the mid-morning, mid-day, or mid afternoon (corresponding to Terce, Sext, and None), or simply the main office called Midday Prayer. One may say all 3 little hours as devotion and opportunity serve.

 

[mercygate]

My particular questions so far are:

1. The daytime prayers have a section for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon, which I understand to correspond to Terce, Sext and None. However there is** also a section in the daytime prayer that is before mid-morning prayer**. Should that be said at 9am with the mid-morning prayers, or is that Prime, to be said at 6am?

I use the 4-volume LOTH. Is this section a selection of Psalms? Whaa?

1. People who say the liturgy of the hours, do you still pray your regular morning and bedtime prayers as well?

LOTH is LOTH. It does not replace personal prayer. I spend about an hour a day in personal meditative/contemplative prayer in addition to the Office.

1. What time do you go to daily mass? Does it matter in relation to the LOTH?

One thing has nothing to do with the other.

1. How do you choose a hymn? In many places it just says to select a hymn, but there are a lot. I don’t even know most of them. Can I just use the 2 or 3 that I know the tune to? (i cant sight-read music)

The hymns in CP are arranged thematically. If there is no hymn recommended for the hour, you may choose one. You don’t have to sing it; you may recite it.

1. I read that the psalms should be chanted. Is there a CD to help me learn to chant?

You do not need to chant when praying the office privately. Or publicly, depending on the situation.

1. Most of the page numbers given in the guide can be deduced from knowing which week of the psalter we’re on and which week we are in the liturgical year, except for some of the Office of Readings. How did they pick which non-biblical readings for each day, and who picks that? Is there a way to figure that out without referring to a guide?

Sounds like you are using the guide for the 4-volume LOTH. The Office of Readings is kind of a challenge in CP.

 

[YADA]

Invest in this book, it will help you:

**The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step by Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours (Paperback) **
by Madeline Pecora Nugent (Author)

Get past the corniness and the book is chock full of hints and great instructions for all of the three main LOTH resources: the Four Volume Divine Office, the Book of Christian Prayer and the Shorter Christian Prayer…

Good Luck and God Bless

 

[mercygate]

Invest in this book, it will help you:

Get past the corniness and the book is chock full of hints and great instructions for all of the three main LOTH resources: the Four Volume Divine Office, the Book of Christian Prayer and the Shorter Christian Prayer…

Good Luck and God Bless

And we’re praying that it will be back in print soon!

 

[YADA]

I did not know it was out of print…that is so sad…hopefully it will become available again!

Another good book by a Deacon here in Oregon is “Lord Open My Lips” I don’t have it here with me.

 

[YADA]

The book is called

**Lord, Open My Lips: The Liturgy of the Hours As Daily Prayer (Paperback) **
by Seth H. Murray (Author)

 

[AJV]

1. The daytime prayers have a section for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon, which I understand to correspond to Terce, Sext and None. However there is also a section in the daytime prayer that is before mid-morning prayer. Should that be said at 9am with the mid-morning prayers, or is that Prime, to be said at 6am?

I don’t have this book edition, so this may not be exactly what you have, but generally there is provided two sets of psalms:

**- the complimentary psalmody **

120,121,122 -Terce
123, 124, 125 -Sext
126, 127, 128 -None

- the current psalmody
a daily set of varying psalms for Daytime prayer.

Some of the clergy are only obligated to pray ONE hour in Daytime Prayer and they will use the current psalmody only.

Others, leading a more contemplative lifestyle may be obligated to pray all 3 of the “Daytime” hours- Terce, Sext and None. What they will do is select one of these hours to pray the current psalmody. In the other two hours, they will pray the complimentary psalmody corresponding to the hour.​

e.g. today’s (Wed, Sept 19) varying psalmody is Psalm 119: 145-152, Ps 94 (I), Ps 94 (II)

So if I’m obligated to pray all 3 hours and I decide to pray the current psalmody:

(1) at Terce:
Terce: 119, 94 (I), 94 (II)
Sext: 123, 124, 125
None:126, 127, 128

(2) at Sext
Terce: 120,121,122
Sext: 119, 94 (I), 94 (II)
None:126, 127, 128

(3) at None
Terce: 120,121,122
Sext: 123, 124, 125
None:119, 94 (I), 94 (II)

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Mercygate, Thank you for your answers.

The daytime prayers have a section for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon, which I understand to correspond to Terce, Sext and None. However there is also a section in the daytime prayer that is before mid-morning prayer. Should that be said at 9am with the mid-morning prayers, or is that Prime, to be said at 6am?

Well for example the daytime prayer for Tuesday (apparently it’s the same every Tuesday) is printed like this:

Tuesday
Psalm 119:1-8
Psalm 13
Psalm 14
Midmorning
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Prayer
Midday
Proverbs 3:13-15
Prayer
Midafternoon
Job 5:17-18
Prayer
Conclusion

I’m not sure if those psalms are supposed to be said before midmorning, since they print them before the subtitle that says “midmorning”. that’s why I asked if they are for Prime…

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Oh my, that’s completely different from what I have in Christian Prayer. I thought CP was supposed to be the real LOTH, not some other version. That’s dissapointing.

I don’t have this book edition, so this may not be exactly what you have, but generally there is provided two sets of psalms:

**- the complimentary psalmody **

120,121,122 -Terce
123, 124, 125 -Sext
126, 127, 128 -None

- the current psalmody
a daily set of varying psalms for Daytime prayer.

Some of the clergy are only obligated to pray ONE hour in Daytime Prayer and they will use the current psalmody only.

Others, leading a more contemplative lifestyle may be obligated to pray all 3 of the “Daytime” hours- Terce, Sext and None. What they will do is select one of these hours to pray the current psalmody. In the other two hours, they will pray the complimentary psalmody corresponding to the hour.​

e.g. today’s (Wed, Sept 19) varying psalmody is Psalm 119: 145-152, Ps 94 (I), Ps 94 (II)

So if I’m obligated to pray all 3 hours and I decide to pray the current psalmody:

(1) at Terce:
Terce: 119, 94 (I), 94 (II)
Sext: 123, 124, 125
None:126, 127, 128

(2) at Sext
Terce: 120,121,122
Sext: 119, 94 (I), 94 (II)
None:126, 127, 128

(3) at None
Terce: 120,121,122
Sext: 123, 124, 125
None:119, 94 (I), 94 (II)

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Thanks! The website says it’ll be back in print in 6 to 8 weeks so I’ll keep an eye open for it to come back in print.

Invest in this book, it will help you:

Get past the corniness and the book is chock full of hints and great instructions for all of the three main LOTH resources: the Four Volume Divine Office, the Book of Christian Prayer and the Shorter Christian Prayer…

Good Luck and God Bless

 

[AJV]

Oh my, that’s completely different from what I have in Christian Prayer. I thought CP was supposed to be the real LOTH, not some other version. That’s dissapointing.

It is, but it is not the full thing. For the Office of Readings and Daytime Prayer they may have only some selections (I can’t testify because I haven’t seen it, only the 4 volume) because the objective is to get people to pray Morning and Evening Prayer which are the “hinges” of the daily Office. For the complete LOTH you’d have to get the 4 volume edition.

Could you, if possible, give the psalm numbers in the section of mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon and also the section before that you were referring to?

 

[ricmat]

I am trying to start praying the Liturgy of the Hours but I find I have a lot of questions. I just got the Christian Prayer book yesterday and with the help of the guide I can find the prayers and readings for the day, but I still have some questions. Does anyone know of a website with more detailed instructions?

Here are 2 web sites. The first is audio, morning and evening prayer in English (see the links at the left side of the page below):

sqpn.com/scripts/praystation.php

And this site:

liturgyofthehours.org

Also has this page listing exact page numbers for each element of each day:

liturgyofthehours.org/todays_prayers_christian_prayer.htm

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Could you, if possible, give the psalm numbers in the section of mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon and also the section before that you were referring to?

Here’s what it had for today: Maybe the psalms are all listed together and you can say them at whatever time you want, because it doesnt list any psalms in the midmorning, midday or midafternoon sections.

Tuesday
Psalm 119:1-8
Psalm 13
Psalm 14
Midmorning
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Prayer
Midday
Proverbs 3:13-15
Prayer
Midafternoon
Job 5:17-18
Prayer
Conclusion

 

[AJV]

Mercygate, Thank you for your answers.

Well for example the daytime prayer for Tuesday (apparently it’s the same every Tuesday) is printed like this:

Tuesday
Psalm 119:1-8
Psalm 13
Psalm 14
Midmorning
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Prayer
Midday
Proverbs 3:13-15
Prayer
Midafternoon
Job 5:17-18
Prayer
Conclusion

I’m not sure if those psalms are supposed to be said before midmorning, since they print them before the subtitle that says “midmorning”. that’s why I asked if they are for Prime…

(Smack head) I get it! I’m a little duller in the early morning, so please forgive me. .

The selection you have posted is the current psalmody for Daytime Prayer in Psalm Week 1

The headings refer to the Scripture Reading and versicle and Prayer you will use. You have to choose the one appropriate to the time of day you are praying the psalms at. This you will say after the psalms.

For e.g. if you were praying sometime close to 9 a.m. (Terce)

V. God come to my assistance, etc. Glory be, etc.
Hymn
Psalm 119:1-8
Psalm 13
Psalm 14
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Versicle and Prayer for midmorning
Let us bless the Lord. And give him thanks.

Or if you chose to pray it sometime around 12 p.m.
V. God come to my assistance, etc. Glory be, etc.
Hymn
Psalm 119:1-8
Psalm 13
Psalm 14
Proverbs 3:13-15
Prayer and Versicle for midafternoon
Let us bless the Lord. And give him thanks.

---

There are actually 4 Weeks for Daytime Prayer but from your description (which hopefully someone will chime in to confirm) they only give Week 1, since it is an abridged version more focused to the complete Morning and Evening Prayer.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Thanks for the links, ricmat, now I can make sure I’ve got the right readings by comparing to the audio on that website.

AJV, it turns out there is a section of complimentary psalmody in the Christian Prayer book, with the same psalms you listed. Thanks for the help.

 

[mercygate]

Thanks for the links, ricmat, now I can make sure I’ve got the right readings by comparing to the audio on that website.

AJV, it turns out there is a section of complimentary psalmody in the Christian Prayer book, with the same psalms you listed. Thanks for the help.

With a big, fat complicated book like that, the first thing I would do is go through the table of contents and then look over each section . . . It helps get you on board.

 

[passioncrosslov]

With a big, fat complicated book like that, the first thing I would do is go through the table of contents and then look over each section . . . It helps get you on board.

While at it, I understand that the LOH in US are 4 volumes nad hte European’s are the 3 volumes? Are the contents the same? What about translations?