Liturgy of the Hours--Too Much!

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:)Greetings!
If the LOTH is too much, what is the next step down? I have a friend who reads the Book of Common Prayer, but that’s Anglican, isn’t it? What should I do?:confused:
Thank you!
 
halx said:
:)Greetings!
If the LOTH is too much, what is the next step down? I have a friend who reads the Book of Common Prayer, but that’s Anglican, isn’t it? What should I do?:confused:
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Can you be more descriptive about what is “too much”? Are you praying all the hours and it takes too long? Is the book confusing? Or what?
 
Can you start by doing one of the prayers? I only do the morning prayer.

Also, you might enjoy the Divine Office App (iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Android). I find the readers to be very reverent and they have singers and choirs singing the hymns.
 
halx said:
:)Greetings!
If the LOTH is too much, what is the next step down? I have a friend who reads the Book of Common Prayer, but that’s Anglican, isn’t it? What should I do?:confused:
Thank you!
Click to expand...
I think the Book of Common Prayer is Anglican.

If you have difficulty with the LOTH, - then there’s a shorter version called “Christian Prayer” available in many Catholic stores 🙂

or you can cut it down to one part of it, ie: Vespers, rather than doing everything.
 
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Fergal said:
Pray it twice.
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Brrr! Is it just me or was there a sudden chill in the room? 🙂

Seriously, why not just do the night prayer? It is reasonably short and cycles weekly. No feasts or special days. No changes for the seasons. It’s reasonably simple.

-Tim-
 
Ordained permanent Deacons are required to pray only the Lauds and Vespers. Also even priests can pray a Rosary instead of the Liturgy of Hours with the permission of the bishop
 
I have a really basic, really kind of stupid question…

Can you pray the LOTH alone? It seems to be written for a group… but I’m on my own with this one. There are some great sites that offer daily prayers from the LOTH but like I said they don’t really explain if it’s be done alone or with a group.

😊
 
LOTH

Christian Prayer

Shorter Christian Prayer

Your local Catholic Bookstore should carry these books, if not check Amazon.
 
“Christian Prayer,” and according to the instructions for it, you can pray it by yourself.

Since either LOTH or Christian Prayer is optional for people who are not in a religious order, you can pray any part you want.
 
:)Hello, I didn’t describe my prayer exhaustion situation very well. I had been praying the LOTH Morning, 3 Daily Offices, Evening and Night prayer. I added OOR at lent and kept with it during our Glorious Easter as well. Now, I’ve “hit the wall” so to speak. I thought of other things, like the Magnificat magazine but I feel very sad to not be praying the Prayer of the Church - it ment alot to me, even as I prayed alone I knew I was part of something larger. I can’t read all those psalms - its taking too much of my time as a wife and mother it’s just not joyous more of an endurance contest now. I also need some spice - ideas for meditation maybe. I really don’t know what’s out there - hence the question. Thank you for taking time to offer ideas!🙂
 
halx said:
:)Greetings!
If the LOTH is too much, what is the next step down? I have a friend who reads the Book of Common Prayer, but that’s Anglican, isn’t it? What should I do?:confused:
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Why not take the LOTH in smaller chunks? People suggest doing that with the Rosary so why not with the LOTH?

Can you start with just a few of the readings and work up to a full reading over several months? (by adding more and more readings each time you use it). And as someone else said, can you just choose a specific time of day to pray? Say, only the Vespers? Or only the Prime?
 
nickybr38 said:
I have a really basic, really kind of stupid question…

Can you pray the LOTH alone? It seems to be written for a group… but I’m on my own with this one. There are some great sites that offer daily prayers from the LOTH but like I said they don’t really explain if it’s be done alone or with a group.

😊
Click to expand...
Yup, you can pray it alone. I have Christian Prayer, the one-volume version, and in the Ordinary it has instructions, for example, of how to close in solitary prayer of the offices.

I know that Magnificat magazine has some abbreviated morning and evening prayers that you might find useful. I have a subscription but use it for the Missal portions and readings, as now that I’ve figured out the LOTH I prefer that.

I also agree with those who have suggested perhaps just night prayer. It is simple, and much of it can be memorized pretty quickly; no page-flipping back and forth. And yes, there’s always the Rosary! 👍
 
nickybr38 said:
I have a really basic, really kind of stupid question…

Can you pray the LOTH alone? It seems to be written for a group… but I’m on my own with this one. There are some great sites that offer daily prayers from the LOTH but like I said they don’t really explain if it’s be done alone or with a group.

😊
Click to expand...
You certainly can pray it alone. I recommend that when you get to the parts where you say things like “we” or “us” that you make it a prayer for the whole Church. Realize that there are millions of people reciting that prayer the same day, so use it as a chance to unite your prayer to theirs.
 
Have you looked at a missalette called The Magnificat? It contains the Mass readings, an abbreviated form of the LOTH, as well as commentary on saints and religious art. Short little doses for each morning and evening.
 
The key to praying the entire LOTH is to avoid scrupulosity. I pray the whole thing most days. In fact I chant the whole thing, most days, except usually for Compline which I recite in bed before going to sleep on most nights, chanting it usually only on Sundays.

First of all try to set up a routine; but if for some reason the routine is disrupted (for me: when I have to leave for work early to go see a client, for when I stay in the city after work to go have dinner with my son, being two prominent examples), don’t sweat missing the prayer. That’s the difference between us laymen and clergy. They’re obliged to the Office, we aren’t. If for some reason work interrupts your schedule, simply make your work prayer, an offering to God.
 
It sounds like you got in over your head a little bit. Simply whittle down the number of times you pray a day. Morning and evening prayer for a wife and mother is more than enough. I like to use the Magnificat magazine, but if you feel more kinship with the Hours, than simply pray the office once or twice a day. Add some spiritual reading from any of the saints, books on prayer, or lectio divinia and you will have something to ruminate about all day. Adding or substituting the rosary is also a good idea, but remember that your primary vocation in life is to be a spouse and mother. At this point you are to be more Martha than Mary; later on there may be more time for more prayer.
 
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