Liturgy of the Hours?

[imacountrylass]

A few questions about the Liturgy of the hours. I am considering a third order vocation and I know little about LOTH except that it is the prayer of the church. I’ve prayed it a few times, but it’s always been printed on a paper (like at a retreat, or sometimes we have compline at church.) When I picked up one of the books, it was so confusing to me.
My questions are these:

1. I was wondering if there is a difference between liturgy of the hours and the divine office.
2. Is there an easy guide to learning LOTH?
3. Does anyone know where one can get the LOTH books at a fairly decent price? I’ve looked at some different places and they are very expensive. The cheapest I’ve been able to find are about $130.00 for the set.

Thank you so much!

 

[puzzleannie]

the easiest way to begin is on the universalis website, which you can link from catholicexchange.com daily

for a book the best for beginners is Shorter Christian Prayer, about $15 (but they may have used books cheaper on Amazon). I strongly recommend praying with this book for at least a full year before investing in a more expensive book or set. just use that time to get familiar with the psalter, and if you get lost, just look at a Catholic calendar or a website to find out “what week we are in”. you don’t even have to flip back and forth when you start out if it is too confusing. do read the explanation in the front.

 

[JReducation]

A few questions about the Liturgy of the hours. I am considering a third order vocation and I know little about LOTH except that it is the prayer of the church. I’ve prayed it a few times, but it’s always been printed on a paper (like at a retreat, or sometimes we have compline at church.) When I picked up one of the books, it was so confusing to me.
My questions are these:

1. I was wondering if there is a difference between liturgy of the hours and the divine office.
2. Is there an easy guide to learning LOTH?
3. Does anyone know where one can get the LOTH books at a fairly decent price? I’ve looked at some different places and they are very expensive. The cheapest I’ve been able to find are about $130.00 for the set.

Thank you so much!

The Liturgy of the Hours is the Divine Office.

If you purchase the one volume Christian Prayer editon it has all of the instructions in it.

You can purchase it on ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com for less than $50. It comes with the guide that tell you what page and what office to pray.

If you are contemplating joining a secular order, you may have to check to see if your order has it’s own breviary.

Franciscans have their own which includes most of the Roman breviary, except for those days when the Franciscan calendar takes precedence. The same for the Carmelites and the Benedictines.

These orders are exempt religious orders. This means that they are exempt from following the liturgical calendar of the universal church for every single day. There are days that they must stick with, such as Christmas and the holy days of obligation for the USA. They also have their own hoidays of obligation.

If you’re looking a the Secular Franciscans, which is my order the website to purchase the insert is

stfrancisonline.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SFB&Product_Code=406%2F08&Category_Code=FLIT

They have the ROMAN-FRANCISCAN CHRISTIAN PRAYER: WITH PROPER, ANNUAL GUIDE & VINYL CASE for $57.00.

They also have just the Christian Prayer, w/o the Francican part for $37.00.

Hope this helps.

JR

 

[PhilotheaZ]

The best way to learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours is to pray it with someone (quite a few times, not just once). See if you can find someone in your parish who will be willing to be your prayer partner until you get the hang of it.

I think trying to learn it from the (somewhat confusing) instructions in the books would be very frustrating.

If you join a third order, part of your formation will be instruction in how to pray Liturgy of the Hours. You won’t have to know how to do it going in.

 

[richardwy]

Using the book “Christain Prayer” is how I began. Read the instructions too.

You’ll do great!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I agree with waiting to find out what 3rd order group you’ll be called to, to be sure you’re using the same breviary as they are.

If its a Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites(OCDS), we use the Liturgy of the Hours, published by the Catholic Publishing Company.

You can either use the single volume, “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours,” or the 4 Volume set, “The Liturgy of the Hours.”

In the 3rd Order group such as OCDS, you’ll more than likely only pray the Evening Prayer with the group. So, the single volume “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours,” is all you need, and it is no different than the 4 volume set in this regard.

In fact, since my change to the 4 volume set, I’ve found that most lay people only will say Morning and Evening Prayer, and the single volume, “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours,” is all they really need.

As it has also been suggested, you’ll learn it easier, if you can pray it with others who already knows it, such as a 3rd order group.

God Bless
Jim

 

[Augustine]

1. Is there an easy guide to learning LOTH?

The LOTH books contain instructions, but they seem to me to be mere reminders to those who already know them.

I found this tutorial and this online class quite helpful to learn how to pray the LOTH step by step.

Day to day, you probably want to have the St. Joseph’s guide handy to avoid confusion about which pages to flip to. You can use this more detailed guide too.

HTH

 

[JReducation]

I agree with waiting to find out what 3rd order group you’ll be called to, to be sure you’re using the same breviary as they are.

If its a Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites(OCDS), we use the Liturgy of the Hours, published by the Catholic Publishing Company.

You can either use the single volume, “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours,” or the 4 Volume set, “The Liturgy of the Hours.”

In the 3rd Order group such as OCDS, you’ll more than likely only pray the Evening Prayer with the group. So, the single volume “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours,” is all you need, and it is no different than the 4 volume set in this regard.

In fact, since my change to the 4 volume set, I’ve found that most lay people only will say Morning and Evening Prayer, and the single volume, “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours,” is all they really need.

As it has also been suggested, you’ll learn it easier, if you can pray it with others who already knows it, such as a 3rd order group.

God Bless
Jim

Hi Jim

Just a question:

Don’t the Carmelites have their own breviary, like the Franciscans do? The Franciscans us the Roman Franciscan edition of Christian Prayer. It follows the Franciscan liturgical calendar, the difference being that the Franciscan holy days take precedence over the Roman feasts and memorials (not solemnities), there are Franciscan solemenities in it, in the Office of Readings the non biblical readings on Franciscan holy days come from the the Omnibus of Franciscan Writings. Franciscans, friars, nuns, sisters, and seculars are required to observe and celebrate the Franciscan holy days, especially the Franciscan solemnities. It follows the Franciscan missal and lectionary.

Is there such a breviary for the OCD? I thought there was one for the O’Carm. and there is an edition for the Benedictines.

Just a question. Because if the poster is going to join a secular order with its own liturgical calendar, he is better off spending the money on their breviary now, than buying the inserts later. It turns out more expensive when you buy piece by piece. The publishing companies are merciless when it comes to pricing.

JR

 

[Joe_Kelley]

. . .

1. Is there an easy guide to learning LOTH?

. . .

See Liturgy of the Hours Apostolate There is a charge for a subscription, but Fridays and Sundays are free. That will give you an outline.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Hi JReducation

Just a question:

Don’t the Carmelites have their own breviary, like the Franciscans do?

In general, the Discalced Carmelites do not have their own breviary, but use the version put out by the Catholic Publishing Company. Secular Order Discalced Carmelites my use the shorter “Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours.”

However, I’m not sure if the cloistered Discalced Carmelites use a monastic version, which is a two week cycle, instead of the four week cycle as the Catholic Publishing Company version is.

I don’t know about O’Carm.

Jim

 

[Augustine]

Don’t the Carmelites have their own breviary, like the Franciscans do?

Yes and no. There are Carmelite memorials and feasts that are not celebrated by the universal Church or given the same importance (see this). On such days, the appropriate common is used instead. But there isn’t a Carmelite breviary.

HTH

 

[JReducation]

Yes and no. There are Carmelite memorials and feasts that are not celebrated by the universal Church or given the same importance (see this). On such days, the appropriate common is used instead. But there isn’t a Carmelite breviary.

HTH

Thanks. I learned something. I wonder why we have the **Roman-Franciscan Christian Prayer **and most orders don’t have such. Hmmmmmmmm? As Mr. Spck used to say, “Interesting.” LOL

Do the Caremelites have their own Sacramentary and Lectionary or do they use the Roman edition?

There is also the Roman-Franciscan Sacramentary and Lectionary. They even have the smaller ritual books for the different sacraments written just for the three Franciscan Orders: 1) Friars Minor, 2) Poor Clares and 3) Secular and Regular Franciscans (OSF and TOR).

The difference between these and the Roman books are slight. Francis is included in almost every prayer and in the Eucharistic prayer when the saints are mentioned. In liturgical celebrations where the litany of the saints is used, the Franciscan Saints are on the list.

There are the Franciscan holy days and solemnities. For example, some holy days that may not be solemnities in some countries are solemnities for the Franciscans. For example, the Immaculate Conception is a universal solemnity, but not a holy day of obligation around the world. However, it is for Franciscans, because she’s the patroness of the Order. So are the Solomenities of St. Francis, Clare, Bonaventure, the Stigmata of St. Francis, Feast of the Holy Cross and several others.

On those days the liturgy resembles more a Sunday liturgy with three readings and the Gloria and propers.

JR

 

[Augustine]

Do the Caremelites have their own Sacramentary and Lectionary or do they use the Roman edition?

There is also the Roman-Franciscan Sacramentary and Lectionary…

Well, I’m not a friar priest, so I don’t know if there’s a Carmelite sacramentary. Then again, I’d venture to guess that the Franciscan one is not that different from the Roman one. Perhaps an addendum would suffice, but a sacramentary with all the additions is much easier to use and perhaps that’s the case.

In my anecdotal experience, the Carmelite saints are remembered at Mass by OCD priests. Then again, my parish pastor adds our patron saint to some prayers of the Mass. I guess that there’s some leeway that the celebrant is free to “improvise”, when the members of an order can add their patron saints instead.

As you saw above, Carmelites use an addendum to the breviary and certainly a breviary containing this addendum could be printed as a “Carmelite” breviary and similarly for a “Carmelite” sacramentary. I believe that there aren’t either because of cost.

 

[JReducation]

Well, I’m not a friar priest, so I don’t know if there’s a Carmelite sacramentary. Then again, I’d venture to guess that the Franciscan one is not that different from the Roman one. Perhaps an addendum would suffice, but a sacramentary with all the additions is much easier to use and perhaps that’s the case.

In my anecdotal experience, the Carmelite saints are remembered at Mass by OCD priests. Then again, my parish pastor adds our patron saint to some prayers of the Mass. I guess that there’s some leeway that the celebrant is free to “improvise”, when the members of an order can add their patron saints instead.

As you saw above, Carmelites use an addendum to the breviary and certainly a breviary containing this addendum could be printed as a “Carmelite” breviary and similarly for a “Carmelite” sacramentary. I believe that there aren’t either because of cost.

I have seen the addendums used by the O’Carm. That’s why I asked about the OCD.

The Franciscans don’t have an addendum. Their’s is all in one volume it says Roman Franciscan Sacramentary it is published by the Franciscan Liturgical Commission.

I guess it makes it easier than having different pieces work manipulate.

JR

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Yes and no. There are Carmelite memorials and feasts that are not celebrated by the universal Church or given the same importance (see this). On such days, the appropriate common is used instead. But there isn’t a Carmelite breviary.

HTH

Even though Discalced Carmelites have feast and memorials of their own canonized members, we still use the breviary by Catholic Publishing.

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

JReducation

Do the Caremelites have their own Sacramentary and Lectionary or do they use the Roman edition?

As far as I know, they use the Roman edition. However, I could be wrong and I’ll ask my friend who is a Friar, who just got his Doctors Degree on the Liturgy, in Rome. He’s coming back in a few weeks.

Jim

 

[Scout]

I’ve been using the universalis site to pray the LOTH. It’s been wonderful and I’m so grateful to have that site availabe.

I do have the Christian Prayer book, but I don’t know how to use it. I bought it at the end of the Liturgical Year and they were out of instructions . So, I have this book and am completely clueless.

Does anyone know if there are instructions for it online somewhere, that I can download? Or if/where I can get the instructions without having to buy the book again?

Scout :tiphat:

 

[Augustine]

I’ve been using the universalis site to pray the LOTH. It’s been wonderful and I’m so grateful to have that site availabe.

Just keep in mind that the LOTH in the Universalis site is not the one for liturgical use.

Does anyone know if there are instructions for it online somewhere, that I can download? Or if/where I can get the instructions without having to buy the book again?

Yes, just check out my previous message in this thread.

HTH

 

[Scout]

Just keep in mind that the LOTH in the Universalis site is not the one for liturgical use.

Yes, just check out my previous message in this thread.

HTH

Why is the LOTH on Universalis not the one for liturgical use? What is the difference? (I think I’m so confused).

Scout :tiphat:

 

[JReducation]

Why is the LOTH on Universalis not the one for liturgical use? What is the difference? (I think I’m so confused).

Scout :tiphat:

If you’re using Christian Prayer published by the Catholic Book Publishing Co. go to page 35, they explain how to pray it.

Also go to www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com and purchase the guide for Christian Prayer. It will tell you exactly what pages and what office to say for each day.

Hope this helps.

JR