Liturgy of the Hours

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Does any one know what the differences are in the Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours four volume set and the book Christian Prayer - The Liturgy of the Hours.

Also, has there been a time when they have changed the psalms, prayers and readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. I found an older version of the Christian Prayer Liturgy of the Hours and I am trying to figure out what is the difference.

I can’t afford the four volume set and was wondering if a recent Christian Prayer is a way to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and just what all is missing.

Thanks
 
I posted this under Traditional Catholicism but I thought maybe it would be better here, so I am re-posting it:

Does any one know what the differences are in the Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours four volume set and the book Christian Prayer - The Liturgy of the Hours.

Also, has there been a time when they have changed the psalms, prayers and readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. I found an older version of the Christian Prayer Liturgy of the Hours and I am trying to figure out what is the difference and how to use it.

I can’t afford the four volume set and was wondering if a recent Christian Prayer is a way to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and just what all is missing.

Thanks
 
In a nutshell the 4 volume set contains the complete office of the readings. If you intend to pray the office of the readings regularly then go with the 4 volume set. If you intend to pray Morning, Night and Evening Prayers then CP should suffice.

Both of the editions you’ve mentioned contain the same 4 week cycle of praying the Psalms
 
LilHomemaker said:
Does any one know what the differences are in the Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours four volume set and the book Christian Prayer - The Liturgy of the Hours.
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The 3-Volume set sold as the Divine Office is the UK version of the LOTH and would be appropriate if you live there (or various other countries).

If you live in the US, the 4-Volume LOTH is the official set. Christian Prayer is the same translation as the US LOTH, but doesn’t have everything. It has everything for Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer, but only an abbreviated version of the Office of Readings and the Daytime prayers. There is also Shorter Christian Prayer which only has the basics for Morning and Evening Prayer, but not most of the seasonal stuff.

I highly recommend Christian Prayer as I think it is a good compromise between completeness (including all the seasonal feasts and such) and size/price. It seems most of us laity tend to stick with Morning and Evening Prayer, so you have everything you need for that without paying for all of the other hours you won’t use.
 
LilHomemaker said:
I posted this under Traditional Catholicism but I thought maybe it would be better here, so I am re-posting it:

Does any one know what the differences are in the Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours four volume set and the book Christian Prayer - The Liturgy of the Hours.

Also, has there been a time when they have changed the psalms, prayers and readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. I found an older version of the Christian Prayer Liturgy of the Hours and I am trying to figure out what is the difference and how to use it.

I can’t afford the four volume set and was wondering if a recent Christian Prayer is a way to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and just what all is missing.

Thanks
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Here’s what all the books include:
Shorter Christian Prayer:
  • Psalter
  • Seasonal propers (one week of “lenten propers” instead of something different for every day of lent, etc…)
  • Some major saints propers (ascension, immaculate conception, etc…) but not the full calendar
  • Only morning, evening, and night prayer
Christian Prayer:
  • Everything in the full breviary, except office of readings and I think some daytime hours
4 Vol:
  • Office of readings for every day of the year
  • changing propers for every “non-ordinary-time” day of the year
  • texts for all the saints on the calendar
  • all the hours in the office, including the midday prayers and office of readings
  • psalter
I’m sure I’ve missed something, but here the basics: unless you’re doing office of readings, you don’t really need the 4 volume set. Especially if you can’t afford the 4 vol set, christian prayer should do you just fine.
 
Good question. I’d like to know too. This will be helpful information! Thanks for posting this.🙂
 
In the single volume LOTH you have to turn to different sections more often. The four volume set requires less page flipping.

The single volume is fine.
 
The four volume set also contains the Office of Readings, which is really the biggest difference. One advantage of Christian Prayer is that is has the notation for the hymns, the four volume doesn’t.
 
above posters are correct. no hymn melody in 4 volume. One thing people overlook are that the readings are not exactly the same. it is frustrating. christian prayer (1 volume) usually has a longer scripture reading. you can find several free versions online of the loth. use divineoffice.org if you are under the usccb (US). be aware that it comes from the 4 volume.

can someone clarify… are the psalm-prayers the same in both versions?
 
Christian Prayer has full Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer cycles, with one week of Daytime prayer (I believe week I).
 
If you would like to give it a try first you can do so for free - I have followed along in my Book of Christian Prayer and it does match perfectly - here is the site and it will help to teach you a bit when you do get your book to make sure you are in the right places:

divineoffice.org/

This is how I am slowly teaching a friend of mine who wanted to start learning.
 
I use a single volume breviary called: The Prayer of the Church. Its published by Paulines Publications and uses the Revised Grail Psalter. It contains:

The Four Week Psalter
The Proper of Seasons(For every day of a liturgical season)
The Proper of Saints(All of the them)
All the daytime hours for ordinary time and certain solemnities
One daytime hour for every day of a specific liturgical season
Night Prayer
The Commons
Office of Readings for Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Pentecost Sunday

All in all, it has everything except Office of Readings and all the other daytime hours for Advent, Christmastide, Lent and Easter
 
jayk15 said:
I use a single volume breviary called: The Prayer of the Church. Its published by Paulines Publications and uses the Revised Grail Psalter. It contains:

The Four Week Psalter
The Proper of Seasons(For every day of a liturgical season)
The Proper of Saints(All of the them)
All the daytime hours for ordinary time and certain solemnities
One daytime hour for every day of a specific liturgical season
Night Prayer
The Commons
Office of Readings for Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Pentecost Sunday

All in all, it has everything except Office of Readings and all the other daytime hours for Advent, Christmastide, Lent and Easter
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RGP, huh? Nice.
 
TheMc said:
RGP, huh? Nice.
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I agree!!! Could you provide a link? I did a google search and checked out the Pauline’s website but couldn’t find anything. More info would be appreciated.
 
I’m curious if any Divine Office / Liturgy of the Hours publications focus on the three Offices that most commuters need while away from home, namely:

Morning Prayer
Daytime Prayer (midday, the whole 4 week version)
Evening Prayer

I have the 4 volume set at home which contains the Office of Readings and Night Prayer, but don’t need to carry these extra Hours with me all day (they get heavy). A portable on-the-road book in my bag which is limited to the other three Hours would be perfect.

My bet is that such an animal does not exist, but it makes so much sense.
 
Russ_of_Tokyo said:
I’m curious if any Divine Office / Liturgy of the Hours publications focus on the three Offices that most commuters need while away from home, namely:

Morning Prayer
Daytime Prayer (midday, the whole 4 week version)
Evening Prayer

I have the 4 volume set at home which contains the Office of Readings and Night Prayer, but don’t need to carry these extra Hours with me all day (they get heavy). A portable on-the-road book in my bag which is limited to the other three Hours would be perfect.

My bet is that such an animal does not exist, but it makes so much sense.
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In this day and age you would hopefully have access to a computer, smart phone, or tablet while “on-the-road”. If you have one, there are obviously many options.

For US, Canada, and a few other english speaking countries:
divineoffice.org has the fully office with audio for free (4volume version). $15 for the iphone/ipad/android apps.
ibreviary is free on ipad (and maybe iphone and android) (4volume)
There are others, but those, I think, are the good ones.

I think Universalis is for English-speaking Europe. It’s free on pc.

If nothing else, I guess you could print the hours you need each morning, or save them as a text file for your e-reader or something. Seems like a hassle, though. More people should be getting on the electronic bandwagon IMO. There is zero page flipping, zero knowledge required to pray the office, practically zero money. 🙂
 
Yeah, I’ve been using Universalis on the Kindle when on the road (or rather the commuter subway), and it is wonderful and makes for a smooth, no hassle experience. However, I still prefer nice a little book that I can hold in my hand. Maybe it’s a carry over from when I was an Anglican and had that nice pocket size leather bound Book of Common Prayer. I guess I was spoiled. 🙂

I may be a Luddite, but that little book has outlived several computers and one Kindle (yep, I broke my first one already).
 
I’m not sure I know anyone who prays all the daytime hours that doesn’t have Orders. It’s rare to find someone who uses the Office at all it seems. Very discouraging for recent converts like myself, especially in southern US, which, as far as Christianity is concerned, seems to be about 85% protestant (including mormons, JWs, etc). Let me put it this way, in my 24 years, not including Catholics I met through my local parish, I’ve known 3… THREE catholics… none of which were really practicing.

I guess my point is, good for you 👍

catholicbookpublishing.com/ShowProduct.aspx?ProductID=723&DepartmentID=13 (daytime hours)
That might be useful to you, Russ. 4 3/8 X 6 3/4 might be pocket-sized if you have an extremely large pocket, ha. Subway, huh… yeah I’d prefer to carry something people don’t want to steal.
catholicbookpublishing.com/ShowProduct.aspx?ProductID=288&DepartmentID=89 (morning/evening)

Looks like you’ll be stuck with 2 books if you need morning prayer.

-SG

edit: nevermind, I thought you had said morning/midmorning/midday/afternoon and not morning/midday/evening. My bad. 🤷
 
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