LOH Questions, please help!

[romanholiday]

I am beginning to pray the LOH from the 1 volume Christian Prayer. I have a few questions:

1. First, where the heck is the “Te Deum”? I can’t find it anywhere, though it is mentioned as to when to use it. Page number?
2. Second, is it legitimate to mix Latin and English? I know most of the prayers from the ordinary in Latin. My problem is that I am not fluent enough to read all the Psalms and such in Latin otherwise I would go straight to the Liturgia Horarum.
3. It is my understanding that the “Psalm Prayers” are an American/ICEL invention and not part of the approved Latin text. Is it ok to skip those?
4. I have heard conflicting things about how to start. Is Lauds supposed to begin with “Lord, open my lips…” or “God, come to my assistance…”?

 

[LilyM]

I am beginning to pray the LOH from the 1 volume Christian Prayer. I have a few questions:

1. First, where the heck is the “Te Deum”? I can’t find it anywhere, though it is mentioned as to when to use it. Page number?
2. Second, is it legitimate to mix Latin and English? I know most of the prayers from the ordinary in Latin. My problem is that I am not fluent enough to read all the Psalms and such in Latin otherwise I would go straight to the Liturgia Horarum.
3. It is my understanding that the “Psalm Prayers” are an American/ICEL invention and not part of the approved Latin text. Is it ok to skip those?
4. I have heard conflicting things about how to start. Is Lauds supposed to begin with “Lord, open my lips…” or “God, come to my assistance…”?

I’m afraid I can only help with the last question - Lauds begins with ‘Lord open my lips’ and the Invitatory Psalm IF it is the first Office you say that day.

Many people begin their day with Prime (Morning Prayer) instead. In which case they would say ‘Lord open my lips’ and the Invitatory before Prime.

If Lauds is said later on (the rough equivalent in modern parlance, the Office of Readings, can be said at any time of day) then it’s prefaced, like all the subsequent offices, with ‘O God come to my assistance’

 

[AJV]

I’m not familiar with the 1 volume - I have the 4 volume so forgive me if some of the answers are innacurate:

I am beginning to pray the LOH from the 1 volume Christian Prayer. I have a few questions:

1. First, where the heck is the “Te Deum”? I can’t find it anywhere, though it is mentioned as to when to use it. Page number?

Doesn’t the Te Deum come for Office of Readings? I thoguht the 1 volume had only very very few of those.

1. Second, is it legitimate to mix Latin and English? I know most of the prayers from the ordinary in Latin. My problem is that I am not fluent enough to read all the Psalms and such in Latin otherwise I would go straight to the Liturgia Horarum.

Yes

1. It is my understanding that the “Psalm Prayers” are an American/ICEL invention and not part of the approved Latin text. Is it ok to skip those?

The Latin psalm prayers are found in a supplement (I’ve also heard from someone that he has a copy with the prayers within the text. I’ll check with him and see).

According to the GILH, the psalm prayers are optional.

1. I have heard conflicting things about how to start. Is Lauds supposed to begin with “Lord, open my lips…” or “God, come to my assistance…”?

“Lord open my lips” begins Lauds if you are going to recite the Invitatory psalm before Lauds. If you are not then it is “God come to my assistance”

 

[NoPlaceLikeRome]

I think you can skip the “Psalm Prayers”, one of my friends who used to lead it at our college chapel never said them and he knows the LOH inside and out.

 

[mercygate]

I am beginning to pray the LOH from the 1 volume Christian Prayer. I have a few questions:

1. First, where the heck is the “Te Deum”? I can’t find it anywhere, though it is mentioned as to when to use it. Page number?

Look in the Ordinary under fice of Readings.

1. Second, is it legitimate to mix Latin and English? I know most of the prayers from the ordinary in Latin. My problem is that I am not fluent enough to read all the Psalms and such in Latin otherwise I would go straight to the Liturgia Horarum.

If you are praying the Office privately and are not under Obedience to a certain form, you can pray it in Greek or Swahili if you like.

s my understanding that the “Psalm Prayers” are an American/ICEL invention and not part of the approved Latin text. Is it ok to skip those?

Yes.

ve heard conflicting things about how to start. Is Lauds supposed to begin with “Lord, open my lips…” or “God, come to my assistance…”?

The first office you pray in the day begins with “Lord, open my lips” . . . followed by the Invitatory Psalm. All other offices begin, “God, come to my assistance.”

 

[AJV]

I’m afraid I can only help with the last question - Lauds begins with ‘Lord open my lips’ and the Invitatory Psalm IF it is the first Office you say that day.

Many people begin their day with Prime (Morning Prayer) instead. In which case they would say ‘Lord open my lips’ and the Invitatory before Prime.

If Lauds is said later on (the rough equivalent in modern parlance, the Office of Readings, can be said at any time of day) then it’s prefaced, like all the subsequent offices, with ‘O God come to my assistance’

I think when the OP said Lauds he meant Morning Prayer (that is also the name in the Latin LH - Laudes matutinae- morning praises). I’m guessing that if he referred to it by other terminology, he would refer to the Office of Readings as Matins.

 

[LilyM]

I think when the OP said Lauds he meant Morning Prayer (that is also the name in the Latin LH - Laudes matutinae- morning praises). I’m guessing that if he referred to it by other terminology, he would refer to the Office of Readings as Matins.

I was wondering whether I had my terminology wrong thanks.

 

[bpbasilphx]

The Hymn of St. Ambrose Te Deum laudamus (“You are God; we praise You” in the flat ICEL version), is the last hymn of Matins/Office of Readings on Sundays and Feasts. It would surprise me if it’s included in the one volume Christian Prayer.

 

[porthos11]

I am beginning to pray the LOH from the 1 volume Christian Prayer. I have a few questions:

1. First, where the heck is the “Te Deum”? I can’t find it anywhere, though it is mentioned as to when to use it. Page number?

The “Te Deum” is said only during the Office of Readings on Sundays, Solemnities, and Feasts. Christian Prayer does not have the complete Office of Readings. Nevertheless the “Te Deum” should be on one of the supplementary cards that came with your book.

1. Second, is it legitimate to mix Latin and English? I know most of the prayers from the ordinary in Latin. My problem is that I am not fluent enough to read all the Psalms and such in Latin otherwise I would go straight to the Liturgia Horarum.

Absolutely. Mixing Latin is just fine.

1. It is my understanding that the “Psalm Prayers” are an American/ICEL invention and not part of the approved Latin text. Is it ok to skip those?

Yes, it is. The GILH specifically calls them “supplemental” and “may” be used. I find that they break the flow of antiphon-psalm-antiphon. So I just simply read over them quietly after the antiphon is repeated at the end of the psalm.

1. I have heard conflicting things about how to start. Is Lauds supposed to begin with “Lord, open my lips…” or “God, come to my assistance…”?

Depends. If you pray Lauds (i.e. Morning Prayer) at the very start of the day, you start with “Lord open my lips” and the Invitatory Psalm. However, if you had already said the Office of Readings earlier, you would have said the Invitatory then, in which case you start Morning Prayer with “God, come to my assistance.” In short, you use the Invitatory “Lord, open my lips” for the first prayer of your day, be it Office of Readings or Morning Prayer.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

If you can’t find the Te Deum elsewhere try Christ the King , click Display format and scroll down to the Office of Readings - page 37-38. I think you can print it out.