LOTH translation

[Mark1970]

Not sure whether this belongs in spirituality or the liturgy forum, but here goes. I’m a layman who isn’t bound to pray the LOTH. However I have been trying to do so semi-regularly, at least Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. I live in the UK, my question is - do I have to used the officially approved version for use in the UK, or can I legitimately use e.g. the version approved for use in the US? The translations are very similar, both appear to use the Grail version of the psalms, but I think that there are some translation differences. Plus in the UK the full LOTH is in 3 volumes, whereas I believe in the US the full version is in 4 volumes!

As I’m not praying the LOTH as part of some obligation, I wouldn’t have thought the translation used was too important, it would probably only matter if I was praying with other people. But thought I should make sure! Thanks in advance.

 

[OraLabora]

Not sure whether this belongs in spirituality or the liturgy forum, but here goes. I’m a layman who isn’t bound to pray the LOTH. However I have been trying to do so semi-regularly, at least Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. I live in the UK, my question is - do I have to used the officially approved version for use in the UK, or can I legitimately use e.g. the version approved for use in the US? The translations are very similar, both appear to use the Grail version of the psalms, but I think that there are some translation differences. Plus in the UK the full LOTH is in 3 volumes, whereas I believe in the US the full version is in 4 volumes!

As I’m not praying the LOTH as part of some obligation, I wouldn’t have thought the translation used was too important, it would probably only matter if I was praying with other people. But thought I should make sure! Thanks in advance.

The UK version will also follow the UK calendar of saints, feasts, etc.

I can’t speak to the translation differences; I believe there are some.

The question is do you want to pray it as liturgy, or as a private devotion? It’s an important distinction because even as a layman not bound to the LOTH, it is still liturgy if prayed according to an approved form. For UK folks, they should be using their own version. I personally think there’s great benefit to praying it as liturgy, even though as a private devotion also has value.

Travel can knock some disorder into things. I pray with either the French or Latin LOTH. When I travel I carry my French-language LOTH with me, even when I visit the UK or other countries When praying privately it’s what I use. However in 2012 while in the UK I visited a monastery. Obviously when attending their Offices I followed what they were using and they graciously supplied booklets (it was a monastic version of the LOTH btw, not the one the diocesan clergy pray).

The Church doesn’t expect you to buy a new breviary for every country you visit, but she does expect you to use the correct version for your normal country of residence, if you wish to pray liturgically in private. In public obviously what will be prayed will be the LOTH of the country or place (monasteries can elect to use one of several different LOTH versions) one is visiting, and it will count for liturgy even for those bound, for the General Instructions state that when visiting another place, one fulfills one’s obligation when participating in the LOTH of that place even if a different format is used.

Hope this helps!