Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with Interrruptions

[yellow8yellowM]

Being married and having small children, I find it difficult to find time even small chunks of time during the evenings to pray. I usually wait until everybody is in bed to begin the Liturgy of the Hours. I know it is already a little late (8-9pm) to begin Evening Prayer, but if I were to try to do it at 6pm I would get interrupted many times and would have to pray it in sections over the course of an hour when it should only take 15 minutes or so.

I know that it is “okay” to pray in sections if you are doing it as a private devotion. But I am doing it as Liturgy, and intend to be praying with the universal Church. In this sense, is it better to pray Evening Prayer at 9pm or would it be just fine to split up Evening Prayer in sections, with interruptions, from 6-7pm? Or would both situations make it more of a private devotion anyway?

I know this may sound petty or scrupulous to some, but I do want to pray with the Church.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

I would wait until the 9:00 hour and do it as a whole rather than break it up. That’s what I do. For me, Night Prayer doesn’t happen until 11:00 PM, anyway.

 

[sw85]

Being married and having small children, I find it difficult to find time even small chunks of time during the evenings to pray. I usually wait until everybody is in bed to begin the Liturgy of the Hours. I know it is already a little late (8-9pm) to begin Evening Prayer, but if I were to try to do it at 6pm I would get interrupted many times and would have to pray it in sections over the course of an hour when it should only take 15 minutes or so.

I know that it is “okay” to pray in sections if you are doing it as a private devotion. But I am doing it as Liturgy, and intend to be praying with the universal Church. In this sense, is it better to pray Evening Prayer at 9pm or would it be just fine to split up Evening Prayer in sections, with interruptions, from 6-7pm? Or would both situations make it more of a private devotion anyway?

I know this may sound petty or scrupulous to some, but I do want to pray with the Church.

Strictly speaking, you can’t do it “as liturgy” because you aren’t a priest. Only priests can celebrate liturgically; for everyone else, the LotH is devotional.

But note that, even for priests, the obligation to pray Evening Prayer at 6 PM is not that strict. They are only exhorted to try to pray it as close to the hour as possible, or as soon after that as possible if it can’t be done then.

 

[coachdennis]

I look at it this way – it’s 6:00 PM somewhere and you are offering your prayer in communion with those others in the world who are praying at that point.

 

[landon13]

I have tried to pray the LOTH before as well and I’m using the one volume Christian Prayer. I always find it hard to remember to pray the evening prayer so I either have to skip it if it gets too late or I have to push Night Prayer back an hour.

Blessings!

 

[KrazyKat]

I look at it this way – it’s 6:00 PM somewhere and you are offering your prayer in communion with those others in the world who are praying at that point.

My thought exactly.

 

[bben15]

I do the evening prayer when the Sun starts to go down. Where I live, that’s around 8:30. During the winter, I do it at 5:30. I don’t do the Night Prayer until about 10:30.

It usually only takes me 5-7 minutes to pray the evening prayer. You say it takes you 15 minutes without interruption. Are you using a traditional breviary?

P.S. Since you’re not a member of the clergy, you’re not praying with the universal Church. For a layperson, the Divine Office is just a private devotion.

God Bless.

 

[Bran_Stark]

Strictly speaking, you can’t do it “as liturgy” because you aren’t a priest. Only priests can celebrate liturgically; for everyone else, the LotH is devotional.

Is this really true? When the Office is held in a monastery, without any priests present, are the monks merely conducting a private devotion?

 

[OraLabora]

Strictly speaking, you can’t do it “as liturgy” because you aren’t a priest. Only priests can celebrate liturgically; for everyone else, the LotH is devotional.

I’m sorry but that is completely incorrect. It is liturgy even without a priest. Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church and as such belongs to everyone including the laity.

The rubrics of the LOTH have instructions on how to pray it privately whether or not you’re a priest or deacon, in public without a priest or deacon, and in public with a priest or deacon.

What you say is wrong on so many levels:

1. Deacons are in fact capable of leading a LOTH service and blessing; the rubrics for a priest or deacon are identical;
2. Religious communities do celebrate it as “liturgy” even without a priest (think of monasteries of Benedictine women for instance; often the priest only shows up for Mass);
3. The General instructions of the LOTH do in fact, encourage the laity to participate fully in the LOTH as liturgy:

1. Lay groups gathering for prayer, apostolic work, or any other reason are encouraged to fulfill the Church’s duty, by celebrating part of the liturgy of the hours. The laity must learn above all how in the liturgy they are adoring God the Father in spirit and in truth; they should bear in mind that through public worship and prayer they reach all humanity and can contribute significantly to the salvation of the whole world.

Finally, it is of great advantage for the family, the domestic sanctuary of the Church, not only to pray together to God but also to celebrate some parts of the liturgy of the hours as occasion offers, in order to enter more deeply into the life of the Church.

The LOTH, is the public prayer of the Church, even when prayed in private, provided an approved version is recited according to the rubrics. One of those rubrics is to respect the verity of the hour (i.e. Lauds in the morning, Vespers in the evening, mid-day prayer at mid-day, Compline before bed; only the Office of Readings can be said at any time). Of course “evening” can have a fairly wide interpretation, there is no specific hour. It should be after 4 pm, and 8 pm is the latest time I’ll recite it, otherwise I’ll skip it (that’s my personal interpretation).

You are confusing obligation with participation. The LOTH is the part of the liturgy that does not require a priest, and just because one is not obligated to pray it, does not mean that one cannot participate in it. In fact may non-ordained people are in fact obligated to pray it whether an ordained clergyman (priest or deacon) is available or not. The obligation of the LOTH, and the ability to participate in the LOTH or indeed even lead an Office of the LOTH, has nothing to do with sacerdotal or diaconal status.

 

[Pilgrim1701]

I’m sorry but that is completely incorrect. It is liturgy even without a priest. Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church and as such belongs to everyone including the laity.

The rubrics of the LOTH have instructions on how to pray it privately whether or not you’re a priest or deacon, in public without a priest or deacon, and in public with a priest or deacon.

What you say is wrong on so many levels:

1. Deacons are in fact capable of leading a LOTH service and blessing; the rubrics for a priest or deacon are identical;
2. Religious communities do celebrate it as “liturgy” even without a priest (think of monasteries of Benedictine women for instance; often the priest only shows up for Mass);
3. The General instructions of the LOTH do in fact, encourage the laity to participate fully in the LOTH as liturgy:

The LOTH, is the public prayer of the Church, even when prayed in private, provided an approved version is recited according to the rubrics. One of those rubrics is to respect the verity of the hour (i.e. Lauds in the morning, Vespers in the evening, mid-day prayer at mid-day, Compline before bed; only the Office of Readings can be said at any time). Of course “evening” can have a fairly wide interpretation, there is no specific hour. It should be after 4 pm, and 8 pm is the latest time I’ll recite it, otherwise I’ll skip it (that’s my personal interpretation).

You are confusing obligation with participation. The LOTH is the part of the liturgy that does not require a priest, and just because one is not obligated to pray it, does not mean that one cannot participate in it. In fact may non-ordained people are in fact obligated to pray it whether an ordained clergyman (priest or deacon) is available or not. The obligation of the LOTH, and the ability to participate in the LOTH or indeed even lead an Office of the LOTH, has nothing to do with sacerdotal or diaconal status.

+1:thumbsup:

 

[RSD]

Being married and having small children, I find it difficult to find time even small chunks of time during the evenings to pray. I usually wait until everybody is in bed to begin the Liturgy of the Hours. I know it is already a little late (8-9pm) to begin Evening Prayer, but if I were to try to do it at 6pm I would get interrupted many times and would have to pray it in sections over the course of an hour when it should only take 15 minutes or so.

I know that it is “okay” to pray in sections if you are doing it as a private devotion. But I am doing it as Liturgy, and intend to be praying with the universal Church. In this sense, is it better to pray Evening Prayer at 9pm or would it be just fine to split up Evening Prayer in sections, with interruptions, from 6-7pm? Or would both situations make it more of a private devotion anyway?

I know this may sound petty or scrupulous to some, but I do want to pray with the Church.

Just based on my own experience, I would suggest that you try one way for a couple of months, and then try the other way. I think that you will find that one fits you better than the other. For myself, I resolved some years ago to try to pray morning prayer every day, and not to add others until I was doing that one consistently. Some days I don’t get to morning prayer until last thing before I go to bed. I used to just skip it if I did not get to it in the morning, but I have found that it is better for me to have the discipline of praying the prayer eventually than to skip it.

 

[sw85]

I’m sorry but that is completely incorrect. It is liturgy even without a priest. Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church and as such belongs to everyone including the laity.

See Sacrosanctum Concilium, p. 84:

By tradition going back to early Christian times, the divine office is devised so that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God. Therefore, when this wonderful song of praise is rightly performed by priests and others who are deputed for this purpose by the Church’s ordinance, or by the faithful praying together with the priest in the approved form, then it is truly the voice of the bride addressed to her bridegroom; It is the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His body, addresses to the Father.

So it seems I’m wrong in saying it must be led by a priest, since “others who are deputed for this purpose” would presumably include deacons as well and (see paragraph following) religious acting in community. Nevertheless, it seems not just anyone can celebrate it liturgically, which is why there is also this following paragraph:

1. Members of any institute dedicated to acquiring perfection who, according to their constitutions, are to recite any parts of the divine office are thereby performing the public prayer of the Church.

Such a statement would be completely pointless unless the Church restricts who is able to recite the LotH liturgically.

It is of course the public prayer of the Church. But what makes the actual act of reciting it liturgical is that it is done officially on the Church’s behalf, i.e., acting on the Church’s authority. Mass is liturgy, too, after all.

The rubrics of the LOTH have instructions on how to pray it privately whether or not you’re a priest or deacon, in public without a priest or deacon, and in public with a priest or deacon.

Yes, they can be prayed by anyone. It doesn’t follow that they have a liturgical character when prayed by anyone.

1. The General instructions of the LOTH do in fact, encourage the laity to participate fully in the LOTH as liturgy:

Sure, but again, this does not mean just doing it makes it a liturgical action.

 

[OraLabora]

SW85, Sacrosanctum Consilium predates the LOTH by some 7 or so years. SC was the product of the Council. The actual reform of the liturgy in the post-conciliar era was carried out by *Consilium ad Exsequendam Constitutionem da Sacra Liturgia *. Group 9 (Coetus IX) of that group was responsible for drafting the LOTH.

The understanding of the final LOTH is as presented in the General Instructions. I’ll re-quote the relevant portion of those instructions again (my bold):

1. Lay groups gathering for prayer, apostolic work, or any other reason are encouraged to fulfill the Church’s duty, by celebrating part of the liturgy of the hours. The laity must learn above all how in the liturgy they are adoring God the Father in spirit and in truth; they should bear in mind that through public worship and prayer they reach all humanity and can contribute significantly to the salvation of the whole world.

Finally, it is of great advantage for the family, the domestic sanctuary of the Church, not only to pray together to God but also to celebrate some parts of the liturgy of the hours as occasion offers, in order to enter more deeply into the life of the Church.

Note that even in a family setting, it clearly says to “celebrate” the “liturgy” of the hours, not to recite the “private devotion” of the hours.

You’re very mistaken to state that the laity cannot pray the LOTH even privately. The General Instructions, promulgated by the Holy Father Paul VI, clearly states otherwise.

Moreover SC which you quote also says this:

1. Pastors of souls should see to it that the chief hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts. And the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually.

Those are simply the facts, as confirmed by my spiritual director, a Benedictine monk and priest. The current understanding of the Church is that the LOTH is liturgy whether it is celebrated by the ordained (priests and deacons), religious, or the laity. The difference for the laity is that we are not bound to it. Some religious and clergy are not only bound to the LOTH, but are bound to say it in choir. Myself as an oblate, I have made a promise to pray at least a portion of the Liturgy of the Hours as my circumstances allow (and as it were, I pray it entirely every day according to the rubrics and Benedictine calendar). When you pray it according to the rubrics, you are attaching yourself to the public prayer of the entire Church. That’s what makes it liturgy: the public nature of the worship, and the following of the rituals of that worship. It’s when one departs from the approved rituals that it ceases to be liturgy.

There’s really no point in arguing this any further. It has been hashed over again and again on this forum.

 

[Sirach2]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The Liturgy of the Hours
1174 The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, "the divine office."46 This celebration, faithful to the apostolic exhortations to “pray constantly,” is "so devised that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praise of God."47 In this "public prayer of the Church,"48 the faithful (clergy, religious, and lay people) exercise the royal priesthood of the baptized. Celebrated in “the form approved” by the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours "is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father.49

OP, I agree with the others who advised that you should try to pray at a time when you can give devoted attention to your praise of God. You will be in union with the Mystical Body of Christ throughout the world who are praying at that same hour.

 

[Aramis]

Strictly speaking, you can’t do it “as liturgy” because you aren’t a priest. Only priests can celebrate liturgically; for everyone else, the LotH is devotional.

But note that, even for priests, the obligation to pray Evening Prayer at 6 PM is not that strict. They are only exhorted to try to pray it as close to the hour as possible, or as soon after that as possible if it can’t be done then.

Communal paraliturgical prayer is not devotional - it’s a separate category that, outside of monasticism and friary, has been dying out in the west.

In the Catholic East, it’s still the norm.

Oh, and Liturgy is the term for communal public prayer authorized by the bishop (possibly via the pastor), not just for liturgy lead by priests.

 

[Beachcomber]

I read somewhere (I can’t remember exactly) that EP can be anticipated as early as 2pm. I always thought that didn’t really “go” with Evening Prayer, but if this is correct, perhaps the OP could say EP earlier and not be interrupted.

But as another poster mentioned, it’s always 6pm somewhere and you can be saying the office with someone elsewhere in the world.

 

[Elizium23]

If I may be so bold as to suggest another solution for the OP. Perhaps it is time to be firm, and educate your family that there is a certain part of your life that is required to be “me time” only, and that you cannot be interrupted except for true emergencies while you are at prayer.

I often refuse to allow people to interrupt me when I am at prayer, I try to make it obvious that I am currently occupied and should not be disturbed. Now, I live alone so I frequently have large chunks of time to myself, and this is not a common problem in my life, so pardon me if I do not thoroughly empathize with your situation. But surely you could work with your family and find 10-15 minutes of time when your spouse can run interference for you and handle the children until you are again free to be with them.

And if your family is Catholic, perhaps you could slowly encourage them to participate also in the praying of the Hours. It has a richer character when celebrated by two or more people, with alternation in reciting and responses being made to the leader.

 

[Elizabeth779]

Great thread – I hope you find a solution. I work in the evenings and sometimes have a hard time finishing my prayers for the day.

Can anyone give me the hours that are assigned to the LOTH prayers? I will then try to schedule my prayers while at work to conincide with coffee breaks or lunch etc.

Thank you.

 

[OraLabora]

Great thread – I hope you find a solution. I work in the evenings and sometimes have a hard time finishing my prayers for the day.

Can anyone give me the hours that are assigned to the LOTH prayers? I will then try to schedule my prayers while at work to conincide with coffee breaks or lunch etc.

Thank you.

The hours aren’t fixed, but there are approximate ranges. Your own situation may dictate differently, but in order to respect the verity of the hours, this is my own take on it (I’ve included Prime for those who still pray it; some monasteries, even those using the OF, still do it if they are on the Monastic psalter, and Vigils still prayed in monasteries).

Vigils: midnight-6 am (except in monasteries, superseded by the Office of Readings) or anticipated previous evening
Office of Readings: any time, although many use it as Vigils (anticipated, at night, or earl in the morning)
Lauds (Morning Prayer): traditionally, at sunrise, often immediately after vigils; in this era, 6-8:30 am
Prime (First Hour, abolished in the LOTH): 6-7 am
Terce (Third Hour): 8:00-10 am
Sext (Sixth Hour): 11 am-1:30 pm
None (Ninth Hour): 2-4 pm
Mid-day Prayer can be said at either the hour of Terce, Sext or None and the complementary psalter used optionally, for the other two hours.
Vespers (Evening Prayer): 4-7:30 pm (some monasteries have a “recreation day” and will celebrate it around 7 pm one day a week)
Compline (Night Prayer): before retiring for the night; in religious communities, usually between 7-9 pm, rarely later than 9 pm (see Vigils above )

So as you can see there is some possibility for overlap. It’s not written in stone. It’s nice to be able to have “fixed” hours but the reality of life in the secular world is that sometimes I have to move an office around a bit, particularly in the evening if I’m stuck in heavy traffic on the commute home.

 

[Landelinus]

If I may be so bold as to suggest another solution for the OP. Perhaps it is time to be firm, and educate your family that there is a certain part of your life that is required to be “me time” only, and that you cannot be interrupted except for true emergencies while you are at prayer.

The OP is a husband and father to small children. The care of his family is one of the foremost duties of his vocation. It does not seem right to me for him to rigidly set aside “me time” in the busiest part of his day, when he is most needed. I agree that he should educate his family, but the education should be in the importance of prayer. Ideally the family could join in with the recitation of the Evening Prayer once the kids are mature enough (“Where two or more are gathered in my name…”). That way the whole family would be strengthened by joining the prayer of the Church.