Protestants and Liturgy of the Hours

[ABostonCatholic]

Do any of the Protestants on this forum pray the liturgy of the hours? I know that Episcopals have something similar to it. When I was a Baptist, we were frequently encouraged to have a “quiet time” in the morning or evening to read and meditate on scripture. I recently started praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I’m still figuring it all out, but I absolutely love it. Considering that almost all of the prayer is based on Scripture, I think it’s something many Protestants would enjoy (of course, many would bypass the prayers in honor of the saints, for the dead, and the Marian antiphons). But other than that, it is exactly what I was told to do as a Baptist (which I rarely did), but organized, structured, and ancient.

EDIT: My apologies. This should have been on the Non-Catholics forum. Mods, feel free to relocate.

 

[rlg94086]

Hi ABostonCatholic,

Indeed, there are many Protestants who pray the Liturgy of the Hours. I am considering oblation with my local Benedictine Abbey. There are a lot of Protestant Benedictine Oblates who pray the Office daily.

Pax,
Robert

Do any of the Protestants on this forum pray the liturgy of the hours? I know that Episcopals have something similar to it. When I was a Baptist, we were frequently encouraged to have a “quiet time” in the morning or evening to read and meditate on scripture. I recently started praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I’m still figuring it all out, but I absolutely love it. Considering that almost all of the prayer is based on Scripture, I think it’s something many Protestants would enjoy (of course, many would bypass the prayers in honor of the saints, for the dead, and the Marian antiphons). But other than that, it is exactly what I was told to do as a Baptist (which I rarely did), but organized, structured, and ancient.

EDIT: My apologies. This should have been on the Non-Catholics forum. Mods, feel free to relocate.

 

[RuthErickson]

I am a Protestant Christian. I have been praying the Liturgy Of The Hours now for two months. I started praying the hours in November 2010 and am still doing it. At first I felt like I was reading it only now since I ave been more familar with the psalms and prayers I feel like it is coming from the heart. I have had times during the day when I have prayed the Psalms right back at God. I have had some strange looks from my family. They have told me that the Liturgy Of The Hours isn’t for today or even for Protestants. They have even told me I am on shaky ground spiritually. I don’t care. The Liturgy Of The Hours have brought me such peace. I recomend it to any Christian not just Catholics. I only have time to do the morning and evening prayers. I wish I could do more though.

 

[ZDHayden]

I am a Protestant Christian. I have been praying the Liturgy Of The Hours now for two months. I started praying the hours in November 2010 and am still doing it. At first I felt like I was reading it only now since I ave been more familar with the psalms and prayers I feel like it is coming from the heart. I have had times during the day when I have prayed the Psalms right back at God. I have had some strange looks from my family. They have told me that the Liturgy Of The Hours isn’t for today or even for Protestants. They have even told me I am on shaky ground spiritually. I don’t care. The Liturgy Of The Hours have brought me such peace. I recomend it to any Christian not just Catholics. I only have time to do the morning and evening prayers. I wish I could do more though.

I am certainly glad that you have found such peace! I think they are only saying you are on shaky ground because the Liturgy of the Hours is a “Catholic” thing. Nay, the Liturgy of the Hours is used primarily by the Catholic clergy, but it is recommended for the laity. Like the rosary, you do not have to be Catholic to partake of this excellent practice.

If they begin to bother you about it, you could simply state: “What is wrong with praying the Psalms? Jesus did so as he was crucified (Mt 27:46 cf. Psalm 21 in the D-R, 22 in the NAB)” It also fulfills nicely Jesus’ command for his followers to pray unceasingly.

I have heard that the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours are two parts of the great liturgical tradition of the Church. I started praying the Liturgy of the Hours recently myself. There is a deep peace that comes with it. It feels like Mass for me!

 

[RuthErickson]

I don’t go to church right now. I have an Autistic son and it is hard for me to find a church that can deal with his issues. I have been using the Liturgy Of The Hours for now instead of church. My son has some behaviour issues that makes it hard to have him in a Sunday school class. It has been kind of hard.Do people who pray the Liturgy Of The Hours pray the rosary too? Sorry if that is a dumb question I am new to this.

 

[ZDHayden]

RuthErickson, Not necessarily. The Rosary is a private devotion, not a piece of the liturgy, like the Liturgy of the Hours. What this means is that, while the rosary is a popular and good devotion (it being at its core praying the Gospels), it may or may not be used, as well as modified for one’s personal spiritual benefit. If the Rosary doesn’t work for you, then don’t pray it. If it does work for you, do pray it.

It may be me, but it definitely warms the soul to see so many laypeople and even Protestants praying the Liturgy of the Hours!

 

[RuthErickson]

RuthErickson, Not necessarily. The Rosary is a private devotion, not a piece of the liturgy, like the Liturgy of the Hours. What this means is that, while the rosary is a popular and good devotion (it being at its core praying the Gospels), it may or may not be used, as well as modified for one’s personal spiritual benefit. If the Rosary doesn’t work for you, then don’t pray it. If it does work for you, do pray it.

It may be me, but it definitely warms the soul to see so many laypeople and even Protestants praying the Liturgy of the Hours!

Thank you for your reply. You are so nice.

 

[PattiDay]

I began praying the LOTH on January 8, 2010. One morning a couple of months later, my husband came into the room while I was praying, and quietly backed out the door. It occurred to me (dah!) to ask him if he would like to join me. We got a second volume of the prayer book and now say Morning Prayer together. I feel absolutely that it has brought us closer together. We say Night Prayer separately because of our different sleep habits–Early Bird/Night Owl. I’d like to become more faithful to Evening Prayer, which I have found not as easy timewise to do. God bless the clergy and religious orders who pray all the hours every day.

 

[Dale_M]

It may be me, but it definitely warms the soul to see so many laypeople and even Protestants praying the Liturgy of the Hours!

One of the things that attracted me to Benedictine Spirituality is its ancient observances, which predate the sad divisions in the universal Church. The Liturgy of the Hours is ecumenical in the best way - it can unite Christians of all types in a practice which dates back to the Church Fathers (and Mothers.)