Questions about the Divine Office

[ialsop]

Hi! Ive wanted to pray the Divine Office for awhile now, but I have some questions…
1-I CANNOT pray ALL the hours, it does not work for me, BUT I can do most of them. Is that ok? Can I still pay the hours if I only do some of them?

2What is proper posture while praying the Divine Office?

3-How do I learn to chant?

 

[Nelka]

Hi! Ive wanted to pray the Divine Office for awhile now, but I have some questions…
1-I CANNOT pray ALL the hours, it does not work for me, BUT I can do most of them. Is that ok? Can I still pay the hours if I only do some of them?

2What is proper posture while praying the Divine Office?

3-How do I learn to chant?

1. No idea but some is better than none.
2. No idea but kneeling is always good.
3. 

 

[Dorothy]

Hi! Ive wanted to pray the Divine Office for awhile now, but I have some questions…
1-I CANNOT pray ALL the hours, it does not work for me, BUT I can do most of them. Is that ok? Can I still pay the hours if I only do some of them?

2What is proper posture while praying the Divine Office?

3-How do I learn to chant?

1. Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer is great if it works in with your day.
2. You can sit or kneel.
3. Someone who knows how can teach you if you want; the Divine Office doesn’t have to be chanted.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Most laypeople that I know that pray it, pray Lauds (=Morning) and Vespers (=Evening) “only”. We do what we can do.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Keep in mind that if you’re praying the Divine Office alone using the breviary, it’s not necessary to sing the hymns.

The Divine Office from the breviary was designed to be prayed in groups.

My wife and myself pray evening prayer together and we don’t sing the hymns, which for the most part, we don’t know anyway.

Jim

 

[InNomineDomini]

1-I CANNOT pray ALL the hours, it does not work for me, BUT I can do most of them. Is that ok? Can I still pay the hours if I only do some of them?

2What is proper posture while praying the Divine Office?

3-How do I learn to chant?

OraLabora, one of my favorite posters, usually offers his advice with regard to Liturgy of the Hours threads, and I hope he’ll do so with this one, too.

But for the present: we lay people can pray as many or as few of the hours as we please. Praying all of the hours is reserved for those who “have received a special mandate to carry out the Liturgy of the Hours: bishops and priests as they pray in virtue of their office for their own people and for the whole people of God; other sacred ministers, and also religious [General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, no. 17].”

As for postures, that depends on if you are praying privately or in common. The postures for the latter are described in the above document, starting at paragraph 263. If you’re praying privately, then I don’t believe there is anything in particular that is prescribed.

Here is a link to the document: ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwgilh.htm#Ch%20I

As for chant, I’m not sure how this is accomplished without purchasing additional books that have some form of musical notation. At our parish, when we chant Evening Prayer together, we usually use a generic melody for each line, as lead by one of our priests. But I know so little about liturgical music I couldn’t even begin to say more about all of this.

 

[detoutcoeur]

Hi! Ive wanted to pray the Divine Office for awhile now, but I have some questions…
1-I CANNOT pray ALL the hours, it does not work for me, BUT I can do most of them. Is that ok? Can I still pay the hours if I only do some of them?

2What is proper posture while praying the Divine Office?

3-How do I learn to chant?

Hi ialsop,

Begin slowly by regularly praying one (or two) of the hours: Matins (and/or Vespers); then add others, if you’d like (Office of Readings, Daytime Prayer, Compline).

Either sitting or kneeling is fine.

A good and simple example to follow to learn how to chant the Divine Office in English:
youtube.com/watch?v=LY5a42soivs

A link to the hymns of the breviary;
kpshaw.blogspot.com/p/hymns.html

A good explanation of the Divine Office:
youtube.com/watch?v=M5doP7gchgo

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Keep in mind that if you’re praying the Divine Office alone using the breviary, it’s not necessary to sing the hymns.

The Divine Office from the breviary was designed to be prayed in groups.

My wife and myself pray evening prayer together and we don’t sing the hymns, which for the most part, we don’t know anyway.

Jim

I do. But I am thrilled when I know a hymn. (C’mon Amazing Grace )