Roman Catholic Prayer Rule?

[Cassianus]

Hi,

I wonder if there are a Roman Catholic Prayer rules that everyday Catholics use? In the orthodox prayer books, the prayers are arranged in ‘Rules’ for Morning & Evening but I’m the catholic prayer books I have, there are a lot of different prayers but no prayer rules, except for the rosary & excerpts from the divine office.

Is using a prayer rule only restricted to the eastern christians?

 

[CatholicHockey7]

Hi,

I wonder if there are a Roman Catholic Prayer rules that everyday Catholics use? In the orthodox prayer books, the prayers are arranged in ‘Rules’ for Morning & Evening but I’m the catholic prayer books I have, there are a lot of different prayers but no prayer rules, except for the rosary & excerpts from the divine office.

Is using a prayer rule only restricted to the eastern christians?

Not entirely sure what you mean by “rules,” but I’m guessing you’re looking for “are their specific prayers which should be said at certain times?”

The answer is yes and no. We have the Divine Office, which includes prayer throughout the day. For those not ordained who don’t want to wake up at 3am to pray, there is also the “Shorter Christian Prayer” which includes morning, evening, and nighttime prayers for almost every day of the week.

 

[paperwight66]

Not entirely sure what you mean by “rules,” but I’m guessing you’re looking for “are their specific prayers which should be said at certain times?”

The answer is yes and no. We have the Divine Office, which includes prayer throughout the day. For those not ordained who don’t want to wake up at 3am to pray, there is also the “Shorter Christian Prayer” which includes morning, evening, and nighttime prayers for almost every day of the week.

But I wouldn’t say that the Divine Office or even the Shorter prayer is said by all ordinary Catholics, only some.

 

[CatholicHockey7]

But I wouldn’t say that the Divine Office or even the Shorter prayer is said by all ordinary Catholics, only some.

And that would be the “no” part that I forgot to add to my comment. Thanks for the save

 

[St_Francis]

We laypersons ought to have a prayer rule, but we don’t usually think of it that way, and because we can choose which prayers to include, we don’t really have lay prayer rules written down.

There are the basic prayers (morning offering, of which there are many to choose from), evening prayer (also many…) along with examination of conscience and an Act of Contrition.

And then we have many prayers to choose from in addition. Many choose the Rosary. Also people will add prayers for the Pope’s intentions (necessary for indulgences), prayers related to devotions or confraternity memberships, etc. There are prayers traditionally for the days of the week and other liturgical prayers, etc.

So it’s not like we don’t pray, just that we have prayer rules so individualized that we laypeople don’t relate that term to what we do

 

[DebChris]

There is no specific Roman Catholic prayer rule.
Various religious orders have their own rule of life that lay persons are welcome to follow to the extent that their life allows.
Many people do pray the Liturgy of Hours which honors the hours of the day.
Yes, there are specific hours of the day in which a person is called to pray each hour. However, those hours also take into account a person’s own circumstances.

Prayers like the Angelus are traditionally prayed at 6am, noon, and 6pm.
6am and 6pm are the traditional times for Lauds (morning prayer) and Vespers (evening prayer) for the Liturgy of the Hours as well.
Many people make a holy hour at 3pm, the hour of Divine Mercy.

I came from a family that prayed the rosary everyday after supper.
The Catholic Church has many devotions and practices. Every Catholic finds what works best for him/her depending on personal circumstance. What is important is that we develop a disciplined life that includes prayer.

 

[Cassianus]

In the Orthodox Prayer Book I have, most prayers are arranged in ‘rules’ under a headline for ‘Morning’, ‘Evening’ & before & after lunch. These sequences contain many common prayers & prayers written by eastern Christian saints such as Sts Macarius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzus & John Damascene. You’re supposed to read all those prayers, exactly the way they’re written down, every morning & evening & repeat the shorter before & after lunch prayers before food. Reading those morning & evening prayers takes between 15-30 min each depending on the specific rule (Greek ones are usually shorter while Slavonic tend to be longer) but it’s a sin to not read all those prayers if you have not received another prayer rule from your personal spiritual director.

They can look like this:
Introductory Prayers - Prayer to Holy Spirit, Trisagion Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
One of six Morning or Evening Psalms
Intercessions for the living and the dead
Psalm 51 and confession of your sinfulness
Doxology & the morning or evening prayer
Nicene Creed
Prayers written by Saints
Dismissal prayer.

In the catholic prayer books, there are many prayers & most of the prayers contained in the orthodox prayer rules are contained in the catholic prayer book as well, but it’s not arranged in a way where I can just pick it up & read through a suggested or set sequence of prayers (prayer rule) that has been outlined by some saint in the past. Perhaps this is so because in the roman catholic tradition, the saints have read the Divine Office in the same way as the orthodox & Byzantine Catholics have read the prayer rules?

 

[DebChris]

In the Orthodox Prayer Book I have, most prayers are arranged in ‘rules’ under a headline for ‘Morning’, ‘Evening’ & before & after lunch. These sequences contain many common prayers & prayers written by eastern Christian saints such as Sts Macarius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzus & John Damascene. You’re supposed to read all those prayers, exactly the way they’re written down, every morning & evening & repeat the shorter before & after lunch prayers before food. Reading those morning & evening prayers takes between 15-30 min each depending on the specific rule (Greek ones are usually shorter while Slavonic tend to be longer) but it’s a sin to not read all those prayers if you have not received another prayer rule from your personal spiritual director.

They can look like this:
Introductory Prayers - Prayer to Holy Spirit, Trisagion Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
One of six Morning or Evening Psalms
Intercessions for the living and the dead
Psalm 51 and confession of your sinfulness
Doxology & the morning or evening prayer
Nicene Creed
Prayers written by Saints
Dismissal prayer.

In the catholic prayer books, there are many prayers & most of the prayers contained in the orthodox prayer rules are contained in the catholic prayer book as well, but it’s not arranged in a way where I can just pick it up & read through a suggested or set sequence of prayers (prayer rule) that has been outlined by some saint in the past. Perhaps this is so because in the roman catholic tradition, the saints have read the Divine Office in the same way as the orthodox & Byzantine Catholics have read the prayer rules?

Usually when we think of a Rule, we think of a Rule of life, such as the Benedictine Rule or the Way in which a community of religious lives their lives on a day to day basis, including their prayer life.
Various devotions do have a pattern, as in the Liturgy of the Hours, which you will find described in the Ordinary section of the book(s), just as you find the Ordinary of the Mass.
We would call it a custom, rather than a rule, is that when Catholics prays we almost always pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be together.

A priest gave a talk at several local parishes in the diocese on the daily examen using the acronym GRACE which seems to fit into what you are talking about. It is another form of a devotional. The examen begins with Gratitude or thanksgiving. Request for Light, asking God to illuminate what he wants us to do or to see the things we don’t want to see. Account for Actions/Attitudes. Chart your Course/Contrition. Enthusiasm/Entreat or how to respond to issues or problems uncovered. This is a take on the nightly Examination of Conscience.

So while there so no set “rules,” each devotion does have a set pattern and each individual develops a prayer life consistent with his/her call in life. At the moment I am reading Francis De Sales Roses among the Thorns. You might be in that book or his Introduction to the Devout Life to help you.

 

[Jestersage]

Hello Cassianus,

While it was 2 years away, I feel I have to answer it.

Your “Rules” as in Orthodox/Eastern Catholic have no exact parallel in regard to our Divine Office/Liturgy of Hours AFAIK. However, it have some that is similar: The “Ordinary”

For example, in the case of our Morning LoTH, We will have the Invitory verse and Psalm 94(95), Then the Psalters, Reading from Gospel, and Response, Then Centicle of Zechariah. Then the Intercession, before ending with a Our Father, and the Daily Prayer, and conluding prayer.

A longer reference can be found at this person’s blog: A Beginner's Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours - Philip Kosloski