Shortened / simplified liturgy of the hours

[Red_James]

What I meant by “shortening” the LOTH, and perhaps what other people meant, is that one can take specific prayers from the LOTH, such as the canticles, and perhaps say those. It wouldn’t be “shortening” the LOTH, but rather making it into a daily, devotional, and private prayer for those who don’t have the 15-20+ minutes to say each hour with reverence. Surely it would include elements of the LOTH, but it wouldn’t be considered the LOTH. The Our Father is included in the evening prayer of the LOTH. Consider people who only say the Our Father as a night prayer before going to bed. That isn’t considered omitting all the other prayers of the LOTH, nor is it considered saying the wrong hour, as the night prayer does not include the Our Father.

 

[TimothyH]

There is some confusion about what the term “Public prayer” means.

Public means official. That’s all.

The US President is a public person. He gets to speak on behalf of the government. In the same way the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours are the public, official prayer of the Church. It is the Bride of Christ speaking to her bridegroom.

Private prayer is just that, a private conversation between you and Jesus.

-Tim-

 

[otjm]

But there are times for us laypersons, that we might as well pray personally if we do not have time for Lauds, Vespers or Compline rather than (illicitly) shortening the liturgy according to our own needs.

It is not illicit to “shorten the liturgy” if one is not required to say the LOTH. Licit or illicit is only relevant to what is required.

Therefore, the Magnificat, which has a reduced “LOTH” is not “illicit”; but neither is it a joining in with others who are saying the LOTH; it is rather a personal, private prayer based on part of the LOTH.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

The merit and efficacy of the LOTH is of course rooted in the authority of the Church’s intercession, but it is not unimportant to consider the interior disposition of the one who is praying as well.

Someone who is praying the LOTH, even in an abbreviated form, out of a sincere love for Jesus will of course be pleasing to Him — and He will give far more graces than we can imagine, because He is generous and utterly in love with us. Let’s not undermine that or discourage people from pursuing God in sincerity and in truth. Let’s also remember that little things done out of great love are incredibly meritorious.

The Church’s liturgy, whether offered by a single individual or an entire monastery of consecrated Religious, is over and above any private devotion.

Similarly, over and above any interior disposition is fidelity to carrying out the sacred entrustment that the Church has granted to anyone who takes up the Office, allowing those who are not clergy and not Religious, to offer the liturgy through the praying of the hours. This is at once a privilege and a gift.

 

[Cloisters]

Our lay Dominican chapter was told three psalms, a reading, and a prayer should we not have time to do the entire “Hour”. I’ve done that on occasion, particularly when in a situation when only a Bible was available.

Does Universalis know it’s not “approved?” That’s the one I use, and I love it.

Blessings,
Cloisters

 

[HowardF]

Interesting discussion. Might I add my experience…

I meet with my priest a couple times of week for evening prayer. I use the one volume Christian Pray; he uses the four-volume. The hymns are usually different, so we skip that part. We usually Psalm Prayers also. He actually does (or has done) instruction for seminarians on saying LOTH, so I kinda trust his judgement when it comes to things like this.