THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS, recommended volumes / personal preference

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I’m considering buying a 4-volume set so that I can begin praying “The Divine Office”.

Any insight on choosing a specific version?

Can anyone share their personal preference / favorite?
 
ExDeoVita said:
I’m considering buying a 4-volume set so that I can begin praying “The Divine Office”.

Any insight on choosing a specific version?

Can anyone share their personal preference / favorite?
Click to expand...
I do not own it myself, but the Catholic Book Publishing editions are well-supported (an annual guide is published, should you require it).

However: If you wish to *begin *praying the office, I would suggest either starting off lighter (eg with the one volume *Christian Prayer *or Shorter Christian Prayer) or finding a community or some other experienced individual whom you might join for some of the hours (in which case: You may want to obtain the same edition used by them).

:twocents:
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ExDeoVita said:
I’m considering buying a 4-volume set so that I can begin praying “The Divine Office”.

Any insight on choosing a specific version?

Can anyone share their personal preference / favorite?
Click to expand...
I am going to buy the 4-Volume set, but started by buying one of the shorter versions.

Christian Prayer Single Volume. It is fine, but only has Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in full, and then has selected readings or shorter versions of the other Hours. Really great to start off with and I am going to bring it with me when I travel.
 
I agree that the one volulme Christian Prayer is a good way to begin.

As to the four volume, I would recommend not getting the vinyl covers! Get the hardbound. Yes, it is a big investment but the vinyl falls apart after time and this is something you may well pray with daily for the rest of your life.
 
Ave_Maria said:
I agree that the one volulme Christian Prayer is a good way to begin.

As to the four volume, I would recommend not getting the vinyl covers! Get the hardbound. Yes, it is a big investment but the vinyl falls apart after time and this is something you may well pray with daily for the rest of your life.
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Did you mean “leatherbound” instead of hardbound? I’ve never seen hardbound LOH’s, but I have the black leather binding, and they’re really nice and sturdy, with a little care (like a case).
 
ExDeoVita said:
I’m considering buying a 4-volume set so that I can begin praying “The Divine Office”.

Any insight on choosing a specific version?

Can anyone share their personal preference / favorite?
Click to expand...
See my posting in the Spirituality forum.
 
ExDeoVita said:
I’m considering buying a 4-volume set so that I can begin praying “The Divine Office”.

Any insight on choosing a specific version?

Can anyone share their personal preference / favorite?
Click to expand...
The 4-volume is easier. The reason it comes in 4 volumes instead of one is to reduce the page turning. The smaller one volume Christian prayer sounds like it would be simpler. Not necessarily. The fewer pages, the more page turning. The 4 volume also has the Office of Readings which is not included in the one volume. I am not sure but I am thinking the one volume also skips sext, none, and terce.

Whichever version you use, it is helpful to get these little calendars that set you up on the right pages every day corresponding to what kind of day it is. Its been years since I was doing it so I don’t remember exactly why, but those little calendars seemed essential to be able to easily make your way around. (They make different calendars for both versions. Make sure yours matches the version you have.) God bless.
 
I used the Shorter Christian Prayer for several years. Then I got the one volume Christian prayer to have more of the saints days and the full seasons of Lent and Advent - the Shorter volume only has one week for each. The only thing I miss in the one volume is the Office of Readings. It has the psalms for most days and I use Universalis for the Scripture and Reading.

It is important to keep it simple as you grow into it. The point is to improve your prayer life; not to test your skills at maneuvering through the rubrics.😉
 
The four volume set is the easiest way. Just follow the pages one after another.No need to flip back and forth.
 
thomas_jd said:
The four volume set is the easiest way. Just follow the pages one after another.No need to flip back and forth.
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To be fair, though, even the 4-volume set does involve some amount of flipping. There are times I need 2 ribbons, a holy card, and the Canticle insert to make it through an Hour.
 
You asked for preferences: mine is currently the 4-volume Liturgia Horarum in Latin. The only problem I have is celebrating memorials that I can only find the English propers for (e.g. we just had St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Neumann).

My next step is to get the Roman Breviary (1962) but I’m not sure if I should hold out for the Baronius version, which will have English side-by-side with the Latin, or if I should just get the beautiful Latin-only from Nova et Vetera.
 
My preference has always been the Shorter Christian Prayer. Because it has the essentials, but it’s concise. 😃

I also have the full one-volume Christian Prayer book that a friend on CAF sent me; technically that’s the best one IMO. It has, again, all the essentials plus more. Like the Office of Readings. So I generally prefer the one-volume LOTH, since you asked. 🙂
 
Because the four volume LOTH is so expensive I bought the one volume *Daily Prayer From the Divine Office *(approved for use in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Englland) I also bought a leather case for it and after about 5 years of daily use the book is in very good condition. There is a lot of tooing and froing sometimes but you get used to that. The one volume contains Lauds, Prayer during the day - Before Noon, Midday and Afternoon, Vespers and Compline. If I want to pray the Office of Readings I go online.

An ordo is essential to enable one to follow the days for one’s country.

I began to pray the LOTH after studying The Divine Office for Dodos by Madeline Pecora Nugent. The one volume would be still on the shelf if it were not for her book.
 
ExDeoVita said:
I’m considering buying a 4-volume set so that I can begin praying “The Divine Office”.

Any insight on choosing a specific version?

Can anyone share their personal preference / favorite?
Click to expand...
Since Vatican II the laity have been encouraged to pray wonderful revised version for the Liturgy of Hours, as well as the religious communities. There are two versions found at the Catholic Book Publishing Corp. New York, the Four Volume set, and the single Christian Prayer version. I use the four volume version, the only difference is the single volume does not have the shorter daily prayers.
I discovered last year an excellent website where you can actually pray online, with text, and audio, each of the prayers of the LOTH, (except the daytime prayers, (not recorded yet), and can download them from iTunes (Divine Office), free of charge, to an iPod or player of some sort. Also for a charge have a Divine Office Ap device to download to, or iPhone which has a phone charge of course. The website is free of charge to join also. Four wonderful people have created this and it has grown to 7000 people . The website is
DivineOffice.org There is also a link to a site that offers an email schedule, for a week’s worth of readings,listed by prayer, and page number, for both versions. It is fantastic.
God bless you and spread the word. Please give a 5 star positive rating in iTunes which will help them remain on the top of the podcast list. Amis41 👍
 
newyorkcatholic said:
My next step is to get the Roman Breviary (1962) but I’m not sure if I should hold out for the Baronius version, which will have English side-by-side with the Latin, or if I should just get the beautiful Latin-only from Nova et Vetera.
Click to expand...
Get the Nova et Vetera! Those volumes are very worth getting! Soft flexible leather covers, gilt pages and good looking ribbons all contribute to the aesthetics of these volumes. I wish the Vatican publishing house produced its breviaries the same way, especially the leather Liturgia Horarum whose volumes aren’t bad at all, but they could be better similar to those by Nova et Vetera.
 
kurtmasur said:
Get the Nova et Vetera! Those volumes are very worth getting! Soft flexible leather covers, gilt pages and good looking ribbons all contribute to the aesthetics of these volumes. I wish the Vatican publishing house produced its breviaries the same way, especially the leather Liturgia Horarum whose volumes aren’t bad at all, but they could be better similar to those by Nova et Vetera.
Click to expand...
I am really, really really thinking hard about it. I have starting using the amazing and beautiful Monastic Diurnal, but there are no Matins, and for now I am just adjusting it to the Roman EF Calendar.

Just need to save up some money and I may take the plunge!
 
I guess it depends on your needs and time available for the LOH. I prefer the 4 volume set because it gives me more options. Morning and Evening prayers are a given, but when my schedule permits, I love the Office of Readings.
To share one of my secrets: cut the Canticle of Zechariah, and tha Canticle of Mary out of a copy of a “Magnificat” magazine. Paste them inside the front and back covers of the book. It will save on page flipping if you haven’t memorized these or if you are praying the LOH with someone else.
 
I prefer to use the 3 volumes of the Liturgy of the Hours approved for England. I think that it’s so good that I’m actually putting it online for everyone to use. Let me know if anyone feels the same and wants to help. God bless
 
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