The Liturgy of the Hours

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Hey everybody. Okay, so yesterday I went to my local Catholic store and asked if I could by the Liturgy of the Hours book. And she said which one. I wasn’t really sure so I described the version I was looking for and she recommended me “Christian Prayer”. But as I opened it to pray the Evening Prayer, I realized that for Ordinary Time it only has a short prayer and it’s only for Sundays. I wanted the long version that has morning, daytime, evening, and nighttime. Not the shorter edition. Here is an example of what I’m talking about.
ebreviary.com/ebreviary/usa2/ebusafsprayer4b.nsf!OpenDatabase

Can anybody identify what kind of the Liturgy of the Hours that I am looking for. Thanks and God bless!
 
jesusforever70 said:
Hey everybody. Okay, so yesterday I went to my local Catholic store and asked if I could by the Liturgy of the Hours book. And she said which one. I wasn’t really sure so I described the version I was looking for and she recommended me “Christian Prayer”. But as I opened it to pray the Evening Prayer, I realized that for Ordinary Time it only has a short prayer and it’s only for Sundays. I wanted the long version that has morning, daytime, evening, and nighttime. Not the shorter edition. Here is an example of what I’m talking about.
ebreviary.com/ebreviary/usa2/ebusafsprayer4b.nsf!OpenDatabase

Can anybody identify what kind of the Liturgy of the Hours that I am looking for. Thanks and God bless!
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You want The Complete Liturgy of the Hours. It is four volumes…see the link. I use this version and love it. It’s a bit pricey though, but worth it if it’s in your price range.

amazon.com/Liturgy-Hours-Complete-Set/dp/0899424112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233784287&sr=8-1
 
jesusforever70 said:
Hey everybody. Okay, so yesterday I went to my local Catholic store and asked if I could by the Liturgy of the Hours book. And she said which one. I wasn’t really sure so I described the version I was looking for and she recommended me “Christian Prayer”. But as I opened it to pray the Evening Prayer, I realized that for Ordinary Time it only has a short prayer and it’s only for Sundays. I wanted the long version that has morning, daytime, evening, and nighttime. Not the shorter edition. Here is an example of what I’m talking about.
ebreviary.com/ebreviary/usa2/ebusafsprayer4b.nsf!OpenDatabase

Can anybody identify what kind of the Liturgy of the Hours that I am looking for. Thanks and God bless!
Click to expand...
You were looking only at the Proper of Seasons. The Liturgy of the Hours consists of the Ordinary, the Psalter, and the Propers. Christian Prayer has the complete Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer. Look in the Table of Contents for the Ordinary and the Psalter as well.
 
There is a short form “Shorter Christian Prayer” that contains only Morning, Evening and Night Prayer for Ordinary Time, a typical week for Advent, Lent and Easter, and a few Feasts and Solemnities. I used it for several years. It is the cheapest and helps one get acquainted with the prayers.

To get more variety I recently moved up to Christian Prayer which contains all the seasons, Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials. It also contains Daytime Prayers, which I haven’t used yet, and the psalms and some typical readings for the Office of Readings. I go on line to Universalis to get the actual readings and find this satisfactory. [Not that they omit some responsories and their translations are different to avoid some copyright issues]

My wife has the full four volume set which has everything. It’s more than I need at the moment, though I occasionally borrow it for the Office of Readings on Solemnities etc.

Note that the full LOTH is available by subscription on Liturgy of the Hours Apostolate. Note that it is free on Fridays and Sundays. The free days are useful for getting acquainted with the process, and I use it for the Office of Readings those days. I used it more when it was in development and free, but haven’t felt the need to subscribe. It is a well done site.
 
I also have “Shorter Christian Prayer”. One of my first thoughts after getting it, is “how long is regular “christian prayer” if this is shorter?” I don’t think the prayers themselves are any shorter - just that as someone else said, there are only morning, evening and night prayers, and not all of the prayers for feasts and solemnities.

It has served me well, as a beginner. Praying through all of the hours is something that is just not feasible at this time of my life. I picked my prayer book up for about $17 and just snagged another copy on eBay for under $5 to keep in my car, since several times a week, I pray Morning Prayer in my car in the parking lot before going in to work.
 
if you are just getting started I heartily recommend Shorter Christian Prayer, the slim red book, and that you first become familiar with the 4-week psalm cycle before you worry about feasts and seasons. this is also a great volume for travel, light weight. Then when you are comfortable with the psalms, the other prayers and readings, and finding the Sunday and feast propers, move to one volume Christian Prayer, which has the complete antiphons and propers for the feasts and seasons of the year, plus a good selection of readings for Office of Readings. When you have used that comfortably for at least a year, and daily recitation of the Office has become an ingrained habit, then you are ready to invest in (or ask for as a gift if you are lucky like me) the 4 Volume Liturgy of the Hours. with a good Daily Roman Missal you are good to go–the last prayerbooks you will ever need.
 
One more recommendation for Shorter Christian Prayer. 👍 For a long time it was the only LOTH I had, until recently a friend gave me the full Christian Prayer book.

But sometimes I still use the SCP book. It’s small, portable and great way for beginners to navigate the complexities of learning to pray the LOTH.
 
I use Christian prayer, and I think you just aren’t looking in the right place for everything. I skimmed that link and Christian Prayer includes everything there, but it involves a bit of jumping around in the book. I used the first link here to learn what to do and it was wonderfully helpful. I’d try that before you go retuning anything. 😃
 
If you would like to pray the liturgy of hours, you can use the “Christian Prayer” book, but you would need to acquire the supplemental guide for the (The Liturgy of Hours) proper for that year.

Catholic Book Publishing Corporation does put out the guide. You can checkout catholicbookpublishing.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

It would be Saint Joseph Guide for Christian Prayer (Liturgy of Hours) catholicbookpublishing.com/BrowseByDepartments.aspx?DepID=11&HierID=11

The first site link I put would have links to both the Christian Prayer Book and the Full Liturgy of Hours Books.

Pax.

EDIT: LINK TO FULL LITURGY OF HOURS BOOKS:catholicbookpublishing.com/BrowseByDepartments.aspx?DepID=90&HierID=91
 
Another recommendation for “Shorter Christian Prayer”. It has the 4 week psalter which is the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s good to concentrate on that until you get into the hang of things, as Puzzleannie said, or as you figure out if this is the right kind of prayer for you. Portability is also a big advantage. Even if you buy “Christan Prayer” or the full set, it’s good to own “Shorter Christian Prayer”. For instance if you know you’ll be away from home and can’t lugg the other editions around you can still slip SCP out of your pocket to pray. I’ve used it to pray on the bus. It’s also easy to loan to curious friends without confusing them too much.
 
I have the large print one volume Christian Prayer. Unlike the regular (ie teeny weenie) print version, large print has only the words to the hymns, without any music, and it does not have any of the non-Biblical readings. It can, however, actually be read by normal people without glasses 🙂
 
I just orderd my LOTH for Dodos book. I have the St. Joseph guide, and I just do the best I can with it. I didn’t understand what the OT canticle was at first – and didn’t understand how to use the antiphons, but with time and asking at RCIA class, I’m getting it down. I use Christian Prayer. and I love using it.
 
If you ever get confused doing the prayer or not knowing the sequence, I have found this link useful: universalis.com/
You can select the time of the prayer that you are doing and they provide most of what you need to complete it. I think in general it is a useful link.

Pax.
 
EvelynEVF said:
I have the large print one volume Christian Prayer. Unlike the regular (ie teeny weenie) print version, large print has only the words to the hymns, without any music, and it does not have any of the non-Biblical readings. It can, however, actually be read by normal people without glasses 🙂
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Does your copy still say, “Your injustice is like God’s mountain…”?
 
Thanks everybody! I have looked into the book I bought “Christian Prayer” more and I really like it. At first I was upset because it didn’t have specific dates. But I’ve started week one and it’s really been a powerful source of prayer. Thank you, Jesus.
Thanks everyone again. God bless you.
 
porthos11 said:
Does your copy still say, “Your injustice is like God’s mountain…”?
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Ha! I have never seen any typos in mine, though when I go to church I use the ones there (small print, much older version), and they are loaded with weird stuff. Wrong antiphons, missing prayers, repeated lines. The last time I had to lead the closing prayer was completely GONE. There wasn’t anything even to suggest it should have been there!
 
For about 12 years I used the “Christian Prayer The Liturgy of the Hours,” and then I eventually purchased the Four Volume Set.

For beginners, who don’t have the $120 plus to put out for the Four Volume Set, let me assure you, you can do well with the single condense volume, “Christian Prayer.”

Other than the Office of the Readings, the Christian Prayer has everything that the four volume set will give you.

Most people only have time for Morning and Evening prayer anyway, and the single volume is all you’ll ever need.

Also, don’t be mislead if some one tells you that you don’t have to flip around the breviary as much with the Four Volume Set. You in fact have to flip around as much if not more.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Also, don’t be mislead if some one tells you that you don’t have to flip around the breviary as much with the Four Volume Set. You in fact have to flip around as much if not more.

Jim
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I always wondered about that. Thanks for the info. 🙂
 
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