What is the Catholic prayer schedule?

[Dugtrio1]

Is there a traditional Catholic prayer schedule for laypeople? I am not sure what might be the best or reocommended times of the day to pray, or what prayers.

I noticed that if I do not have a schedule, I fall behind in my prayer habits, so I’m just wondering if there is one that is used (or was used traditionally.)

Thank you~

 

[CatholicSpirit]

The church calendar is free, what you are looking for are “feast days.” Some of the most important include (in church)

• Saint Blaise (blessing of throats)
• Feast of the Epiphany (using blessed chalk on doorways)

And several holidays.

Each patron saint has prayers and it is becoming common in many Catholic Churches to remain in the pew and recite the St. Michael prayer after mass. This may take place loudly with many others, or quietly to ones self.

If you prefer celibacy and would like to pray 15 Hail Mary prayers per day and an additional 2 for celibacy, you may enroll in the Angelic Warfare Confraternity.

There are many ways to pray and two prayers which can be said frequently (apart from the Holy Rosary) are prayers to set holy souls free from purgatory. An example of this is the St. Gertrude the Great Prayer (frees 1,000 every time it is recited)

 

[OraLabora]

The “official” Catholic prayer schedule is the Liturgy of the Hours. It is liturgy, and is the official prayer of the Church outside the Mass. It is meant to sanctify the day and is built around the psalms. The hours are:

Office of Readings which can be said at any time but also retains its “nocturnal” character.
Morning Prayer or “Lauds”, said in the early morning after sunrise.
Mid-day Prayer, which can be said either mid-morning, around mid-day, or mid-afternoon.
Evening Prayer or “Vespers” usually said at the end of the work day or early evening
Night prayer or “Compline” normally said before retiring for the night.

For those in choir, two other additional daytime hours can be said, giving three: mid-morning, mid-day and mid-afternoon, for a total of 7 canonical hours per day.

The Church is not strict on the exact times to say each, only that the truth of the Hour be respected, for example not saying Morning Prayer in the late afternoon for instance.

 

[TheOldColonel]

I begin the day at 0400 hours with Lectio Divina. Then the morning calisthenics and off to Mass followed by breakfast.

 

[Dugtrio1]

Thank you for your replies!

 

[ziapueblo]

I’m Byzantine Catholic but the Latin rite probably has a similar schedule to this:

Vespers - sunset
Compline - late evening
Midnight office - during the night
Matins - sunrise
1st hour - 7am
3rd hour - 9am
6th hour - 12pm
9th hour - 3pm

There is also a theme to each hour of prayer.

ZP

 

[Dovekin]

The”hinges” of the liturgy of the hours are morning and evening prayer, to begin the day and to end it.

There are schedules of osalms to be used, but the heart of these two hours are two songs from the Gospel of Luke. Morning prayer uses the song of Zechariah, the praise and joy he felt at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. It starts the day welcoming the gift of it and hoping for the fulfillment of prophecy.

Evening prayer uses Mary’s song, the Magnificat. It rejoices at the blessings of God that fill us. It reminds us that God is the source of every good thing, and that God will humble the proud and lift up the lowly. I have had days when I have been humbled, and days when I have been lifted up.

Night prayer also uses a song from the beginning of Luke. Simeon’s song is a simple, hopeful conclusion to the day:

Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,
according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.

 

[OraLabora]

Night prayer also uses a song from the beginning of Luke. Simeon’s song is a simple, hopeful conclusion to the day:

It may not be well known to folks here but this canticle was never used in the monastic tradition of the Divine Office (which dates back to the 6th century), but many now do use it ad libitum. Instead the verse below was used:

V. Custodi me, Domine, ut pupillam oculi :
R. sub umbra alarum tuarum protege me.

(keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings), from psalm 16(17)

 

[Tis_Bearself]

LOTH is the official prayer of the Church and takes place on a schedule as described above by our resident LOTH expert Ora Labora and others.

It should be noted, however, that many Catholics do not choose to pray the LOTH and, if you’re not a priest or a member of a religious order who’s committed to praying it, there is no requirement for ordinary Catholics to pray LOTH.
I currently choose not to pray it.

I instead pray the traditional Angelus at 6, noon and 6, and have other daily prayers such as daily Rosary that I pray whenever I can fit them into my schedule.

I also try to attend Mass daily to the extent I can find a Mass that fits into my schedule and I have special prayers that I say at Mass time and after Communion. I also have a set of prayers I normally say the first time I get into the car on any given day, which normally happens once a day but at different times depending on my activities.

Bottom line is, with the exception of a handful of devotions like LOTH and Angelus, you can set your own prayer schedule. Many people like to pray at 3 pm for example because that’s when Jesus died. Others pray after daily Mass or with a prayer group that meets at a particular time. Still others just talk to God throughout the day. As a lay person, you have a lot of flexibility in choosing what to pray when.

 

[ziapueblo]

Many Eastern Catholic amd Orthodox parishes pray some of the hours throughout the week in particular Matins before the Divine Liturgy on Sunday’s and Great Vespers on Saturday night. As was mentioned earlier it’s not an obligation but a wonderful devotion if you have the time. I try to but most often I pray the Jesus Prayer on my prayer rope.

ZP

 

[Robertarpad]

What is the prayer? Two answers or habits possible, but only one is true.

1.) Firstly you can interpret the prayer as to say texts of prayers. Only in this way can come theese questions like: When should I pray? or What should I pray? …but theese are not logical questions if you imagine theese questions among people in everyday life, because for example you don’t ask your friend or other person that: What should i say to you when we meet?

2.) Secondly you can interpret the prayer as to maintain a living connection with God. The saying prayers is an device of maintaining the connection. So the prayer is not a purpose, because the purpose is the continuosly connection with God. To reach this purpose you can use the verbal prayers as one of the lots of devices. In this way cannot come theese questions like When or what should I pray, because in a connection among you and an other one, you will not say for example that: “We will contact every mornings 9-10 o’clock., while i will saying fix texts to you…but that’s all. After 10, i will be busy with other doings.”
No! It’s sure that you have other opinion about connections. People don’t live, like it looks in this example. It was the connection with people.
And the connection with God? We should say to Him fix prayer texts 9-10 o’clock and that’s all? God wants keep connection with us continuosly, not only one hour per day.
So i think the prayer is: when we often raise our hearts and thoughts to God…many times on every day. We communicate with Him and hear and pay attention in our souls for His answers. In this attitude before communication, you must grow the aware of God’s presence in your soul and must grow aware of God’s love to you. So when God is became an ‘alive God’ for you who is present, you will have grown faith. After theese you can start a really faithfully communication with God. The often exercising of this steps many times per day can evolve and maintain a continuosly connection with God. Continuosly connection: this is the prayer.
Certainly the saying fix prayer texts ti God also can be called a good prayer if it originate from an alive, personal connection with God and if it isn’t only a fulfillment of an “i have to saying prayers every day obligation”.