What's Your Prayer Rule?

[Errham]

I’m quite curious about this.

For me:
3:00 - 3:45 AM - Midnight Service (Horologion), Matins (LOTH), and Morning Prayers from Buckley’s Catholic Prayer Book (mostly just a few morning offerings and basic prayers)
3:45 - 5:00 AM - Rosary and 100 knot Komboskini, the spare time left (usually around 45 minutes or so) for coffee, breakfast and the morning newspaper.
5:00 - 6:00 AM - Orthros (Horologion), First Hour (Horologion), Lauds (LOTH), Angelus
9:00 - 9:10 AM - Third Hour and Terce
12:00 - 1:00 PM - Sixth Hour, Typica (both Horologion), Sext, Angelus, life of the day’s Saints from Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Patristic commentary on the day’s Eastern readings from “The Bible and Holy Fathers for Orthodox”
3:00 - 3:15 PM - Ninth Hour, None, Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Around 6ish - Vespers (both Horologion and LOTH), Angelus, Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord, Supplicatory Canon to the Holy Theotokos, Supplicatory Canon to the Guardian Angel, Akathist Hymn to either Jesus or Mary. Usually takes around an hour +/- 15 minutes
8:30 - 9:00 PM - Small Compline (Horologion), Night Prayer (LOTH), before bed prayers from Buckley’s Catholic Prayer Book

I’m single and work from home at variable hours, which is why this is all possible. Once I settle down with a girl and find a real job, I’ll sadly have to cut back. And even now it’s still a very challenging routine - many days I wake up and just can’t bear the thought of it. But it’s my recreation time, that I enjoy more than anything else. And no, I don’t have barely any recreation time for anything else, but like I said, prayer is what I love doing.

Also, for anyone wondering why Midnight Service and Compline take so long, it’s because I take them from the Jordanville Horologion (as opposed to the rest of the hours which come from HTM’s Great Horologion).

 

[PDXSeeker_1975]

I’m also single, though I work full time. My typical weekday includes the following (not that I’m anywhere near perfect in my faithfulness to these devotions):

• 5:45 AM - LOTH invitatory and Office of Readings
• 6:45 AM - Pray 1st decade or two of Rosary during commute to 7 AM daily mass
• 7:30 AM - Pray 2nd/3rd decades on way to work
• Lunch - Personal daily mass readings/reflection
• After work - Spend 15-20 mins before the Blessed Sacrament at a Carmelite monastery near my office, pray final 2 decades of Rosary either on the monastery grounds (weather/time permitting) or on the drive home.
• Personal scripture reading in the evening if I haven’t had time before beginning my workday.
• Compline before bed

 

[Micosil]

Wow! You guys put me to shame.

As for me, I try to pray a rosary daily lately, and when I go to sleep (which isn’t at a fixed time these days), I pray the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.

 

[tawny]

I pray my LOTH; morning prayer with the Office of Readings, mid-day, afternoon, evening & night prayers along with my daily Rosary & Stations of the Cross. And of course; daily Mass. My Prayer Rule: Pray unceaseingly.

 

[Errham]

My Prayer Rule: Pray unceaseingly.

I’m quite curious as to how you go about this. Eastern-style Jesus Prayer?

Wow! You guys put me to shame.

As for me, I try to pray a rosary daily lately, and when I go to sleep (which isn’t at a fixed time these days), I pray the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.

If you have the time for it, I would seriously recommend getting started with the LOTH. And if you have a lot of time on your hands, the Horologion is even more beautiful. You might find these links helpful: A full online Breviary and a Horologion with daily Kathismata, Dismissal Hymns, Kontakia and Theotokia.

 

[AKDee]

I’m more pedestrian than the first two posts but do try to keep God in my thoughts throughout the day.

7:00am- morning prayer thanking God for His protection that night and asking for His guidance this day.

7:50am- prayer asking God to bless and protect my home and pets in my absence as I leave for work. Often pray on my short drive to work for family/friends/Priest/Bishop/Pope.

8:00am- ask Lord’s blessing on my breakfast (I take it to work)

Various short prayers throughout day- such as if I read that someone was injured or killed in an accident I’ll say a short prayer asking for God to heal them or to have mercy on their soul or if someone on this forum asks for a prayer.

Lunch- generally say prayers to and from my house for various people and the Church plus ask Lord’s blessing on my meal.

3PM- Divine Mercy Chaplet, prayers for the Holy souls in Purgatory, various prayers for mercy and forgiveness.

7pm- Ask Lord’s blessing on our supper.

9pm- Rosary.

10pm- Night prayers.

I am a new Catholic and have never tried the Divine Office. It’s something I need to learn more about.

 

[Ophelia23]

I’m not nearly as structured. I pray before getting out of bed a silent prayer asking Christ to be on my mind throughout my day. Then, as my day progresses, I say hello or I love you whenever I think of Him. I lead the kids in prayers before every meal and snack, lead them in family bedtime prayers, and offer my evening devotions once the house is finally quiet.

 

[Micosil]

If you have the time for it, I would seriously recommend getting started with the LOTH. And if you have a lot of time on your hands, the Horologion is even more beautiful. You might find these links helpful: A full online Breviary and a Horologion with daily Kathismata, Dismissal Hymns, Kontakia and Theotokia.

I was actually thinking of that. That, and some lectio divina sessions every now and then.

 

[SMH_2015]

Wow! You guys put me to shame.

You took the words out of my mouth.

As soon as I wake up, I speak to God on a “personal” level (thanking him for blessings given, prayers answered, etc, asking for strength, patience, & wisdom to get thru the day, interceding for people I know with health issues, etc.)

Before bed I do the same as above (altho usually much longer), plus an Our Father, Hail Mary, & Glory Be.

Oh yes, as another poster said, short prayers for those I hear about throughout the day (such as victims of a natural disaster, someone hurt in a car accident, etc)

 

[Errham]

[BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]

I was actually thinking of that. That, and some lectio divina sessions every now and then.

It’s actually very easy once you get the hang of it, and not as time-consuming as it sounds. The LOTH takes me the better part of two minutes when I have to run through it quickly to make an appointment. The Horologion is quite a bit longer - Matins takes me a good 50 minutes - but the lesser hours can easily be prayed in five.

Remember that you don’t have to pray the full cycle, just whatever you can fit into your schedule. For the LOTH, I’d recommend starting out with Compline, because it has the least variation (running on a one-week cycle) and being one of the shortest offices, as well as the fact that just about everyone can fit a few minutes before bedtime into their schedule. Same for the Horologion - Small Compline takes a bit longer than LOTH compline but can still easily be fit into your schedule, and the only variable parts are the Kontakion and Canon to the Theotokos (which you can’t pray without a significant investment in other service books, so just forget about them).

 

[JRS_88]

I pray the Maronite divine office “The Prayer Of The Faithful”.
I pray the rosary every day, and I try to attend a Latin rite Mass, or our Divine Liturgy every day. I live where we are fortunate to have many daily mass times.

I pray several exclamations throughout the day, when walking or driving, riding public transportation. waiting to see the doctor, etc, etc

Some examples would be:

• The Jesus Prayer
• “Holy Mary, Mother of The Light, pray for us”
• “Give me your hand Lord. Show me the way”
• “Praise be to God always”
• The Trisagion (Qadeeshat)

 

[Micosil]

You took the words out of my mouth.

As soon as I wake up, I speak to God on a “personal” level (thanking him for blessings given, prayers answered, etc, asking for strength, patience, & wisdom to get thru the day, interceding for people I know with health issues, etc.)

Before bed I do the same as above (altho usually much longer), plus an Our Father, Hail Mary, & Glory Be.

Oh yes, as another poster said, short prayers for those I hear about throughout the day (such as victims of a natural disaster, someone hurt in a car accident, etc)

[BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]

It’s actually very easy once you get the hang of it, and not as time-consuming as it sounds. The LOTH takes me the better part of two minutes when I have to run through it quickly to make an appointment. The Horologion is quite a bit longer - Matins takes me a good 50 minutes - but the lesser hours can easily be prayed in five.

Remember that you don’t have to pray the full cycle, just whatever you can fit into your schedule. For the LOTH, I’d recommend starting out with Compline, because it has the least variation (running on a one-week cycle) and being one of the shortest offices, as well as the fact that just about everyone can fit a few minutes before bedtime into their schedule. Same for the Horologion - Small Compline takes a bit longer than LOTH compline but can still easily be fit into your schedule, and the only variable parts are the Kontakion and Canon to the Theotokos (which you can’t pray without a significant investment in other service books, so just forget about them).

Hm, I thought it would be longer. Maybe I should check it out and give it a go.

• The Trisagion (Qadeeshat)

Now I understand something I’ve heard in a Syro-Malankara mass. Before the first reading, the celebrant seems to chant “quadeeshat”, now I understand what that means. Interesting how an Eastern Church which traces itself back to St. Thomas has something related to another one, the Maronite church.

 

[tawny]

I’m quite curious as to how you go about this. Eastern-style Jesus Prayer?

If you have the time for it, I would seriously recommend getting started with the LOTH. And if you have a lot of time on your hands, the Horologion is even more beautiful. You might find these links helpful: A full online Breviary and a Horologion with daily Kathismata, Dismissal Hymns, Kontakia and Theotokia.

As a member of the Secular Franciscan Order; every action is offered up as prayer.

 

[agnes_therese]

Hm, I thought it would be longer. Maybe I should check it out and give it a go.

The only way to do the LOTH in two minutes would be if you’re one of those lightning-fast speed readers. And even then, you’d be reading, not praying.

 

[Richard_White]

Morning Prayer Upon Waking
Afternoon Prayer
Nighttime Prayer Before Bed

I also try to make small supplications and invocations to God throughout the day.

May God bless you abundantly and forever and gel is to always, as Saint Paul told us, to “pray without ceasing.”

 

[Richard_White]

Morning Prayer Upon Waking
Afternoon Prayer
Nighttime Prayer Before Bed

I also try to make small supplications and invocations to God throughout the day.

May God bless you abundantly and forever and gel is to always, as Saint Paul told us, to “pray without ceasing.”

In addition, I break up my week into particular focuses.

Monday: The Litany of the Saints and other saint-related prayers.
Tuesday: the De Profundis Psalm
Wednesday: the Church (the Pope, Hierarchy, Priests, Bishops, as a whole, etc.)
Thursday: the Holy Eucharist and union with the Lord Jesus
Friday: the Passion
Saturday: The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, souls in Purgatory, Mass
Sunday: special supplications to Jesus Master, Way and Truth and Life from my Prayer Book and the special focus for the month if there is one

Again, may God bless you all abundantly and forever!

 

[Micosil]

The only way to do the LOTH in two minutes would be if you’re one of those lightning-fast speed readers. And even then, you’d be reading, not praying.

I see.

 

[Errham]

The only way to do the LOTH in two minutes would be if you’re one of those lightning-fast speed readers. And even then, you’d be reading, not praying.

This is true. It’s not something that I particularly enjoy doing, but the whole point of a prayer rule is that you stick with it regardless of your schedule. That’s why it’s called a rule and not a guideline. One of the reasons that I got started with the Horologion in the first place is that it’s near impossible to do in a rush.

If you’re looking for something like the LOTH that’s more drawn out like the Horologion is, one could always try the pre-Vatican II LOTH, especially recommended for those who attend Tridentine Masses. The main difference is that, like the Horologion, it works on a one-week psalter rather than a four-week one. It can be found online here.

 

[Errham]

In addition, I break up my week into particular focuses.

Monday: The Litany of the Saints and other saint-related prayers.
Tuesday: the De Profundis Psalm
Wednesday: the Church (the Pope, Hierarchy, Priests, Bishops, as a whole, etc.)
Thursday: the Holy Eucharist and union with the Lord Jesus
Friday: the Passion
Saturday: The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, souls in Purgatory, Mass
Sunday: special supplications to Jesus Master, Way and Truth and Life from my Prayer Book and the special focus for the month if there is one

Again, may God bless you all abundantly and forever!

Out of curiosity, are you using the St. Joseph People’s Prayer Book? I distinctly remember them having prayers for every day of the week there.

 

[Richard_White]

Out of curiosity, are you using the St. Joseph People’s Prayer Book? I distinctly remember them having prayers for every day of the week there.

No, I actually use the Queen of the Apostles Prayer Book published by the Daughters of Saint Paul. And the prayers that I do for each day of the week I actually just devised for myself!

May God bless you abundantly and forever!