How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours (Question)?

N/A | 11 August 2004 | myself

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

I recently got the Liturgy of the Hours, with the resolution to begin praying with it daily as a means of enriching my prayer life. There is just one tiny problem, after reading the Introduction and the explanation on its use, I am still at a loss. Furthermore, when looking at the Ordinary Time section, only Sunday's exist, no days of the week. While a one volume book, no where does it state it is an abridged version. Anyway, if anyone can help me get started, I would be very grateful. Thanks.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

God Bless

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Ping!

[diamond6]

It is hard at the beginning because you go back and forth. After the mass, it is the most powerful form of prayer, and then the rosary.

I would ask your friendly priest to sit down with you and show you how to do. Its better to learn by doing it then having someone explain.

[Salvation]

**I would ask your friendly priest to sit down with you and show you how to do. Its better to learn by doing it**

Agree.

There are various sites on the internet also.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Thanks. I am definitely looking forward to starting, just might need a walk through for a little bit. The priest I would be most comfortable asking is gone for two more weeks, and I really don't want to wait (impatience). During the summer my prayer life seems to fall off, No Daily Mass, no Adoration, less confession (or none :( ), less rosary, just the summer.

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

you need to get you one with days of the week and propers for holy days and saints days you wish to observe.

Daughters of St Paul have one version which is nice. Has it ALL except....the music including service music that St Joseph edition has. St Joe's however lacks mid morning mid day and mid afternoon prayer.

DSP also has decent explanation. Word of warning: translations of psalms is not the best. (I think that applies to all versions)

I've been doing it for years with kids and there are still a few areas I don't quite follow but so what.

[Salvation]

http://www.liturgyhours.org/

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

I actually have the one you recommend.

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

the Psalter is used over 4 weeks, then restarts. In ordinary time, strictly the only propers are for sunday, so you refer to them on sunday for those few propers that are needed. for Mon-Sat, use the 4 week psalter exclusively, unless there is a holy day or a saint you wish to have a memorial for. For OT, even 95% of sunday is in the psalter (we ignore the sunday propers there is so little)

This week is 19th in ordinary time, so the Psalter is on week 3. Next week is 20th, ergo week 4 of psalter. Next week 21, ergo week 1 of psalter....you get the pic?


Advent: Has readings and intercession in propers but uses psalms of ordinary time. If you have DSP, it does spell it out. Week one of advent resets the Psalter at week one (even if the previous week, say week 33 of OT was week one)

[LadyDoc]

The one volume is complete except for the "readings" which differ each day.

Most people say only the morning and evening prayers.
First, you say the Introductory psalm. (come let us sing to the lord etc).

Then you say the morning prayer for the day. If it is a BIG feast day, usually you say the prayers from the first sunday of the first week.

Most days, even when there is a saint's day or feast, you say the usual day of the week. (when you get used to saying the day of the week, you can decide if you want to say the alternate saints day prayers instead. Usually I don't).

YOu can find the morning and evening prayers on EWTN web page on the left side for audio link. Pray it along with them.

There are small books with the feast days and options, which cost about 2 dollars. At Catholic book stores.
I "graduated" to the 4 volume book, but the only difference is the readings, which my husband enjoys reading. I usually don't have time to read and pray them.

You can meditate on the daily mass readings instead.

http://www.ewtn.com/

http://www.liturgyhours.org/

has the daily office in pdf format. YOu might want to use it to give you a hint on how to do it. And they have the readings. But the EWTN lets you pray along with them.

Hope this helps.

[Tantumergo]

Is it mainly the Morning Prayer (Lauds) and Evening Prayer (Vespers) that you wish to say, or are you trying to plough straight into the whole thing?

Normally I would recommend starting with Lauds and Vespers, and then once you have got used to the flow for three weeks, bring in the other hours as well.

[salva veritate]

I've been very happy with the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a substitute for the full Breviary (now known as the "Liturgy of the Hours"). With the latter, there are frequently big problems in the translation from English, and there have been many changes (I'm being charitable) to the "hours" (some have been dropped altogether) and the prayers themselves.

Get a Latin-English copy of the Little Office published before 1965 or so (Ebay or a good Catholic bookstore are sources) with a ribbon (if possible). Start with Prime (morning prayers) and Compline (evening prayers) on most days, and do the other Hours on Marian feast days and other special days (e.g., First Saturdays or all Saturdays in honor of our Blessed Mother).

You won't be sorry going with the Little Office! Good Luck!

[salva veritate]

Wonderful ideas. Thanks for the post.

[Pyro7480]

I've been very happy with the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a substitute for the full Breviary.... Get a Latin-English copy of the Little Office published before 1965 or so

This is an excellent suggestion! In fact, this is exactly what I do. There are two editions that I know of that are still in print: a reprint of the 1914 edition (according to the revisions to the Breviary instituted by Pope St. Pius X), sold by the FSSP; and a reprint of the 1904 edition, printed by St. Bonaventure. I have both editions, but since I like the 1914 edition, and because it is the "latest," I have used that edition since I bought it less than 2 months ago.

Most days, I pray Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Compline. I say Vespers many of those days, and I sometimes even say the Matins and Lauds (which together take an hour for me to pray). I love the Little Office, since it is something that is beneficial to a daily prayer life, most hours only take 10-20 minutes to say (I say them in Latin, to help me brush up on my understanding of the language), and because of its Marian theme. I think my favorite hour is Compline, because of its inclusion of the Sub Tuum, which is said for most of the year.

[Salvation]

Check under the TODAY'S TIDBIT in this Daily Readings thread.

[Salvation]

**Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix.... sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper...)**

And in English it means.............?

[Pyro7480]

I'm glad you asked. :-) It is the Sub Tuum prayer, and it is the oldest Marian prayer known to the Catholic Church. It dates from at least the third century A.D., since they found an Egyptian papyrus from that time with the rough text of the prayer. The full Latin text is:
"Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus; sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta," which means, "We fly to your protection (or patronage), O Holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin."

[Salvation]

Thank you. I live in 2004 not back in the past. Yes, I took some Latin in high school and did fairly well, but why use it now?

We always harp about the Hispanics speaking English when they come to the U. S., so I guess I use the same logic here. why use Latin? (Yes, I know it WAS a tradition.) Any other reasons?

[Pyro7480]

Latin is the still the offical language of the Catholic church. That's one of the best reasons that I can think of.