Liturgy Of The Hours

[Cherie]

I think I love Morning Prayer so much because it's my favorite time of day. It feels so good to wake up at dawn and praise the Lord while you can hear the birds singing and watch the sun come up over the horizon, with the gentle rays of the sun bathing everything and the dew beads glistening on the grass, and everything else is silent. It's like a great start to a beautiful day. There's just so much joy, hope and anticipation in those moments!

I only pray Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline. Those three are my favorite hours, too. Sometimes I'll say the Office of Readings, but that takes quite a long time compared to the others, so I usually don't have time for it.

I loved the way we did Compline with the community of which I was a member. I still have my community prayer book, so when I pray it, I do it like we did it in the convent, with lots of Latin. Then I sing the Dominican (aka the Solemn) Salve Regina to my little baby before we go to sleep

[tnavarro61]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304426600' post='2236297']
Then I sing the Dominican (aka the Solemn) Salve Regina to my little baby before we go to sleep
[/quote]

i think that baby would grow up into a sister!

[Lisa]

[quote name='MargaretTeresa' timestamp='1304370721' post='2235948']
I want to learn how to pray them!

Me no understand....

Pax and God bless.
[/quote]


Like the others have said, praying with others is helpful...See if there's something at your campus ministry- look deep into the schedule for morning or evening prayer. It's probably not the sort of thing they'll announce. But if that's not an option, I would recommend "Shorter Christian Prayer" or "Christian Prayer". You can find both on Amazon for pretty cheap. When you get it, buy the St. Joseph guide for it, it's like 2 bucks and tells you what page to be on. Very helpful.


Start with just one prayer, like Night prayer- it's one of the shortest and least complicated. Once you get the hang of that, add on another. I'm currently praying Morning, Evening, Night consistently and am starting to add one of the Daytime prayers.

Don't be ashamed if you get confused or mess up- it seems to me like God will love even a clumsy effort to spend time praising Him! At least, I hope so...

[Cherie]

[quote name='tnavarro61' timestamp='1304427480' post='2236299']
i think that baby would grow up into a sister!
[/quote]

Or a priest, since he's a boy

Prayer from my "Mother Love" prayerbook; I pray this every Sunday:

O Heart of Jesus, Heart of our great High Priest, Your ardent desire for worthy priests and pastors impelled You to utter the words: "Beg the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His vineyard!" Complying with Your own plea, I pray You to send us pastors, priests, and teachers, as zealous, as devout, and as wise as Your Heart desires them to be. The harvest is great! How many would listen to Your word and would love You were it announced to them in the right way! Send laborers!

How happy I should be if You would make me the mother of one! True, I am but a poor sinner, unworthy of so high a privilege. But, O my God, think not of my sins. Be mindful only of the needs of Your Church. Remember how many sinners are to be converted, how many devout souls to be led on to perfection, how many perfect ones to be guided on the road of perseverance. Be, then, a good Father and give to Your Church what she so much needs. Hear my prayer which I make from a humble and contrite heart.

Gladly will I undertake the special care that the training of such a child would require, and, for love of You, I will make every sacrifice that his education will impose upon me. I ask nothing for myself. I desire only Your glory and the salvation of souls. My motherly wish is that he will eagerly and of his own choice desire to give himself entirely to Your service as a priest.

Holy Mother of Jesus, Mother of my Savior, I have recourse to you. I recommend to your heart this my desire, placing my resolution and my offering in your hands. Be then my Mediatrix with your divine Son. Obtain from His Heart that for which my soul so ardently longs. Amen.


Whatever vocation God wills for my children, I will happily, joyfully, and carefully guide them so they can make a decision in accordance with God's will, so that wherever God calls them, they may become SAINTS!!!

[tnavarro61]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304431991' post='2236310']
Or a priest, since he's a boy

[/quote]
my bad!! sorry!

I will not be surprised if his first book is about the Holy Mass lol.

[Lisa]

[quote name='tnavarro61' timestamp='1304432189' post='2236312']
my bad!! sorry!

I will not be surprised if his first book is about the Holy Mass lol.
[/quote]


Like this: [url="http://www.catholiccompany.com/we-go-to-mass-board-book-p1055162/"]http://www.catholiccompany.com/we-go-to-mass-board-book-p1055162/[/url]

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

+JMJ

Evening Prayer is quite beautiful, and Night Prayer is just about as beautiful. I have enjoyed Matins at midnight before, although I cannot really recall very well what I though of the office. I've really only been able to pray all the offices with the Sisters, but we have Evening Prayer before Benediction on Monday nights (that is if the Polish don't hold a special Mass and stop English Benediction...)

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304431991' post='2236310']
Or a priest, since he's a boy

Prayer from my "Mother Love" prayerbook; I pray this every Sunday:

O Heart of Jesus, Heart of our great High Priest, Your ardent desire for worthy priests and pastors impelled You to utter the words: "Beg the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His vineyard!" Complying with Your own plea, I pray You to send us pastors, priests, and teachers, as zealous, as devout, and as wise as Your Heart desires them to be. The harvest is great! How many would listen to Your word and would love You were it announced to them in the right way! Send laborers!

How happy I should be if You would make me the mother of one! True, I am but a poor sinner, unworthy of so high a privilege. But, O my God, think not of my sins. Be mindful only of the needs of Your Church. Remember how many sinners are to be converted, how many devout souls to be led on to perfection, how many perfect ones to be guided on the road of perseverance. Be, then, a good Father and give to Your Church what she so much needs. Hear my prayer which I make from a humble and contrite heart.

Gladly will I undertake the special care that the training of such a child would require, and, for love of You, I will make every sacrifice that his education will impose upon me. I ask nothing for myself. I desire only Your glory and the salvation of souls. My motherly wish is that he will eagerly and of his own choice desire to give himself entirely to Your service as a priest.

Holy Mother of Jesus, Mother of my Savior, I have recourse to you. I recommend to your heart this my desire, placing my resolution and my offering in your hands. Be then my Mediatrix with your divine Son. Obtain from His Heart that for which my soul so ardently longs. Amen.


Whatever vocation God wills for my children, I will happily, joyfully, and carefully guide them so they can make a decision in accordance with God's will, so that wherever God calls them, they may become SAINTS!!!
[/quote]

Cherie,

This is so beautiful and touching!! Is this from a particular book?

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304426600' post='2236297']
I think I love Morning Prayer so much because it's my favorite time of day. It feels so good to wake up at dawn and praise the Lord while you can hear the birds singing and watch the sun come up over the horizon, with the gentle rays of the sun bathing everything and the dew beads glistening on the grass, and everything else is silent. It's like a great start to a beautiful day. There's just so much joy, hope and anticipation in those moments!

I only pray Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline. Those three are my favorite hours, too. Sometimes I'll say the Office of Readings, but that takes quite a long time compared to the others, so I usually don't have time for it.

I loved the way we did Compline with the community of which I was a member. I still have my community prayer book, so when I pray it, I do it like we did it in the convent, with lots of Latin. Then I sing the Dominican (aka the Solemn) Salve Regina to my little baby before we go to sleep
[/quote]

CM,

I just want to say that you are like a walking/writing ad for your former community You speak of them with such fondness that it makes one want to learn more about them. That is just amesomeness.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304426600' post='2236297']
I think I love Morning Prayer so much because it's my favorite time of day. It feels so good to wake up at dawn and praise the Lord while you can hear the birds singing and watch the sun come up over the horizon, with the gentle rays of the sun bathing everything and the dew beads glistening on the grass, and everything else is silent. It's like a great start to a beautiful day. There's just so much joy, hope and anticipation in those moments!

I only pray Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline. Those three are my favorite hours, too. Sometimes I'll say the Office of Readings, but that takes quite a long time compared to the others, so I usually don't have time for it.

I loved the way we did Compline with the community of which I was a member. I still have my community prayer book, so when I pray it, I do it like we did it in the convent, with lots of Latin. [b]Then I sing the Dominican (aka the Solemn) Salve Regina to my little baby before we go to sleep [/b]
[/quote]

That is so precious! I can just imagine Our Lady smiling down on you as you sing her hymn to your little boy.

[Studiumecclesiae]

Unfortunately, I don't have the Symeon Canticle (Nunc Dimitis) because I have the old 1962 breviary and it's a benedictine one. So as it wasn't the tradition, I just don't pray it. There's no prayers intention either. I know in places like Ryde they have the new translation. I have the old one on my missal. I have an Antiphonale as well to get the tune. I sing it on my own. If I can get to a monastery, I am so happy to join in. But when you sing it on your own for a long time, the rhythm can change (you kinda get lost). I was told singing is like praying twice.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Studiumecclesiae

[FutureSister2009]

To be honest, I prayed the LOTH for the first time during my Come and See with the Salesians and I was not good at it at all. It was confusing. But I guess I could get used to it

[TheresaThoma]

To be honest, I prayed the LOTH for the first time during my Come and See with the Salesians and I was not good at it at all. It was confusing. But I guess I could get used to it

 

The first time I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours was with a community of Dominican Friars so it was all chanted and done choir to choir. For me it was VERY confusing but the brothers were extremely kind and helpful and eventually I got the hang of it. (It even got to the point where I could help other newcomers!). For using the brevairy (I have Christian Prayer) the St Joseph's guide is very helpful at the beginning. Once you start figuring out the rhythm of everything it becomes much easier to use.

Currently I pray morning prayer during my break at work (I work a 2am-8:30am shift) which is normally right around sunrise. I am hoping when it gets warmer I will be able to pray it outside but for right now it is enough to just greet the Lord with the dawn!

[BarbTherese]

When I first began praying The Divine Office it was totally confusing.  I entered monastic life and that sorted things out for me and sorted out much more than the Divine Office thankfully.  I pray Morning and Evening Prayer, Night Prayer and Midday Prayer on my days off (I work voluntary in the Office of a Catholic Charity).  On my working days, I pray Morning and Evening Prayer on the buses to and from work (Little Office of Our Lady, fits snug into a handbag) - with just enough time to pray The Rosary 5 decades as well.  Saturdays I pray the Rosary together with mentioning all my intentions (I have a list) with my usual prayer routine and then on Sundays I add Lectio Divina.  Fridays, Chaplet of Mercy on the bus home.

Daily I read the Second Reading from The Office of Readings prior to Midday Prayer - when at home.

I read the day's Mass Readings in the morning together with a couple of favourite reflection sites.

My favourtie is Night Prayer - for some reason this always seems in honour of Our Lady, perhaps it is because of the hymn to Our Lady at the conclusion.

 

Incidentally, Friday 22nd February, is the Feast of The Chair of St Peter and an appropriate time to remember to pray for Pope Benedict, his intentions, and his retirement and for our cardinals going into conclave next month.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I personally like to chant my prayers in plain chant. I first learned the LOTH at a Catholic College Student Convention while I was in RCIA. This particular year (they communally pray LOTH every year at this conference) they taught everyone how to chant it. I fell in love with the Church even more with that. I don't do well all the time, but I try to get Office of Reading (my fav), morning, evening, and night prayer done. There a couple ladies at my parish trying to learn LoTH during Lent and Fr doesn't really have the time, so I'm meeting with them a couple times each week to help them along. We're starting with just Morning and Evening prayer untill they get the hang of it, then we'll do more with Office of readings and get them more familiar with the commons.