Liturgy Of The Hours

[JenDeMaria]

I pray the whole thing, everyday, but I started off by praying the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, first, and I think that was helpful to me in getting a gist of the order of prayer. When I switched over to the LOTH it took me almost literally 5 minutes to get the hang of the St. Joseph's guide and then it didn't feel confusing at all. The [url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwgilh.htm"]GILH[/url] itself does say, however, that when it comes to private recitation the rules for body posture (sitting, kneeling, bowing, etc) are not obligatory, if that makes things easier for anyone. You could pray the whole thing kneeling, if you'd like. Whenever I see our priests or deacons praying the LOTH, though, they tend to pray the whole thing while seated which is what I do when I pray the little hours at my desk at work.

As far as getting started goes, I find myself thinking that some children may or may not have had training wheels on their bicycles as kids -- it was an option when I was growing up -- but whether we did or didn't, all of us fell off our bikes at least once or twice. Whether we start with the LOTH or the LOBVM or Shorter Christian Prayer or some Benedictine or Franciscan version of the Church's official liturgical prayer, the most important thing is to keep getting on the bicycle and to not get so discouraged as to quit. Right? I mean, that's the gist of the whole Christian life -- the just man falls seven times a day; Christ fell three times on the Via Crucis; and if I fall nowhere else (which seems unlikely) I will probably fall off my prayer life. So I acknowledge my fault, pick it up again and carry on -- and in the process I learn humility, and grow in faith, hope and charity.

There is also something amazing in knowing that the very prayer that I am praying at any time is the same prayer or the same reading that another member of the Church is praying with me and that we are all bound together in this same ongoing spiritual formation which is tied into the Liturgical Year with the cycles and seasons of the celebration of the Mass. Liturgical prayer, in any form, underscores that most beautiful reality that we are all members of the body of Christ. How can you not love that?

I know there at least *was* a plenary indulgence attached to the recitation of the 5 major little offices if they were recited completely every day for a month. It'd be interesting to find out if this applies to the LOTH currently.

[Sarah147]

I was just praying Divine Office morning prayer each day, and then somehow I wasn't feeling drawn to that, and just spent time talking one-on-one to God in my chapel time. I'm hoping to return to it soon as it is a part of Religious Life. I've gone back and forth with the Rosary, too. My SD said something about letting God lead me into what kind of prayer to do, so that's what I'm doing. I'm fatigued a lot, too, so that makes me not want to do formal prayer.

Edited August 14, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1313357690' post='2287761']
I was just praying Divine Office morning prayer each day, and then somehow I wasn't feeling drawn to that, and just spent time talking one-on-one to God in my chapel time. I'm hoping to return to it soon as it is a part of Religious Life. I've gone back and forth with the Rosary, too. My SD said something about letting God lead me into what kind of prayer to do, so that's what I'm doing. I'm fatigued a lot, too, so that makes me not want to do formal prayer.
[/quote]

I can certainly understand that. Since I just started reciting the LOTH this week, I've been praying mostly Lauds. The first day, the feast day of St. Dominic, I somehow managed to pray Lauds, Vespers AND Compline with the sung version of Salve Regina on my iPod. Tonight, I'm getting to bed early, but I'm going to pray Vespers now and Compline in about 2 hours.

[Amppax]

I'm not necessarily discerning, but I saw Liturgy of the Hours and got really excited. I have Shorter Christian prayer and I do Morning, Evening, and Night prayer everyday (with some exceptions). I love Liturgy of the Hours, I started when a friend introduced me this summer during the youth conference, we were getting up early every morning and doing morning prayer, and then doing evening prayer and night prayer together too. It is such a beautiful way to pray.

[OnlySunshine]

Since I don't have the 4-volume set or the Christian Prayer book, I have to resort to using the app on my iPod or the internet resources. My favorite website with podcast prayers is [url="http://www.divineoffice.org/"]DivineOffice.org[/url]. They have 4 of the prescribed prayer times and include the Invitatory Psalm and the Office of the Readings. I love that the Hymns are sung prayers on the podcasts. It makes it very special. So far, I've just used Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. The app I use sometimes is by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. It has all 7 of the prayer times in Latin which have prayers in English as well. It's a bit more complicated. The website is much easier to use and easier to keep up with without distractions since you are praying with other recorded voices. It's available as an app on the iPod, iPhone and iPad, but it's $14.99. The website is free to use.

Edited August 15, 2011 by MaterMisericordiae

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1313366886' post='2287859']
Since I don't have the 4-volume set or the Christian Prayer book, I have to resort to using the app on my iPod or the internet resources. My favorite website with podcast prayers is [url="http://www.divineoffice.org/"]DivineOffice.org[/url]. They have 4 of the prescribed prayer times and include the Invitatory Psalm and the Office of the Readings. I love that the Hymns are sung prayers on the podcasts. It makes it very special. So far, I've just used Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. The app I use sometimes is by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. It has all 7 of the prayer times in Latin which have prayers in English as well. It's a bit more complicated. The website is much easier to use and easier to keep up with without distractions since you are praying with other recorded voices. It's available as an app on the iPod, iPhone and iPad, but it's $14.99. The website is free to use.
[/quote]

MM what is the name of the app by the Franciscans? I've been praying along with DivineOffice.org for over two years now but I'm interested in finding out who else has something similar out there. I am so glad to see they have even more volunteers and can not only record more offices ahead of time but also chant some of them. I am sure one day they will probably have them all.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1313367287' post='2287862']

MM what is the name of the app by the Franciscans? I've been praying along with DivineOffice.org for over two years now but I'm interested in finding out who else has something similar out there. I am so glad to see they have even more volunteers and can not only record more offices ahead of time but also chant some of them. I am sure one day they will probably have them all.
[/quote]

It's available on iTunes as [b]BrevMeum[/b]. I really love the DivineOffice website the best, though. I really struggle with the BrevMeum because I'm basically a beginner when it comes to the Divine Office. I know the postures and genuflections, but it's pretty difficult to concentrate when you are doing it on your own. I love saying the Office in community. I first learned how to pray the LOTH when I was at my first retreat with the CFRs during Advent. When I applied to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus and spent a few days in their apostolate, their postulant mistress, Sr. Annunciata, was going to teach me how to pray with the Sisters in the chapel so that I could follow along and pray with them every day. She was actually astonished to discover that I knew a lot of the routines and which pages to flip to. I told her it was because I had prayed with other religious orders including the CFRs, Sisters of Life, and the Carmelite DCJ Sisters in St. Louis.

You can read about BrevMeum here:

http://apps.liturgiaetmusica.com/index.php/en/apps/brevmeum/about

Edited August 15, 2011 by MaterMisericordiae

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1313370671' post='2287911']

It's available on iTunes as [b]BrevMeum[/b]. I really love the DivineOffice website the best, though. I really struggle with the BrevMeum because I'm basically a beginner when it comes to the Divine Office. I know the postures and genuflections, but it's pretty difficult to concentrate when you are doing it on your own. I love saying the Office in community. I first learned how to pray the LOTH when I was at my first retreat with the CFRs during Advent. When I applied to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus and spent a few days in their apostolate, their postulant mistress, Sr. Annunciata, was going to teach me how to pray with the Sisters in the chapel so that I could follow along and pray with them every day. She was actually astonished to discover that I knew a lot of the routines and which pages to flip to. I told her it was because I had prayed with other religious orders including the CFRs, Sisters of Life, and the Carmelite DCJ Sisters in St. Louis.

You can read about BrevMeum here:

[url="http://apps.liturgiaetmusica.com/index.php/en/apps/brevmeum/about"]http://apps.liturgia.../brevmeum/about[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1313373701' post='2287982']

Thanks!
[/quote]

No problem! God bless you!

[TeresaBenedicta]

Been praying Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer with the sisters each day. I love the flow it gives to life. And I've found (having been, mostly, praying the LOTH for four years now) that the more you pray the hours, the more you grow in prayer... the more that the psalms and prayer strikes you.

And, it [i]is[/i] a liturgy. Not just another type of prayer. It is the prayer of the Church. Offered [i]for[/i] the Church. So, when you're praying a particular office (say, Friday Night Prayer) and it just doesn't seem to apply to you... remember that you are praying it for someone to whom it [i]does[/i] apply- like a prisoner of war in a foreign country, etc.

I think some of the sisters pray the Office of Readings on their own. I'd like to start doing that, too.

[faithcecelia]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' timestamp='1314208019' post='2294242']
Been praying Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer with the sisters each day. I love the flow it gives to life. And I've found (having been, mostly, praying the LOTH for four years now) that the more you pray the hours, the more you grow in prayer... the more that the psalms and prayer strikes you.

And, it [i]is[/i] a liturgy. Not just another type of prayer. It is the prayer of the Church. Offered [i]for[/i] the Church. So, when you're praying a particular office (say, Friday Night Prayer) and it just doesn't seem to apply to you... remember that you are praying it for someone to whom it [i]does[/i] apply- like a prisoner of war in a foreign country, etc.

I think some of the sisters pray the Office of Readings on their own. I'd like to start doing that, too.
[/quote]

This is so true. I have lost count of the times when a psalm has come to mind in any given situation and has helped me deal with it. Most notably Friday compline (Ps88) but many of the others as well.

[FutureSister2009]

I was happy to see at St. Jude's shop that they sell them individually as well as all together. If I ever get out of here, I will buy them before I enter

[LaPetiteSoeur]

[quote name='FutureSister2009' timestamp='1314298965' post='2294844']
I was happy to see at St. Jude's shop that they sell them individually as well as all together. If I ever get out of here, I will buy them before I enter
[/quote]

College isn't that bad, is it? I don't mind waiting, as I am able to do lots of good work here, in my new local community. I'm working on the issue of poverty in a program I'm in. It will help you in religious life, all that you learn in college.