Praying The Divine Office

[DameAgnes]

I have often thought that praying the Divine Office should be a recommended tool during discernment (and for our whole lives, actually) - aside from the discipline of praying at least one of the hours each day (try for two or three) it submerges the pray-er into the psalms, which reflect the whole human heart and God's mercy and protection. It also gives a discerner a chance to familiarize himself/herself with the Offices, which are integral to religious life. Face it, if you don't like praying the Office, you're not going to like religious life.

One of the Passionist sisters wrote this as a novice - a nice reflection on praying the hours.

[url="http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/?p=139"]http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/?p=139[/url]

[TeresaBenedicta]

I tend to agree with you...

I try to pray the Office most days. I generally pray Morning Prayer along with either Evening or Night prayer (sometimes I get both in, but most of the time it's one or the other).

I really like praying it together with people. Sometimes when I sacristan, Father will ask if I want to pray whichever hour it is with him after Mass. Then me and my best friend like to pray Night Prayer together.

[Deus te Amat]

I personally love praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and it has greatly helped me further my discernment, and my relationship with God. It forces me to put Him in the forefront of my thoughts, no matter what I'm doing, which is a great way to focus, and refocus, my day.


Thank you so much for the blog post. It was wonderful to read.

[InHisLove726]

I love praying the Divine Office. I would like to get an updated 4-volume set, but I can't afford it right now. I'm glad there are the internet links for those who can't afford the books.

Just a funny little anecdote...

When I was at the East Chicago home of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, the postulant mistress commented on how well I know how to pray the Office. She asked if I had prayed it before, and I told her I learned how during holy retreats with the CFRs during Advent in FL. I also had it reinforced during retreat with the Carmelite Sisters in St. Louis.

I really do agree that it is important to establish a prayer schedule. If you are discerning with a specific community, like me, a lot of times you can find their schedule on their website and work around that, especially if you are unemployed (like me).

I still have to work on being more consistent in my prayer life.

Edited July 27, 2009 by InHisLove726

[Graciela]

It also gives a discerner a chance to familiarize himself/herself with the Offices, which are integral to religious life. Face it, if you don't like praying the Office, you're not going to like religious life.


I would certainly agree that this is true if one is discerning with contemplative communities or with active communities that pray the Divine Office.

But, there are many active communities that do not pray the Divine Office together- whatever one's opinion of that may be, they do provide a vocational place where those called to religious life but not inclined toward the Divine office may be able to follow their call. Such communities pray together in ways and on schedules other than the Divine Office.

Edited July 27, 2009 by Graciela

[Jennifer G.]

I would agree, too, since most religious orders seem to use it. I was saying it for awhile just to get the feel for it, but I think I got mixed up with early morning prayers and office of readings, and I got tired after a few weeks (I guess it's a bit like excercise -- don't try to do the whole thing at once!). I also bought a Divine Office book for August onward, but it's looks so complex! I've been making a mental note for myself to compare it to www.universalis.com when August 2nd comes around. I'll have to get it back on track - it really makes for a nice prayer schedule.

[puellapaschalis]

I've been praying the Office in one form or another since I was sixteen and recently made the switch from the LoH to the older OSB Office (think Antiphonale from the 1930s, not the newer Solesmes version).

[Noemi]

Hm, sometimes I love praying the Liturgia Horarium (Liturgy of the Hours), but often not. I realised if I stop it for a day the sweetness of the psalms comes back.

[kavalamyself]

Is there a difference between the LOH and the Divine Office? Also, Puella, what is the difference between what you "used" to pray and currently pray?

I use the four volume set that was used at the Monastery I had previously entered. I was given a set when I left to inspire me to keep praying and searching for the right place.

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='kavalamyself' post='1934313' date='Jul 28 2009, 07:37 PM']Is there a difference between the LOH and the Divine Office? Also, Puella, what is the difference between what you "used" to pray and currently pray?

I use the four volume set that was used at the Monastery I had previously entered. I was given a set when I left to inspire me to keep praying and searching for the right place.[/quote]

The Liturgy of the Hours and the Divine Office are varying terms used for the same thing. You can call it one or the other.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='kavalamyself' post='1934313' date='Jul 29 2009, 01:37 AM']Is there a difference between the LOH and the Divine Office?[/quote]

The LoH (Liturgy of the Hours, Liturgia Horarum) is a specific "version" of the Divine Office. Its full name is [i]Liturgia Horarum iuxta Ritum Romanum[/i], or [i]The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite[/i]. It's the version of the Divine Office given for the whole (Latin) Church in accordance with the reforms desired in [i]Sacrosanctum Concilium[/i], Vatican II's Constitution on Sacred Liturgy.

So technically speaking there is a difference between the two terms.

[quote name='kavalamyself' post='1934313' date='Jul 29 2009, 01:37 AM']Also, Puella, what is the difference between what you "used" to pray and currently pray?[/quote]

I used to pray the LoH (mentioned above in its precise sense), first in English, and later I learnt it in Dutch too. Then my sister's convent list came, and the British translation of the LoH was on it, so my books went to her.

I made the switch to the pre-Vatican II reform [i]Benedictine[/i] Office. This differs from the pre-Vatican II [i]Roman[/i] Office (the forerunner of the LoH) only in small details, but the LoH differs from both quite considerably.

There is also a post-Vatican II reform Benedictine Office, and once I either a) enter a monastery which prays it or b) get enough money for the Lectionary with its dozen or so volumes, I might just be able to switch to it! This version is used by the Solesmes Congregation and is only slightly different from the pre-Vatican II version.

In this "circle of four" then, it's the modern-day LoH which stands out. It's considerably simplified - whether that's a good thing or not is a topic that's not really suited to VS, I think

Other Orders may also have their own Breviary (the book used to pray the Office from, usually without music): the Carmelites have been mentioned on VS recently. Given the Dominican Order has its own rite of [i]Mass[/i] (which of course now the majority don't offer, hmpf, they should, it's very beautiful), that there was a Dominican Office wouldn't surprise me. Ditto with the Franciscans. The Office proper to the Carthusians, Cistercians and Trappists are, iirc, very similar to the Benedictine Office. But the LoH looks almost nothing like all of these. I didn't realise the depths of the Office until I learnt about the older forms. For this reason I'd recommend switching to one of the more complicated forms once one's familiar with the basic structure, perhaps after a few years' experience with the LoH.

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='puellapaschalis' post='1935080' date='Jul 29 2009, 07:54 PM']The LoH (Liturgy of the Hours, Liturgia Horarum) is a specific "version" of the Divine Office. Its full name is [i]Liturgia Horarum iuxta Ritum Romanum[/i], or [i]The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite[/i]. It's the version of the Divine Office given for the whole (Latin) Church in accordance with the reforms desired in [i]Sacrosanctum Concilium[/i], Vatican II's Constitution on Sacred Liturgy.

So technically speaking there is a difference between the two terms.



I used to pray the LoH (mentioned above in its precise sense), first in English, and later I learnt it in Dutch too. Then my sister's convent list came, and the British translation of the LoH was on it, so my books went to her.

I made the switch to the pre-Vatican II reform [i]Benedictine[/i] Office. This differs from the pre-Vatican II [i]Roman[/i] Office (the forerunner of the LoH) only in small details, but the LoH differs from both quite considerably.

There is also a post-Vatican II reform Benedictine Office, and once I either a) enter a monastery which prays it or b) get enough money for the Lectionary with its dozen or so volumes, I might just be able to switch to it! This version is used by the Solesmes Congregation and is only slightly different from the pre-Vatican II version.

In this "circle of four" then, it's the modern-day LoH which stands out. It's considerably simplified - whether that's a good thing or not is a topic that's not really suited to VS, I think

Other Orders may also have their own Breviary (the book used to pray the Office from, usually without music): the Carmelites have been mentioned on VS recently. Given the Dominican Order has its own rite of [i]Mass[/i] (which of course now the majority don't offer, hmpf, they should, it's very beautiful), that there was a Dominican Office wouldn't surprise me. Ditto with the Franciscans. The Office proper to the Carthusians, Cistercians and Trappists are, iirc, very similar to the Benedictine Office. But the LoH looks almost nothing like all of these. I didn't realise the depths of the Office until I learnt about the older forms. For this reason I'd recommend switching to one of the more complicated forms once one's familiar with the basic structure, perhaps after a few years' experience with the LoH.[/quote]

I think there is a Dominican Office, but like the Dominican Rite liturgy, I don't think it's really used all too often.

I've been to two Dominican Rite Masses and both were extremely beautiful.

[VeniteAdoremus]

There most certainly was/is a Dominican office, you can find many of the chants at the [url="http://dominican-liturgy.blogspot.com/"]Dominican Liturgy blog[/url]. Beware: I haven't checked all of them, but many feature the Dominican style of writing Gregorian chant, which is slightly different from the Solesmes style (for instance, the double line is used in lieu of the asterisk to denote the end of the intonation).*

By the way, you should all know that my sister is wonderful.



*of the practising catholics in our little family, I am [i]emphatically[/i] the least versed in Gregorian nerdery. Imagine what dinner conversations can be like.

[zunshynn]

St. Francis and St. Clare both insisted that the Poor Clares and the Friars Minor pray the Office as "Catholics" . Franciscans are supposed to have a very simply chanted office though. And the Roman-Franciscan Office is pretty much the same as the Universal Church... except more feasts. Franciscans love their feasts.

But I think Collettines sing the Office in two parts usually. That's what they do at the PCPA Monastery in Troyes. I heard Sr. Faustina Marie sing part of a psalm once the way they do it there... it was very beautiful.

But I like the way OLAM chants it. I don't recall what the name of the chant is. I know it sounds different from Benedictines. We actually were not too good at chanting office. Our pitch was constantly falling... but they do chant with love... I liked to think that our Office probably made Jesus laugh. When he wanted to hear something beautiful, I figured he could go somewhere else. But when he wanted to laugh, we were definitely the ones for that! It's really a miracle how the nuns sound so good on the public side of the Shrine, because we really were not the greatest singers, overall... and you could tell in the choir.

[puellapaschalis]

The phenomenon of the communal pitch falling, even with an organ, is certainly not unknown amongst Benedictines