Help with the LOTH

[John Paul]

I figured maybe that if anyone has questions about how to use the Breviary could put there questions here and I and other members could help.

[DeoOptimoMaximo]

I figured maybe that if anyone has questions about how to use the Breviary could put there questions here and I and other members could help.

I am at your service as well. ​I'm a seminarian studying Rome and pray the Breviary daily. 

[John Paul]

ALERT:CHANGE BREVIARIES TO ORDINARY TIME WEEKS 1-17

We are in the eight week of ordinary time.

 

 

[:o)Katherine:o)]

What would be the best way to start praying the LOTH? I have a four volume set but I must admit it is overwhelming trying to start it and get into a rhythm. Thanks for the offer to help! 

[sr.christinaosf]

Which "hours" do you pray?  If you're just beginning, maybe just starting with night prayer (compline) would be a good idea.  It is very simple.  As you get used to it, you could add more "hours."  

I think night prayer is beautiful.  I love the Marian antiphon at the end.  

I actually recently wrote a reflection which correlates with my experience working a night shift and praying compline.  

[:o)Katherine:o)]

 

Sr. Christina, I am just starting.

If I were to start with the night prayer, how do I know which parts I'm supposed to read or pray when? I tried  following along on my phone or the internet but I would like to be able to do it on my own and find the right spots and pages. 

 

Thank you you for sharing your reflection! Very moving and relatable :)

[Luigi]

The Trappist monks in Vina, CA (Abbey of New Clairvaux) maintain this link: http://www.newclairvaux.org/liturgy-of-the-hours.html

It provides a brief explanation of each hour, plus Internet-based prayers for the current hour (right there on the same page). It won't help you figure out which page to go to, though.

[Lily May Gath]

Now is a great time to start praying the hours as we will have a long run of ordinary time, so you will be able to use the main four week psalter and get the hang of it.

It is good advice to start with Night Prayer, then Morning and Evening on a Weekday, then a Sunday - just find the concluding prayer for a Sunday.

(Remember that optional memorials are just that, optional, and you can simply pray or even add the concluding prayer for that Saint if you wish.)

There are many books about the LOTH, but one of the clearest is The Divine Office for Dodos by Madeline Pecora Nugent who teaches you from the beginning.

Buy the Annual Guide from Catholic Book Publishing as it gives you the pages for every day of the year for under $3, and go pray with a priest or a community near you. They will value your company and support and teach you how they do the Office

[sr.christinaosf]

The nice part about night prayer is that, even on memorials, there is not a special prayer; it simply follows the night of the week.  The exception is on solemnities (which use the Sunday prayers).  I am used to the one-volume Christian prayer, but there night prayer is all in one place, except for the hymn.  

You start with the opening: "God come to my assistance....," do a hymn, do the antiphon and psalm, reading, responsory.  Then there is the antiphon for the Canticle of Simeon (Protect us Lord, as we stay awake), then the canticle "Lord, now let you servant..." antiphon repeated, concluding prayer and finally the Marian antiphon (usually Salve Regina during ordinary time).  

Have a great day!

[John Paul]

Start with Night Prayer for a few weeks,Then introduce Daytime Prayer for a couple weeks,Then start with the major hours Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer,Then once you are comfortable with all of that do Office of Readings.Do the right amount of offices you feel comdfgortavble with do not overwhelm yourself with the offices or you may not want too pray it anymore and say there is not enough time.Also check this out:http://dariasockey.blogspot.com/

and ask your parish priest.

[sr.christinaosf]

I might suggest rather than doing daytime prayer just going into morning and/or evening as they are more principle hours and probably at a more convenient time.  

[John Paul]

Good Idea Sister Christina

[:o)Katherine:o)]

Thank you to each of you for your advice! 

 

I will start with the night prayer. 

We do not have any religious communities nearby for me to practice with and when I have reached out to people nearby they have never been able to meet with me to show me or to allow me to join in. When I saw this thread I became excited knowing that I could reach out to you guys. 

[Egeria]

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this, but if you don't have religious communities near you, one option may also be to follow (some of) the Offices with a community that makes their prayer of the hours available online through a webcam etc. The only Catholic communities that I know of who do this in English are the Redemptoristines in Dublin (although that seems to be more for Mass than Office) and the Benedictine monks in Northern Ireland (although, being Benedictines, I'm not sure that they pray the breviary Office). But there may well be other communities that that I don't know about, so that may be worth investigating. 

And for any interested Orthodox, there are also the nuns of the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration.

 

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

A special thank-you to Deo and to Sister Christina for offering their help and advice on the LOTH. Since the LOTH is part of your daily life in a Religious Community/Seminary, I'm sure you have a lot of personal experience to share.