Liturgy Of The Hours

[Chiara Francesco]

[quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1310770423' post='2267968']
I purchased my set over a period of two years. I started buying it one volume at a time and the first year I skipped the first volume since it was used so lightly. Regarding how to pray it I would suggest getting with your parish pastor or someone who knows how to do it.

Prayers for you,
DR
[/quote]

Yes, I forgot to say this myself! What I did was to buy one volume at a time - back then it was almost Advent so I bought the Advent/Christmas volume first, which was good for a few months and I saved all the while for the next book, etc. I bought my volumes one at a time in my local catholic book store. They had single volumes and sets you could buy. For me the price for each volume was either $35 or $45 per volume.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

I only have one volume, but it has all of the hours in Latin and English. Last summer, when cleaning out a church library, I found a copy from 1962 that my pastor said I could keep. I say Lauds and Compline, and have been unfortunately slacking as I've been in transit. Finally getting back into the routine and it's wonderful!

I thought about getting a new copy, but they are expensive. I might get a French one though!

[emilier98]

[quote name='Deus_te_Amat' timestamp='1310770011' post='2267960']
Do you still have an iPhone? Or an iPod touch? There's a free app that takes care of all the confusion.

Or, you can wait til I get back, and I'll help you sort it out.
[/quote]

I would like to wait until you get back. While I have the Confession app (which I really like) I just don't feel right about using my phone or computer for prayer. I'm weird like that I know.

[Catherine Therese]

As a lay Dominican, I've tried to pray Lauds, Vespers and Compline for the past 6 years, although I haven't always been faithful to it and sometimes I'd forget.

I LOVED my experience in January of praying it with my big sisters 2B at Nashville - only 3 weeks until that becomes the new norm!![img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/dance.gif[/img]

[Catherine Therese]

BTW - during Lent earlier this year, I tried praying all of the hours in an effort to live Lent more intensely. I couldn't make it work around my demanding job EVERY day, but most days I could. It was an amazing experience!! I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who cares to give it ago. It is impossible not to feel close to God when you are faithful to it and when you make an effort always to be present to the prayer when you're in the middle of it as much as possible in spite of distractions.

[Starets]

I suppose I am still "discerning" since I haven't made Solemn Profession yet. here at Christ in the Desert, we say the complete Benedictine horarium and as such pray teh entire psalter each week. Actually,. since some psalms are said every day, we actually say 250 psalms per week.

[JulianofLdn]

I have the one volume set, comprising morning, evening and night prayer. At the same time I bought that, I also bought a copy of 'Divine Office for Dodos', which taught me how to find my way through the prayers. At one stage, I was very good about doing morning and evening prayer; as the term has gone on though - and I've gotten more and more tired - I've been less able or willing or something to keep up the regular prayer.

Summer holidays start on Friday. I'll be getting back into the regular prayers then. I miss them - I like the structure and stability they bring to my prayer life. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/like.gif[/img]

[Little Flower]

No but I wish I did

[LaPetiteSoeur]

[quote name='Little Flower' timestamp='1311099808' post='2270220']
No but I wish I did
[/quote]

If you want to start, you can go here: http://divineoffice.org/
It's a great way to "scope out" the breviary before you start praying it!

[Little Flower]

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1311224669' post='2272301']
If you want to start, you can go here: [url="http://divineoffice.org/"]http://divineoffice.org/[/url]
It's a great way to "scope out" the breviary before you start praying it!
[/quote]

Thanks! I wish I knew the tune of the songs lol.

I would love to buy it but its SOOOO expensive

[FSM Sister]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' timestamp='1206724226' post='1486779']
I am discerning.

I pray the Little Office of the BVM. I don't pray the "big" Office because I don't know how. It is confusing. And when I ask for help... everyone tells me that I can "omit" this and that I need to pray that... but everyone says something different. And it seems like it is all over the place... I wouldn't know which page to turn to.
[/quote]


You can also go to Marytown's website and get their link for Justin.TV - which allows you to see the friars praying, as well as join in. Once you pray it a few times, you start to discover the patterns that it follows. After that, you just need to know the rankings from solemnities to optional memorials. There are choices as to what to say and what to omit, and I think it would be miraculous if any two communities prayed it exactly alike... IMHO, I wish there were not any options regarding how to pray it. There are enough options as to which commons and propers to use, especially when a saint falls into two or three categories, such as priest, religious, and martyr. Okay - now I've probably just confused you even more!

[Catherine Therese]

For anyone who wants to get started but is a little unsure of how to begin, there is a cool iPhone app that you can download called "Compline" and it downloads an audio file so you can actually pray it along with the recorded voices who are singing and reading from the text... that way everything is in the correct order and you get a feel for that kind of prayer.

Hope this helps!

[TheresaThoma]

How I learned to pray it was by going to evening prayer with a community of Dominican brothers. They lived right off of my university campus so I could walk there and prayer was always open to anyone. My first time I went with some friends and the brothers were very helpful in how everything went. Just actually doing it was a really great way to learn. Plus most communities (not just Dominicans) that I have come across allow visitors to come and pray LoTH with them. If you can find the order's website they will generally post the times there.

I have also noticed another benefit to praying the Liturgy of the Hours, you get asked questions. I work nights so on my breaks I usually have just enough time to slip in evening or night prayer while in the break room. Some of my co-workers notice me doing this and a few of them will ask me questions about it and about my faith. So as much as I would love to pray uninterrupted I do love the chance to share my faith with them. Sometimes they ask me questions that I don't really know the complete answer to so it challenges me to grow in my faith.

[IamMyBeloveds]

I love the Divine Office! While still a layperson, I try to pray Lauds, Vespers, and Compline each day. While in the convent, Sext/Office of Readings will be added to this.

[OnlySunshine]

I can finally answer this poll with a "yes" as I began to recite the Divine Office every day. It varies, from day to day, how many hours I recite, but I try to recite Lauds and Compline at least. It's still a work in progress, but I look forward to saying the Office.