Praying the Divine Office

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I have recently read a book about praying the Divine Office alone that suggests that some parts of each hour may be omitted because they were originally intended for use by a group. It recommends leaving out the hymn at the beginning, the short responary after the scripture passage and only saying the responses to the intercession prayers at the beginning and end of that section - eg. saying the 'Lord have mercy' at the introduction to the intercession prayers and at the last intercession only.

I am just wondering if this is standard practice for people who pray the Office alone? What do people do, especially those who have an obligation to pray Lauds and Vespers ?

Many thanks for your responses.

James

-- James West (jwest1_uk@yahoo.com), October 24, 2003

Answers

PS. The book also suggested leaving out the Invitatory Psalm, but I have also heard that this should ALWAYS be done, even if the first hour that you are able to say is Compline!

Any ideas?

James

-- James West (jwest1_uk@yahoo.com), October 24, 2003.


First, kudos on praying the Divine Office. While pretty much a novice myself, I would venture to say that the Office is a public (liturgical)prayer of the Church, and that praying it alone is the exception rather than the rule. I would suggest consulting this excellent website, and directing your questions to a priest, or an expert on the subject. You can get thorough answers from: dean@breviary.net.

-- jake (jake1REMOVE@pngusa.net), October 24, 2003.

James,

Good to hear you want to pray the Divine Office. I say do whatever you will stick with. Any more and you might get over whelmed and quit and any less will be weak and unfulfilling. It doesn't really matter in prayer, outside of the mass, if this or that ONE thing is left in or out. Just do it. The big problem today is finding people who pray AT ALL.

Lately, by the grace of God, I pray the Morning and Evening prayers only, twice a day total, and pray the hymn because singing is fun. I skip the Invitatory lately but I may add it later. I used to pray the Invitatory. I don't think all of my soul's salvation hangs on that. The plus to the Invitatory is that it is the Word of God, that is scripture, which offers fruits just in that. And the Invitatory talks about when the Jews turned their back on God and God said he would not let them enter into his rest. That is a good daily reminder to get. So maybe I should be reading it and God put you here to tell me that. Thanks James

The Jesuits do not pray the office in a choir. There is no strict regulation on that. Individual recitation is acceptable.

The only ALWAYS (for laity) is that you must always pray and you must pray/read the scriptures. So do whatever motivates you to that end. I like the divine office because it unites me to the Catholic Church. I like it really well actually, it's just awesome. But I don't want to freak out about specifics either or if I don't have time one day etc. If someone says, Hey James!, you gotta blink here and bow there and say this one exact word here, and that irks you so that you don't pray the office at all, I'd say do what seems best to you within reason of course. You ought to recite the bulk of what is in the official Office to get its fruits.

I know the Dominican nuns here do not pray the the short responary after the scripture passage but I like it because it offers a small explaination of the passage, putting it into New Testament terms.

Mike

-- Mike H. (beginasyouare@hotmail.com), October 24, 2003.


J.W.

Go to this page: http://www.monksofadoration.org/audiolit.html

The Liturgy of the Hours in Real Audio daily with The Monks of Adoration

They helped me learn how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. They pray the Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. They will give you the pages for the One Volume (most of the time) and for the Four-Volume (every time).

J.

-- james (elgreco1541@hotmail.com), October 24, 2003.


Also here in pdf format>>>

http://www.liturgyhours.org

-- Mike H. (beginasyouare@hotmail.com), October 25, 2003.



James, could you please tell me the name of this book? I'm interested in praying the divine office, but I can't seem to figure it out. I also don't want to bother a priest, as they are busy enough already.

Ste

-- Steph (nessstephl@aol.com), October 25, 2003.


One website that is helpful on the daily office is: http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

A shorter version is: http://www.universalis.com/

Many Orders encourage the laity to pray the office.The Secular Franciscan Order (Third Order Franciscans) for one.

You can purchase the Daily Office in a four volume set which covers the seasons of the Church or a one volume set (easier to follow) or The Book of Christian Prayer which is very good.

God bless,

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), October 25, 2003.


James, what you read in a book is just the author's opinion and suggestions. I have never come across ANY of those suggestions anywhere else.

What do people do, especially those who have an obligation to pray Lauds and Vespers?

I believe that those who have an obligation do not omit anything. I am not under obligation, but when I have time to pray an hour, I pray everything. I think that, if one has sufficient time, one should skip nothing. I think that, if one has the ability to sing and knows hymn tunes and psalm melodies, one should sing everything. That's what I do, and it is so much more pleasurable than just reading, for (said St. Augustine) "when we sing, we pray twice."

I disagree with the author of your book, James, because whenever we pray the Divine Office, we are NOT praying alone, even if we cannot see anyone else around us. We are praying in union with the whole Church, especially those individuals, clergy, and religious choirs, who are praying/singing the Office simultaneously with us. All of us should then pray each element with the religious, provided time permits this.

The Invitatory Psalm is not optional, but is to be said/sung before the first (or only) hour that one prays each day. Although Psalm 95 is made to seem like the one everyone should pray/sing, there are actually three other options, and I use one of them -- Psalm 100. The reasons I use it are that [1] its sentiments move me more than those of Ps. 95, [2] it has just four three-line strophes that I've memorized, and [3] I know a nice melody to which to sing it.

If someone has enough money and time to purchase a copy of the four-volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours, I strongly recommend that he/she do so, because it has many things missing from the one-volume book -- including the full set of readings for the Office of Readings, which is spiritually enriching in the extreme.

-- (Benedictus@And.Magnificat), October 25, 2003.


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