Divine Office for dummies

[Carrye]

How would you suggest that one does it personally? I don't have an hour at each stage, so what would you suggest?

I'll tell you how I do it, and I give this only as an example, not as "THE way" to pray it:

- Office of Readings & Morning Prayer (Lauds) together in the morning, because that's the way it works best for me. Also, I'm more likely to be at a church at that time, and I like praying the Office there, if I can. Usually takes about 30 mins.

- Evening Prayer (Vespers) usually after dinner.
- Night Prayer (Compline) right before going to sleep. I try, as much as I can, to make it the very last thing I do for the day.

Priests, deacons, and religious pray at least one mid-day hour. Depending on the religious order, they may pray all three. As a lay woman, I tend not to pray any of them, but that is me. Again, I hold that out as what I do, not as the ideal.

There's a certain spirituality around the Office too (really around all of Catholicism/Orthodoxy), which I love. There's a sense that if one man is faithfully praying the Office, then the whole Church is still being faithful. Through one man death came into the world; through one man it was redeemed; through one man it can remain faithful.

 

[Orthodoxia]

There's a sense that if one man is faithfully praying the Office, then the whole Church is still being faithful. Through one man death came into the world; through one man it was redeemed; through one man it can remain faithful.

That's beautiful Thanks for sharing!

On another note, I find Christian Prayer to be more confusing than the four volume Liturgy of the Hours, but it is definitely more affordable! You can't go wrong either way though.