Orthodox Churches also have their own versions of the Divine Office, as well as some of the Protestant denominations - a liturgy can be found in the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer and the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship. Many monasteries have their own liturgies, some examples include Benedictine Daily Prayer and The Saint Helena Breviary. So to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours would entail 5 to 7 times of prayer each day, with a total time commitment of approximately two hours!
For a monastic person, the key to praying the daily office is simply showing up, in the chapel, every time the bell rings.įor those of us who don’t live in a cloister, then the prospect of praying the Divine Office - day in and day out - means making a commitment that will impact our daily life in a significant way. Monks and nuns have it relatively easy, in that they live in a community of brothers or sisters, all of whom share their commitment to spiritual growth and to daily prayer. When you pray the liturgy on an ongoing basis, you become immersed in the spirituality of the sacred scriptures - and slowly, imperceptibly but steadily, the words of the Bible begin to shape your worldview, your values, and your sense of God’s presence in your life.īut it’s not an easy practice to begin - or to sustain. The heart of the Daily Office is the Psalms and canticles, prayers and poems of devotion and praise found throughout the Bible. And the roots of the liturgy go back even further. The liturgy is the “engine” of monastic spirituality: monks and nuns have been praying the Divine Office since the days of the desert mothers and fathers, back in the third century. Your question is really, “How do I deepen and expand my daily prayer practice?” As you have recognized, the Liturgy of the Hours - also known as the Daily Office or the Divine Office - is a rich resource for nurturing a meaningful and rich prayer life.
That’s the most important point, and it’s something to celebrate. So keep in mind - you are already praying on a daily basis. It’s a great question so it deserves a post of its own.įirst of all, I’m so happy to hear that lectio divina and silent prayer are already a daily part of your life. The above comment was posted recently to a previous post on this blog, Seven Reasons to Pray the Divine Office. I’m captivated with praying the Daily Office, but I’m struggling how to incorporate Matins, Vespers, and Compline into my day. I have an established practice of Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer in the early morning and Examen and Centering Prayer in the late afternoon. What does it take to get started with a daily practice of praying the Liturgy of the Hours?Ī reader of this blog asks the following question:
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