AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Divine office 21/24/2024 “Pastors of souls should see to it that the chief hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts. Since Vatican II, the Church has continued to promote this “public prayer of the Church:” The Church Asks the Laity to Participate in the Divine Office The divine office is a development of this early prayer of the Church and connects us to the early followers of Jesus. Daily they assembled for ‘morning and evening hymns'” ( Praying the Liturgy of the Hours: A Personal Journey ). This type of prayer was maintained as the Church grew and is recorded, “Throughout the Church, in Palestine, Antioch, Constantinople and Africa, Christians gathered in their churches twice each day to pray the psalms. Since most Christians were converts from Judaism in the decades after Christ’s death, they continued the Jewish tradition of praying the Psalms. 2. It is the Prayer of the Early Christians So praying the Psalms (divine office) connects you to Jesus, who prayed them on a daily basis. Jesus is recorded praying the Psalms on multiple occasions, most famously the words of Psalm 22 (“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”). This developed into a program of praying the Psalms in particular as they expressed the many desires of the human heart. The Jewish people began a tradition of praying three times a day: morning, afternoon and evening. “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” (Daniel 6:10). King David, who is believed to have wrote the Psalms, proclaims,Īnd he will hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:17)Įven the prophet Daniel is shown to have a specific set of prayer, Historically Jews prayed at fixed intervals throughout the day. The Divine Office Allows You to Pray Like Jesus Here are 5 reasons why you should consider praying the divine office daily: 1. In fact, it is a prayer that is designed to unite the entire Church in prayer and has the capacity to truly deepen a person’s prayer life. ![]() While that is true, it is not meant to be reserved only to them. Yet very few lay people pray the divine office (aka the “Liturgy of the Hours ” praying the Psalms on a daily basis). It is often seen as the prayer of the priest, nun or monk. While the Rosary is a great devotion, the Church names a different prayer the “public prayer of the church:” “The divine office, because it is the public prayer of the Church, is a source of piety, and nourishment for personal prayer” ( Sacrosanctum Concilium, 90). Recordings can be found here or via their Podcast The Chant of Le Barroux, found here.If I were to ask someone, “what is the public prayer of the Church,” I would typically get the answer of the Rosary. If you prefer to listen to the Divine Office, each hour is chanted and recorded daily by the monks of the Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux. Universalis - Daily Mass Readings and Office of Readings Recommended Books to Help Pray the Liturgy of the Hours How to Pray the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) Where I may praise thee with thy saints for aye. In death’s drear moments make me only thine Strength and protection may thy Passion be ĭeep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me Excerpts from Vatican 2, Sacrosanctum Conciliumīlood of my Savior, bathe me in thy tide ![]() The better to achieve this, let them take steps to improve their understanding of the liturgy and of the bible, especially of the psalms. And therefore priests and all others who take part in the divine office are earnestly exhorted in the Lord to attune their minds to their voices when praying it. The divine office, because it is the public prayer of the Church, is a source of piety, and nourishment for personal prayer. Hence all who render this service are not only fulfilling a duty of the Church, but also are sharing in the greatest honor of Christ's spouse, for by offering these praises to God they are standing before God's throne in the name of the Church their Mother.ĩ0. Therefore, when this wonderful song of praise is rightly performed by priests and others who are deputed for this purpose by the Church's ordinance, or by the faithful praying together with the priest in the approved form, then it is truly the voice of the bride addressed to her bridegroom It is the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His body, addresses to the Father.Ĩ5. By tradition going back to early Christian times, the divine office is devised so that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God. Given the recent difficulties for the faithful to come together on Sunday for the Holy Mass, we encourage you to pray the Divine Liturgy in both Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer).Ĩ4.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |