How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours is a form of prayer that dates back to early Christianity. It is a group of prayers prayed throughout the day at different "hours." It is also called the Divine Office and it is prayed using a breviary, the book that contains all of necessary prayers.

Instructions

Basics

1. Learn the schedule of the Liturgy of the Hours. Invitatory is prayed first. The Office of Readings can be prayed next. Morning prayer, daytime prayer, evening prayer and night prayer are prayed during the appropriate part of the day.

2. Browse through the breviary to gain familiarity.

3. Look closely at the four week psalter, the core of the breviary. It includes the text of the prayers for the Liturgy of the Hours.

Example: Morning Prayer

1. Begin with the opening prayer which is usually followed by a hymn.

2. Say or chant the antiphon, the psalm and then repeat the antiphon. This is done for three psalms. Sometimes one of the psalms is replaced by a psalm-like reading from another book in the Bible.

3. Read the Scripture passage for that day and hour.

4. Pray the responsory which is a three-line call and response.

5. Continue with the canticle. For morning prayer it is always the Canticle of Zechariah. An antiphon is said before and after the canticle.

6. Intercede for the Church. Morning and evening prayer have intercessions after the canticle.

7. Finish with the closing prayer.

Other Hours

1. Begin your day of prayer with the Invitatory. It is simply a set of antiphons and a psalm.

2. Pray the Office of Readings as you would morning prayer except for a few adjustments. There are two readings, one from the Bible and another from a church writer. The Te Deum is prayed instead of a canticle and the psalms come from a separate psalter specifically for the Office of Readings.

3. Use your knowledge of morning prayer to pray evening prayer. The only difference is the canticle.

4. Pray midday prayer in the same way as morning and evening prayer. It is shorter because it is just the three psalms with antiphons. Night prayer is also shorter. There are only one or two psalms and no intercessions, but an examination of conscience is added at the beginning.

5. Adjust the ordinary prayer for seasons and feasts. In the front of the breviary there are antiphons that replace the ones in the ordinary during Advent, Lent and Easter. These are called propers. Each Sunday also has a proper. The back of the breviary has propers for the feast days of saints.

Tips & Warnings

• The breviary is sold in one and four volume editions.