The Liturgy of the Hours
Pray
Catholics often stop their daily devotions on Sunday.
Make sure you get to Sunday Mass and hopefully stay until after the final blessing, but before the song is over. But has this left many Catholics unsatisfied? What do our Protestant and Evanglical brothers have that we are missing?
They always carry the bible around and are talking about the Word? Maybe the Word is what we as Catholics are missing?
The Problem with Prayer
For some reasons many cradle Catholics have been left to believe that Sunday mass is all that they have for prayer. Sunday Mass is very important and spiritually filling, but many are missing out on the daily prayer that Jesus has called us to.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is available daily at many parishes, however, many parishioners due to their work schedule or family life can’t make the one mass offered a day.
Maybe us Catholics would become more Holy if we prayed more. Listened to God. Made ourselves available to all the riches the Catholic Church has to offer.
It seems that Catholic don’t know what to do in between mass?
Opening up scripture for Christian denominations offers spiritual food. I believe they learn at a young age to pray throughout the day. Maybe it’s just the simple move of breaking open scriptures with friends and family.
Simplicity from Mary
Our Lady of Medjugorje gave a simple practice for daily prayer life.
- Eucharist
- Scripture
- Frequent Confession
- Fasting
- Rosary
I like and promote this simple little prayer exercise because of it’s simplicity. Just as Jesus said love God and neighbor as yourself when asked what the greatest commandment was.
Even this simple little 5 step plan can be expanded upon, but it gives a little structure and guidelines for daily living.
PS. You could take this little plan and turn it into a teaching on prayer for your Parish.
The Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours provides a good opportunity to pray throughout the day. The structure is easy to learn, it can be like a bookend to start and end the day, it is personal, but also communal. Everything is contained in 4 books and over time because a beautiful rhythm.
Public and private pray are is considered one of the primary duties of the Church. The early Christians “devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the community, to the breaking of the bread, and to prayer” (Acts 2:42)
The Liturgy of the Hours is a prayer of praise and petition which sanctifies the hours of the day. This wonderful pray has been consistent since the 11th century combining Psalms, prayers, canticles and readings.
“The whole life of the faithful, hour by hour, during day and night, is a kind of leitourgia or public service, in which the faithful give them-selves over to the ministry of love toward God and men…For this reason the Hours are recommended to all Christ’s faithful members.” Pope Paul VI
The Liturgy of the Hours allows one to begin and end their day in prayer in union with the whole Church. It is easy, quick, and extremely fulfilling.
Just imagine yourself praying alongside of the entire clergy of the Church, united in petition and praise to God.
If you read nothing, read THIS
The Classical Liberal Arts Academy has a wonderful article written about the LOH and family prayer.
Another Resource for Learning the Liturgy of the Hours
And you can also ask a priest!
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