Learning About the Divine Office-Liturgy of the Hours

[hpj0828]

I recently purchased a 1-volume Liturgy of the Hours book.  I am brimming with questions that I hope you can shed light on!

1.  I found the directions in the book very difficult to follow.  However, I received some instruction from a deacon in our church.  He tells me that he is taught in the Diaconate training a different way of following the Liturgy of the Hours book than is practiced in our Sat. AM mass.

So, it seems there are different approaches to how to follow it?  Is this so?  Is there a "Book of Hours" "For Dummies" that gives a clearer explanation of how to follow it?

2. I learned that there is a 4-volume version of the Book of Hours which is typically used by priests and contains more readings from patristics.  What are the differences between the 1 volume and 4 volume set?  Should I invest the $130.00 that seems to be the going price to get the 4-volume set?

3. I know both Hebrew and Greek.  There have been many discussions about the translation issues in the NAB.  My 1-volume Book of the Hours was copyrighted in 1976.  As I have been using it, I am very sensitive to poor translation of Biblical texts.  For me to read them in the NAB version, knowing the original languages, is like listening to someone scrape his fingers on a chalk board.  I cannot get over the feeling that I am actually reading "falsehood", because so much of it is misleading, at best, downright incorrect at worst.

Coming from a Jewish background, we have a prayerbook called a Siddur which contains the original Hebrew text of the readings from the Torah, Prophets and Writings (including the Psalms "Tehillim".  The Jewish tradition of cantillation (singing) of the Hebrew text places great emphasis on the proper and exact reading of the text as it is in the Hebrew.  Cantillation is also a way of memorizing the Hebrew text, so that large bodies of text can easily be retrieved when desired.   Given that this is true, I realize that repetitive reading of a Biblical text, even in English translation, begins to place this text into the deep memory of the reciter.  I am so reluctant to place the NAB translation into my memory in this way.  I will be memorizing the Word of God incorrectly.

So, is there a version of the Liturgy of the Hours that makes use of a better English translation than the NAB?  Something based on the Catholic version of the RSV? 

4. Given my experience with the NAB translation of Biblical texts, I am similarly suspicious of the English translation of the original Latin prayers that are part of the liturgy.  I do not currently know Latin, so I am unable to assess any potential mistranslations of the liturgy from Latin into English. 

Does anyone know how good this translation work is?  Should I be reading the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin?  Is the Latin text of the Scripture from Jerome's Vulgate translation?  I would have to expend considerable effort to master Latin.  Would it be worth my while to do so, in order to read the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin?

5. I'm a fan of the art of illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages.  Is there an illustrated version of the Liturgy of the Hours which contains some of these beautiful illustrations, that could be used for practical devotions today?  For example, I own a beautifully illuminated KJV Bible which contains the complete text of the Bible, every page illuminated, which I purchased for only $30.00 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  At the Met's Cloisters Museum I have seen illustrations from the Duc of Berry's Liturgy of the Hours for purchase, but not with the complete accompanying text.

6. What is the value of reading the Liturgy of the Hours, along with the whole church.  I have never personally been much of a conformist.  It has never been my practice to do something, just because "everyone else is doing it."  In the past, I have prayed for guidance from the Holy Spirit as to what portions of Scripture to read and how to pray.  When I do this, led by the Spriit, am I not in communion through the Spirit with the whole Body of Christ?  Am I not "reading the Scripture" with the whole Body of Christ in this way?  How does the RCC explain the value of the Liturgy of the Hours?

7.  I understand that RC priests are required to read the Liturgy of the Hours every day.  Is this a traditional requirement placed upon priests? When did it start?  My priest who is a charismatic priest with orthodox theology places great value on his personal devotion of reading the hours.  But, many priests in our diocese seem to have very liberal views.  In my RCIA class, I experienced priests and nuns teaching doctrines which are opposed by the RC Catechism.  Do such priests read the Liturgy of the Hours?  Or do they simply ignore this requirement?  If they do observe it, what does all this tradition mean to someone who doesn't even believe the catechism?  How do liberal Catholic priests think about this tradition? 

8. Do Greek Orthodox priests and laity practice reading the Liturgy of the Hours?  If so, do they read it in Greek?  Do they read NT texts in Greek?  Is the Greek Orthodox Liturgy of the Hours different in its choice of  Bibilical texts, prayers, feast days than the RC version?  Should I consider getting a Greek Orthodox Liturgy of the Hours text?

9.  Is there a version of the Liturgy of the Hours that uses the original Hebrew text for Scripture readings like the Psalms?  I am tempted to personally find some way of blending both the synagogual and RC practices of daily prayer.  To pray some of the prayers from the Siddur, and some of the prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours, and to read Torah parashot (Synagogue Scripture readings for the day) along with/in lieu of those in the Liturgy of the Hours.  Does this satisify the goal of "reading along with the whole church?"

I realize that this is a long post, but would appreciate any light you could shed on any of these questions.

Shalom!
Henry

[David W. Emery]

Hello Henry,

Your list is so overwhelming that I’ll have to take it in installments. I’ll reference my replies according to the enumeration of your questions.

1. There are numerous options for praying the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH). To start with, you have one option in the book you chose, which I assume is the one called Christian Prayer. There are also a four volume edition (which you are already aware of, called Liturgy of the Hours) and another single volume edition, called Shorter Christian Prayer, which includes only the parts from the Psalter for Morning and Evening Prayer.

These are the official resources for the Latin Church’s standard LOTH. Certain religious orders have their own versions, which include special feast days and texts. There are also standard supplements which provide access to new feasts and additional (optional) texts for the Office of Readings.

Christian Prayer contains abbreviated instructions on how to use the LOTH and abbreviated texts for the Office of Readings, while Liturgy of the Hours contains the entire instructions and Office of Readings. On the other hand, Christian Prayer does contain the music (melodies) for the hymns, whereas Liturgy of the Hours has only the lyrics.

I received some instruction from a deacon in our church. He tells me that he is taught in the Diaconate training a different way of following the Liturgy of the Hours book than is practiced in our Sat. AM mass.

Undoubtedly true. As I said, there are numerous accepted methods and options. The LOTH was originally designed for community use — specifically, for monastic communities or for groups of clergy or laity who would pray it in common. This is the reason why it is called a Liturgy and is considered the official prayer of the Church. But in our day, with the decline of the cultural prominence of religion, it is prayed mostly by individuals on their own, which changes the whole significance of this approach to prayer. When one is praying alone, it is difficult to feel united to the Church as a whole, to make the responsories workable, to be deeply into the hymnody, etc. See my second installment for additional comments on communal versus individual use.

Is there a "Book of Hours" "For Dummies" that gives a clearer explanation of how to follow it?

It’s not in the Dummies series, but there is a book called The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step-By-Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s written by Madeline Pecora Nugent, a member of the Confraternity of Penitents, which is a recognized Association of Lay Faithful. The book’s title is not meant to be funny; “dodos” is really an acronym for “devout, obedient disciples of our Savior.” You can find it on Amazon through this link.

2. I would not invest in the four volume set until I saw that I could handle the single volume edition, and that this is really the way I wanted to pray. The differences between the two works are explained above. What is essential, if you choose to use the official version, is that you have a Guide pamphlet which corresponds to the book or set of books that you are using. This must be purchased separately on an annual basis, according to the secular calendar year.

3. Many people prefer a different version of the texts than the official version, which as you have discovered uses the original NAB for scriptural readings outside of the Psalter, the ICEL version of the prayers and non-scriptural readings, and the Grail Psalter. Some also prefer to use something available online, such as the Universalis website or the E-Breviary website. There is also the Divine Office website, which provides an audio recording version that you can “chime in” with.

The second and third websites follow the official version. The Universalis website uses the Jerusalem Bible (original 1970 edition) for all scripture readings, except for the Psalter, which is proprietary. (There is a paid download version that uses the Grail Psalter, if you prefer it.) The Jerusalem Bible not a literal translation, but it is  doctrinally trustworthy.

There is also a version of the old Roman Breviary (pre-Vatican II) in Latin and English available here. The feast days correspond to those in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. The Confraternity of Saints Peter and Paul, which runs the website, is a Vatican approved society dedicated to preserving the older form of the liturgy.

I do not know of a version of the Liturgy of the Hours in either Greek or Hebrew. There is a form of divine office which is used in the Byzantine Rite Churches (both Catholic and Orthodox), but I do not know anything about it. Perhaps one of our Eastern Catholic members can provide you information.

Finally, there are several solid periodical publications that can serve laymen as a substitute for the LOTH. Two of the more popular ones are Magnificat and The Word Among Us.

Given my experience with the NAB translation of Biblical texts, I am similarly suspicious of the English translation of the original Latin prayers that are part of the liturgy.

4. I agree. The official version of the LOTH does not do justice to the Latin original. I’ve been waiting decades for a more faithful translation. On the other hand, I do not believe that you need to learn Latin, given the other choices available.

Jerome’s Latin version of the bible, known as the Vulgate (“Common Version”), is venerable but not even close to perfect by today’s scholarly standards. Fortunately, there is a new Latin version, called Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, published in 1979, which takes advantage of recent scholarship and recently discovered texts. As to illuminated bibles, I believe that the KJV which you already have is the only one currently available.

It’s bedtime for me. I’m going to stop here and pick up tomorrow where I have left off, posting this part meanwhile to get you started.

David

[David W. Emery]

What is the value of reading the Liturgy of the Hours, along with the whole church. I have never personally been much of a conformist. It has never been my practice to do something, just because "everyone else is doing it."

6. The answer is in its title: The Church views it as Liturgy, not private prayer. Think of it in the same way that you think of the Mass. You are, after all, not just an individual, but a member of the People of God. This is why there is a set form to it; otherwise, it would make more sense to have it open-ended, like meditation, where the individual can do what seems best for him at the moment. There’s a time and place for private prayer, to be sure, but there’s also a time and place for a more formal community prayer, specifically for the needs of the Church as a whole.

I understand that RC priests are required to read the Liturgy of the Hours every day. Is this a traditional requirement placed upon priests? When did it start?

7. The Liturgy of the Hours began as a monastic practice, but gradually it was extended to secular clergy. It has been mandatory for all bishops, priests and deacons for about 1,000 years.

But, many priests in our diocese seem to have very liberal views. In my RCIA class, I experienced priests and nuns teaching doctrines which are opposed by the RC Catechism. Do such priests read the Liturgy of the Hours? Or do they simply ignore this requirement?

I don’t think that dissidents worry too much about the LOTH, just as they are not concerned about other standards and requirements. If there are others around who are praying it, they will join in. But I have heard a few of them confess that they didn’t bother with it otherwise. The usual excuse is that their work in social causes is much more important than saying a few words. God, they say, understands these things.

No doubt he does, but that doesn’t mean that he approves them. As we heard in the Gospel reading for today, “Mary has chosen the better part,” which is to learn and obey inwardly, rather than being overly concerned with outward service. Such service has its place, but it is of little value without the inward preparation.

Do Greek Orthodox priests and laity practice reading the Liturgy of the Hours? If so, do they read it in Greek? Do they read NT texts in Greek? Is the Greek Orthodox Liturgy of the Hours different in its choice of Bibilical texts, prayers, feast days than the RC version? Should I consider getting a Greek Orthodox Liturgy of the Hours text?

8. I dealt with this question earlier. Not being an Eastern Christian, I don’t have any information on it past the fact that there are similar monastic and clerical practices for Byzantines and other Eastern Catholics.

Is there a version of the Liturgy of the Hours that uses the original Hebrew text for Scripture readings like the Psalms?

9. To my knowledge, no. That does not prohibit you from setting up a personal practice of your own, as you have outlined.

Bottom line: It is not a requirement for laymen who are not members of a religious order to use the official Liturgy of the Hours texts in their private or public prayer. I have pointed out several alternative resources in my first post above, and here I have mentioned that you can also establish your own personal standards.

On the other hand, it can be an exercise in humility and charity to use the established texts, even if they are faulty. People become saints through practicing the virtues, not through adhering to scholarly standards. I don’t recommend individualism, because I do believe in the importance and efficacy of liturgical and communal acts, which unite the Church Militant with the rest of the mystical body of Christ through the communion of saints in charity. We have enough individualism as it is. The Israelites were called by God as a people, not as a collection of individuals; they would not have survived if it were not so. The Church is in the same position now as the Israelites in ancient times: it is imperative that we be united, at least in doctrine, prayer, sacrifice and charity, if the prophecy that the Church will survive to the end of time is to be verified.

David

[rbo4u2]

Nothing, absolutely nothing has reinvigorated my life than the Liturgy of the Hours and associated liturgical praying.  I realize they are more designed for public use, but for me, it has brought life and depth to my prayer life.  I realize I am praying with the church and the saints.  I'm praying in the historical framework of the church.  I'm praying with people from around the world.  And I'm learning how to pray from the examples of the prayers. 
Protestants used to pray liturgically, and some still do.  I'm convinced we need to get back to it.
I don't pray the LOTH totally as my work and family schedule just don't allow it.  But I listen and pray them on my Ipod in the morning on my way to the light rail and at lunch.  It forces my mind to put things into perspective throughout the day.  The prayers often pop into my mind as I work.  I've memorized simply because of repitition some of the longer prayers. 
I've awakened in the middle of the night with some of the prayers on my mind.
So, the value to me can't be calculated.  I simply love them. 
A by product of the praying has been to bring life to my daily Bible reading.  I'll be reading a passage and suddenly realize, I've prayed this passage.  So I pray it again. 
Forgive me for riding my pony on this, but if anything brings me to swim the Tiber it will be these prayers. 
Richard

[Dave Armstrong]

Excellent report, Rich. I'm delighted to hear that. My own experience has been a much deeper worship in church due to the Mass (especially when we go to Latin Mass). I find it to have a lot more depth than my former informal, spontaneous worship (at Assemblies of God and non-denom fellowships). So in that way, the greater formalism of Catholicism has benefited my spiritual life and experience of worship immensely.

Superb answer from David as well. I'm glad about that because I know next to nothing about the Liturgy of the Hours. This is how he and I complement each other in our areas of knowledge.

[hpj0828]

Thank you very much for taking so much time to answer my many questions!

Shalom!
Henry