Prime Time

The Liturgy of the Hours (also known as The Divine Office) is one of the official prayers of the Church -- the other being the Mass itself -- that lives up to the Scripture verse: "Seven times a day shall I praise Thee." Once the domain of priests and monastics, the modern era has extended its use to the rest of us.

Sursum Corda gives an overview of the LOTH, and a summary of its contemporary use by the laity.

John DaFiesole of Disputations laments the suppression of the Office of Prime, the prayer of the "first hour." He makes his case in a first, a second, a third, and a fourth entry.

Subsequently, Father Tucker of Dappled Things explains the reasoning behind its supression.

Disputations also proposes a "Microbreviary" -- that is, an abbreviated form of the Hours for common use.

I propose two alternatives that are already in print. One can eventually be memorized for the entire day. "Daily Devotions" appears in a section of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. This can be found online by going to this page, and scrolling down to a place just after page 136, to where it says "Daily Devotions for Families and Individuals." It is also found in the back of a handy little black date book produced by Morehouse Publications. I've been using this type of date book for the last several years.

There is another more comprehensive alternative, published monthly as Magnificat. This little booklet combines for each day, a simplified version of morning and evening prayer, with the Mass texts for that day. Included are reflections from the writings of the Saints and others, plus general articles on the spiritual life. Also available is a leatherette cover with ribbon markers.

With so many of the official English translations of liturgical texts in a state of flux, this is the one to get.

Magnificat: the breviary for the rest of us!