You can take Him with you.
This Book of Hours dates c 1250-75 and was created in North Eastern France (Diocese of Soissons)
“Let us bless our Lord and God, living and true; let us always return unto Him praise, glory, honor, blessing, and all good things. Let it be, Amen."
St Francis of Assisi – Said at the end of every Office.
We are all creatures of habit. Well, I am. One of the habits that I have is waking up and just saying thank you. I thank God I woke up to face a new day. Not everyone has that gift given to them. Another is my morning prayer life. I pray the Office of readings every morning, listen to the daily gospel readings and pray the Rosary. If i happen to be working that particular day I say my prayers in my metal chapel as I make 1hr drive to work. Being in prayer while driving keeps me from getting angry at my fellow commuters.(LOL) Seriously, whether at home or in the car It is a great way to start my day. For those of you who may not be familiar the Liturgy of the Hours, also referred to as the Divine Office, is used by priests, deacons and consecrated religious as well.
As Secular Franciscans, we strive to praise God wholeheartedly, and we do this every single day through the dedicated practice of prayer.The Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, sanctifies the day through Psalms, prayers, readings, and canticles. Medieval "Books of Hours," hand-scripted and beautifully illuminated, were typically written in Latin for monasteries and nobility, seldom seen by the general public. This practice is vital to our identity, as we choose to begin and end our day with praise and gratitude, engaging in the Church's liturgy each morning and evening.
This is something that Secular Franciscans commit to, not because we have to fulfill an obligation or simply because our Rule requests it, but rather because it comes from a genuine place within us. We are called by God’s Holy Spirit to pray. The Holy Spirit that dwells within us reaches out to God, Our Father, and yearns to be in communion with Our Brother, Jesus Christ – and this deeply personal connection is the reason why we pray – because we love Him, and in return, He loves us profoundly.
But what is it exactly?
The Liturgy of the Hours is the prayer of the whole People of God. In it, Christ himself “continues his priestly work through his Church.” His members participate according to their own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives. The laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office either with the priests, among themselves, or individually.
The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper “understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the Psalms.”
The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour with the subsequent responses or troparia and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal the deeper meanings of the mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and help one prepare for silent prayer. The lectio divina, where the Word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical celebration.
The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather (in a complementary way) calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament.
The worship “in Spirit and in truth” of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the “living stones,” gathered to be “built into a spiritual house.” The Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water emanates. Incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, “we are the temple of the living God.”
Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Two, Section One, Chapter Two.
Current Roman Catholic usage focuses on three Major Hours and from two to four minor hours:
The Office of Reading or the Officium lectionis (formerly Matins), Major Hour
Morning Prayer or Lauds, Major Hour
Daytime Prayer, which can be one or all of:
Midmorning Prayer or Terce
Midday Prayer or Sext
Midafternoon Prayer or NoneEvening Prayer or Vespers, Major Hour
Night Prayer or Compline
All hours, including the minor hours start with the verse Ps 69/70 v.2:
If you would to give it a try below is the website or if you like there is also and app.
" Ave Maria, Totus tuus" or "Totally yours"
Keep at it! Keep praying. Love the Lord.
Peace and Grace.
