Praying The Hours

Presents a compact compilation of daily devotions, prayers, psalms, meditations, and readings drawn from the Book of Common Prayer, the writings of Church Fathers, the New Jerusalem Bible, and devotional and meditative poetry .

Father Timothy Gallagher, loved for his popular guides to Ignatian spirituality, shares in this informative, inspiring volume his own experiences and insights into the daily prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, which he has prayed daily for the last 40 years. All around the world, everyday, for hundreds of years, Catholics pray the psalms, and readings from the bible and from tradition, in a formal way called the Liturgy of the Hours. And like in any meditative practice there are blissful days and others that are just a dry challenge. What does it all mean? Can the Liturgy of the Hours, with its hymns, psalms, readings, and intercessions, become the prayer of every Christian--priest, religious, and layperson? Can it bring new energy into our spiritual lives? Fr. Tim shares his experiences praying the Liturgy of the Hours for the last four decades and invites the reader into the beauty and possibilities of this simple way of praying.

Prayers for mid-morning, midday, and midafternoon.

You don't live in a cloister or a monastery, but you take your prayer life seriously and want to explore ways to pray regularly and better. The Liturgy of the Hours is one of those ways—but for those of us who find it a little intimidating, Daria Sockey provides a solid overview to this ancient prayer practice. The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours will answer questions like: What is the history of the Liturgy of the Hours? How can the Liturgy of the Hours fit into a busy schedule? Why is the Liturgy of the Hours relevant today? Print or online resources: Which is better? There is a rhythm of prayer, not just throughout the day, but throughout the year. Sockey explores the spiritual riches of the seasons, the saints, and special feast days, which add depth and variety to prayer. She also addresses the practice of praying the Scriptures, especially the psalms, and helps the reader to appreciate the universal beauty of these ancient prayers. Don't let concerns about "what page am I supposed to be on?" scare you away. Sockey will be your guide to answer common questions and overcome common fears. Your prayer life will never be the same!

This fourth volume of the official English edition of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from Catholic Book Publishing, for use during Weeks 18-34 of Ordinary Time, contains the translation approved by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy. Includes the current St. Joseph Guide for the Liturgy of the Hours (Product Code: 400/G) and Inserts for the Liturgy of the Hours (Product Code 400/I). Additional copies of the current St. Joseph Guide for the Liturgy of the Hours (Product Code: 400/G) are available for $2.00 each. Printed in two colors and bound in flexible green simulated leather, the Liturgy of the Hours (Vol. IV) includes handy ribbon markers and features a gold-stamped spine and elegant stained page edging to match the cover.

Praying the Hours in Ordinary Life takes the reader and the worshiper on an excursion into an ancient practice. While providing a sense of the monastic life from which it is drawn, the book also provides the opportunity for individuals or groups of people to enter into the Opus Dei, the work of God: a life of prayer to which monastics have been devoted since the third century. With illustrations by artist Denise Louise Klitsie and poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Martina Nagel), Lauralee Farrer and Clayton Schmit have provided a resource that allows believers to engage in a twenty-four hour pilgrimage of prayer, joining those whose life's work is to pray without ceasing.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Is it really that important to pray as the early Church did? In this installment of The Ancient Practices series, Robert Benson presents a structure for our lives where we can live in continued awareness of God’s presence and reality. A pattern for worship and prayer that is offered to God at specific times throughout the day, the daily office is meant to be prayed by all the faithful so the Church may be continuous and God’s work in this world may be sustained. Yet it is highly personal too—an anchor between the daily and the divine, the mundane and the marvelous. Says author Robert Benson, “At some point, high-minded discussion about our life of prayer has to work its way into the dailyness of our lives. At some point, we have to move from talking about prayer to saying our prayers so that the marvelous that is possible has a chance to appear.” In Constant Prayer is your gateway to deeper communion with God. Expect something new to unfold before you and within you while heeding this ancient call. The Ancient Practices There is a hunger in every human heart for connection, primitive and raw, to God. To satisfy it, many are beginning to explore traditional spiritual disciplines used for centuries . . . everything from fixed-hour prayer to fasting to sincere observance of the Sabbath. Compelling and readable, the Ancient Practices series is for every spiritual sojourner, for every Christian seeker who wants more.

Drawn from the eponymous blog essays on faith, culture, and lives of Christian discipleship by young Jesuit priests and seminarians for young adult seekers.