About the Book:
What is the Breviary? How do I pray it each day?
The Liturgy of the Hours is the daily prayer of the universal Church, but all those "hours," the hymns, the multicolored ribbons, and page-flipping are intimidating. Daria Sockey provides a solid overview in this practical handbook, giving you the confidence you need to start right away.
Learn about the history of the Liturgy of the Hours, why it is relevant today, and how to choose from the many resources available for the prayers and hymns. Sockey helps you start slowly and build a daily habit that can fit into even the busiest schedule.
My Comments:
Somewhere along the line through novels I read I became aware that there existed something called the Breviary. I'd never seen one, but I knew it existed. Then came the internet and I was able to go to Universalis and read and pray the Liturgy of the Hours myself. My first impression was that that was a lot of praying, but as someone told me once, praying is the job of those who pray the whole thing.
In short, for the uninitiated, the Breviary, now known as the Liturgy of the Hours, is the second official liturgy of the Catholic church, the Mass being the first. The Liturgy of the Hours, which all priests and most religious are supposed to pray at least part of daily, is said several times throughout the course of the day. Each set of prayers is primarily Psalms but also includes other scripture, hymns and prayers. It is designed to be prayed in community though individuals can pray it alone.
Daria Sockey gives a short history of the Liturgy of the Hours and explains why we should pray it. She lists both printed Breviarys (prayer books) and online versions. She then looks at the various hours and describes the format for each. She then briefly describes how to use the printed versions where you have to figure out which set of prayers fit the day. I think I'll stick with the online versions.
I've been looking for a way to beef up my prayer life and I'm going to take Sockey's advice to pick one of the hours and pray it regularly. I'm giving this book a B+ as being informative, easy to read and motivating.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
About the Author:
Daria' Sockey's articles on Catholic life have appeared in many publications. She authored several of the original Ignatius Press Faith and Life catechisms, and currently writes for Catholic Digest. Her book, The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours, was published by Servant Books in 2013. Organizations Daria has been honored to associate with over the years include Catholics United for the Faith, Thomas Aquinas College,Franciscan University, Couple to Couple League, and the World Apostolate of Fatima. Chosen lifestyles have included both the homeschooling model and the kids-in-school/mom works outside the home model. She is a mother of seven and grandmother of one. She blogs about the Liturgy of the Hours at Coffee and Canticles.
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