Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

Sacred Heart Major Seminary

Involvement in the official prayer of the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours, is becoming increasingly popular among the laity. Most commonly used are the "hinge hours" of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. Whether prayed in church on a regular basis, or with a parish group at meetings, or as an individual, this true liturgical prayer form allows each one of us to unite with the whole Church, using the same texts world-wide. But starting this prayer can be daunting, because of these two obstacles:

1. Knowing what to pray on a particular day and where to find it
2. Understanding the small details that are not clear in the book itself, like alternating, bowing, sign of the cross, etc.

The seminarians at Sacred Heart Major Seminary (Detroit) have assembled the following guide to aid in your praying from the Divine Office, as the Liturgy of the Hours is sometimes called. We offer this Guide to you, with thanks to Deacon Andrew Raczkowski, who arranged permission for us to include it here.

Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours [Divine Office]

Article written 27 September 2015

Through the kindness of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, this guide may be printed and reproduced. It may not be sold for profit.