Psychological Healing
in the Roman Catholic Mystic Tradition

A Guide to the
Liturgy of the Hours

 
Introduction
Preliminary Remarks (Sections of the LOH, Glory to the Father,
Postures, Sign of the Cross, Languages)
General
Invitatory
Office of Readings
Morning Prayer
Daytime Prayer
Evening Prayer
Night Prayer
Memorials
Invitatory
Office of Readings
Morning Prayer
Daytime Prayer
Evening Prayer
Night Prayer
Feasts
Invitatory
Office of Readings
Morning Prayer
Daytime Prayer
Evening Prayer
Night Prayer
Solemnities
Invitatory
Office of Readings
Morning Prayer
Daytime Prayer
Evening Prayer
Night Prayer

Also available in a book

 
Solemnities

All Sundays are solemnities (except for when a major feast falls on a Sunday). In addition, other fixed dates of the year, such as Christmas, are celebrated as solemnities.

The fixed solemnities are really easy, because everything usually comes from one section: either the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons.

Remember: At the beginning of each day, check the day in the SJG, and determine whether the primary source will be the Psalter, the Proper of Saints, or the Proper of Seasons.

 
The Invitatory (on Solemnities)

 Graphic Summary

The invitatory belongs at the beginning of each day of prayer. (You should have a permanent ribbon marking the page.) It begins as follows:

Lord, open my lips. —And my mouth will proclaim your praise.   (Make the sign of the cross on your lips with the side of your thumb as you say these words, per GILH 266.)

Then Psalm 95 (or, if preferred, Psalm 100, 67, or 24) and its antiphon follows.

•	On Sundays the antiphon is taken from the Psalter. On other solemnities it will be specified in the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons. The SJG will say “ALL” with a number to indicate the page of the Psalter or the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons where everything begins. Outside of Ordinary Time, the antiphon, as well as most everything else except the psalmody, will be given in the Proper of Seasons.
•	The antiphon is recited and immediately repeated, then the psalm is said, followed by the Glory to the Father, and then the antiphon is recited again at the end of the psalm.
•	In individual recitation, the antiphon need not be said after each strophe of the psalm as indicated in the ordinary.

 
The Office of Readings (on Solemnities)

 Graphic Summary

On Sundays the hymn is taken from the Psalter. On other solemnities it will be specified in the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons.

	Notice how SJG says “ALL” with a number to indicate the page of the Psalter or Proper where everything begins.
	On Sundays outside Ordinary Time, the hymn will be specified in the Proper of Seasons. (On all other solemnities not on Sundays everything will be found in the Proper of Saints.)
	When the Office of Readings comes immediately before Morning Prayer, the hymn designated for the latter may be used in place of the hymn at the beginning of the Office of Readings.

On Sundays, the psalmody, antiphons, and verse are taken from the Psalter. On other solemnities they will be specified in the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons.

	Notice how SJG says “ALL” with a number to indicate the page of the Psalter or Proper where everything begins.
	Outside Ordinary Time, the Proper of Seasons gives the antiphons and verse and specifies the location in the Psalter to take the psalmody. (On all other solemnities not on Sundays everything will be found in the Proper of Saints.)

On Sundays, the first reading and responsory, and the second reading and responsory are found in the Proper of Seasons; the Psalter will cue you with the rubric, “Readings and prayer, as in the Proper of Seasons.” On other solemnities, both readings will be given in the Proper.

For Sundays in Ordinary Time, notice how SJG says, “Rd, Te Deum, Ant & Pr” with a number referring to the appropriate page of the Proper of Seasons. For other solemnities, SJG will simply say, “ALL” with a number referring to the appropriate page of the Proper.

The hymn Te Deum (found in the Ordinary) is said after the responsory for the second reading.

Notice how SJG says “Te Deum” to remind you about this.

On Sundays the prayer is given in the Proper of Seasons. On other solemnities the prayer will be given in the day’s Proper (Saints or Seasons).

When Morning Prayer follows immediately, the prayer and acclamation at the end of the Office of Readings are not used.

 
Morning Prayer (on Solemnities)

 Graphic Summary

Morning Prayer begins as follows, while making the sign of the cross (from forehead to breast and from left shoulder to right) at the words, “God, come to my assistance,” and while bowing the head at the words, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit”:

	When Morning Prayer follows immediately after the Office of Readings, the introductory God, come to my assistance and the Glory to the Father are omitted, as per the Ordinary.
	God, come to my assistance. —Lord, make haste to help me.   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. For musical purposes, the invocation "God" may be expanded, for example, “O God,” etc. as per the Ordinary. Alleluia is omitted during Lent.

On Sundays everything is taken from the Psalter, except the antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah, and the prayer, which are given in the Proper of Seasons. On other solemnities everything will be specified in the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons.

	Notice how SJG says “ALL” plus a number referring to the appropriate page of the Psalter, and “Rd, Te Deum, Ant & Pr” plus a number referring to the appropriate page in the Proper of Seasons.
	For Sundays outside Ordinary Time, the Proper of Seasons gives everything and specifies the location in the Psalter to take the psalmody. The SJG will say either “ALL” or “MP” plus a number referring to the appropriate page of the Proper of Seasons, and “Ps” plus a number referring to the appropriate page in the Psalter to find the psalmody. (On all other solemnities not on Sundays everything will be found in the Proper of Saints.)
	The sign of the cross is made at the beginning of the Canticle of Zechariah, and the canticle concludes with Glory to the Father.

In the absence of a priest or deacon, the conclusion (as found in the Ordinary) is as follows:

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. —Amen.

 
Daytime Prayer (on Solemnities)

 Graphic Summary

Daytime Prayer begins as follows, while making the sign of the cross (from forehead to breast and from left shoulder to right) at the words, “God, come to my assistance,” and while bowing the head at the words, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit”:

God, come to my assistance. —Lord, make haste to help me.   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. For musical purposes, the invocation "God" may be expanded, for example, “O God,” etc. as per the Ordinary. Alleluia is omitted during Lent.

On Sundays the hymn is found in the Ordinary; everything else is found in the Psalter, except the prayer, which comes from the Proper of Seasons. For solemnities not occurring on Sundays instructions will be given in the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons.

For Sundays, SJG says “ALL” plus a number to direct you to the Psalter, and “Pr” plus a number to direct you to the Proper of Seasons. For other solemnities, SJG will say “DP Ps” plus a number to refer you to the appropriate location of the psalmody.

On some Sundays outside Ordinary Time, the psalmody can be found in the Psalter, and the reading, verse, and prayer will be found in the Proper of Seasons. A rubric in the Psalter will cue you by saying, “Reading, verse and prayer, as in the Proper of Seasons.”   On other Sundays outside Ordinary Time, as within the Octave of Easter, everything will be found in the Proper of Seasons.   On solemnities not on Sundays, the Proper of Saints will tell you what to do.

The conclusion (as found in the Ordinary) is as follows:

Let us praise the Lord. —And give him thanks.

 
Evening Prayer (on Solemnities)

 Graphic Summary

If a solemnity follows the current day, then Evening Prayer I of the solemnity is celebrated, not the Evening Prayer of the current day. Remember, Sundays are always celebrated as solemnities, so Evening Prayer on Saturdays is always Evening Prayer I of the following Sunday.

Evening Prayer begins as follows, while making the sign of the cross (from forehead to breast and from left shoulder to right) at the words, “God, come to my assistance,” and while bowing the head at the words, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit”:

God, come to my assistance. —Lord, make haste to help me.   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. For musical purposes, the invocation "God" may be expanded, for example, “O God,” etc. as per the Ordinary. Alleluia is omitted during Lent.

On Sundays everything is taken from the Psalter, except the antiphon for the Canticle of Mary, and the prayer, which are given in the Proper of Seasons. On other solemnities everything will be specified in the Proper of Saints or the Proper of Seasons.

	On Sundays, SJG says “ALL” plus a number to indicate the page of the Psalter, and “Rd, Te Deum, Ant & Pr” plus a number to indicate the page in the Proper of Seasons to find the antiphon of the Canticle of Mary and the prayer. On other solemnities, the designation “ALL” refers to everything.
	Outside Ordinary Time, the Proper of Seasons gives everything and specifies the location in the Psalter to take the psalmody. The SJG will say “EP” plus a number to indicate the page of the Proper of Seasons, and “Ps” plus a number to indicate the page in the Psalter to find the psalmody.
	The sign of the cross is made at the beginning of the Canticle of Mary, and the canticle concludes with Glory to the Father.

In the absence of a priest or deacon, the conclusion (as found in the Ordinary) is as follows:

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. —Amen.

 
Night Prayer (on Solemnities)

You should have a permanent ribbon marking this section.

Night Prayer begins as follows, while making the sign of the cross (from forehead to breast and from left shoulder to right) at the words, “God, come to my assistance,” and while bowing the head at the words, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit”:

God, come to my assistance. —Lord, make haste to help me.   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. For musical purposes, the invocation "God" may be expanded, for example, “O God,” etc. as per the Ordinary. Alleluia is omitted during Lent.

A brief examination of conscience may be made as one reviews the events of the day.

Everything is found in the Night Prayer section, “After Evening Prayer II on Sundays and Solemnities.”

	Notice how SJG says “NP” plus a number to indicate the appropriate page of the Psalter.
	The sign of the cross is made at the beginning of the Gospel canticle, and the canticle concludes with Glory to the Father.

The conclusion for Night Prayer is as follows:

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. —Amen.

Then one of the antiphons in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary is said; these antiphons are found at the very end of the Night Prayer section.

Graphic Summary

INVITATORY
Sundays, Ordinary Time

 
OFFICE OF READINGS
Sundays, Ordinary Time

 
MORNING PRAYER
Sundays, Ordinary Time

 
DAYTIME PRAYER
Sundays, Ordinary Time

 
EVENING PRAYER
Sundays, Ordinary Time