Tag Archive for ‘Liturgy of the Hours’
Daniel 3:57-88, 56: Let every creature bless the Lord
1. “Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord” (Dn 3: 57). A cosmic dimension imbues this Canticle taken from the Book of Daniel, which the Liturgy of the Hours proposes for Sunday Lauds in the first and third weeks. This marvellous litany-like prayer is well-suited to the Dies Domini, the Day of the Lord, that [...]
Psalm 118 [117]: In all our trials, God has the last word
1. The sequence of Psalms from 112[111] to 117[118] was sung during the most important and joyful feasts of ancient Judaism, especially during the celebration of the Passover. This series of hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God were called the “Egyptian Hallel” because, in one of them, Psalm 114 A [113], the exodus of Israel [...]
Vespers, Prayer of Sunset
1. We know from numerous testimonies that from the fourth century onwards Lauds and Vespers had become an established institution in all the great Eastern and Western Churches. This is borne out by St Ambrose: “Just as every day, in going to church or devoting ourselves to prayer at home, we start from God and [...]
Psalm 147[147]: Jerusalem, praise your saving God
The Lauda Jerusalem that we have just proclaimed is dear to Christian liturgy that often used Psalm 147 to refer to the Word of God which “runs swiftly” on the face of the earth, and also to the Eucharist, the true “bread of finest wheat” that God generously gives to “satisfy” human hunger (cf. vv. [...]
The origins of the Liturgy of Vespers and the symbolism of light
1. Since “every day of our pilgrimage on earth is a gift ever new” of God’s love (Preface for Sundays in Ordinary Time, VI), the Church has always felt the need to devote the days and hours of human life to divine praise. Thus, for Christians, sunrise and sunset, characteristically religious moments for every people [...]
The Spirit prays through us in the Psalms
1. Before beginning the commentary on the individual Psalms and Songs of Praise, let us complete today the introductory reflection which we began in the last catechesis. We will do so by starting with one aspect that is prized by our spiritual tradition: in singing the Psalms, the Christian feels a sort of harmony between [...]
Psalter is ideal source of Christian prayer
1. In the Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte I expressed the hope that the Church would become more and more distinguished in the “art of prayer”, learning it ever anew from the lips of the Divine Master (cf. n. 32). This effort must be expressed above all in the liturgy, the source and summit of [...]
Psalm 96(95): “Say among the nations “the Lord reigns!’”
Over the course of several years, Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have offered a commentary of the psalms used in the Liturgy of the Hours. These are all posted on the Vatican web site, but are somewhat difficult to find. Many of them are short, easily read in a few minutes We [...]
Personal Prayer Cells
The cell is above all the place where the monk encounters God. It is a physical space, yet a space ‘in accordance with the image of one’s inward nature.’… The primary tools of the cell are solitude, silence, listening, and the Spirit.(Keller, Oasis of Wisdom, p. 51) The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely [...]
Psalms
Psalms is not really a book. It is a collection of 150 songs, prayers, poems and hymns gathered over a very long period of time. There are different types of psalms. Some tell stories. Some are songs of praise. Some are prayers of repentence. Each psalm has its own unique character but they are all [...]
Entries(RSS)