• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Jared Dees

Author. Speaker. Teacher.

  • About
    • Now
    • Projects
    • Speaking
    • Contact
  • Books
    • Beatitales
    • Tales of the Ten Commandments
    • Take and Eat
    • Do Not Be Afraid
    • Pray without Ceasing
    • Prepare the Way
    • Advent with the Angels
    • Take Up Your Cross
    • 15-Minute Stations of the Cross for Kids
  • Articles
  • Worksheets
  • Children’s Stories
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

Two Insights into the Liturgy of the Hours

By Jared Dees

I have always struggled with the Liturgy of the Hours. Two different places where I have worked have used the Liturgy of the Hours as the chosen form of morning prayer together as a staff. To be completely honest I have always found it to be boring and too repetitive to get anything out of praying it.

However. . .Liturgy of the Hours App 2011

I have been praying the Morning Prayer this week as a part of my new morning routine. I haven’t settled on a specific type of prayer, but I thought this would be worth trying especially since I have the prayers in my iPhone with the free Liturgy of the Hours App, iBreviary. Yesterday, I realized two important insights that have helped me appreciate the prayers in a much deeper way:

1) The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed together with the universal Church whether prayed alone or in groups. Not only do we pray the same prayers that are being prayed throughout the rest of the world, but it is important to think of the Church that extends beyond this world and to the saints and blesseds. This realization came through listening to a great interview from the About the Church Podcast titled Liturgy of the Hours with the people from DivineOffice.org.

2) The prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours are focused on praise and orient us towards the praise and appreciation of God in and of himself, not in what we can get from God in prayer. It is easy to use prayer as a means to an end. Personally, I had thoughts of making my day better and being a better person if I added prayer to my morning routine. That I might treat people more charitably. I would become more like Christ without even trying. Though that might be so, motivation is everything. Praying Lauds from the Liturgy of the Hours has been an important reminder that my focus in prayer should never be on what I can get out of it, but solely on God. God will take care of the rest.

From the Canticle of Judith 16:1, 13-15:

Strike up the instruments,
a song to my God with timbrels,
chant to the Lord with cymbals;
Sing to him a new song,
exalt and acclaim his name.

A new hymn I will sing to my God.
O Lord, great are you and glorious,
wonderful in power and unsurpassable.

April 13, 2011 Filed Under: Catholic Prayers, On Spirituality, Prayer, What Tagged With: liturgy of the hours, morning prayer, prayer apps

About Jared Dees

Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, Praying the Angelus, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children.

Previous Post: « April Prayer Habits Goals and March Report
Next Post: Using Prayer Books in Your Daily Prayer Life »

Primary Sidebar

Jared Dees

Author, Speaker, Teacher

📬 Tools to Teach Faith 📬

I send many weekly email newsletters every week with tools to pass on faith:

👨‍🏫 The Religion Teacher’s Sunday Planner 👨‍🏫

Lessons, activities, videos, and worksheets for religious educators.

Get teaching resources here >

📖 God’s Word Wednesday 📖

Bible stories for kids.

Get Bible stories for kids here >

🏰 Formative Fiction Friday 🏰

Short stories to help kids find confidence, character, and a relationship with Christ.

Get stories for kids here >

Jared’s Newest Books

  
    
 
 
   
 
 

Jared’s Popular Website for Religious Educators

Search the Site:

Footer

Connect with Jared Dees

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, Praying the Angelus, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children. See all of Jared's Books →

Stories for Children

Copyright © 2023 · Jared Dees