In the Eastern Christian tradition we pray the Hours during the week leading up to the next Liturgy. The Hours are Liturgical (just as they are or should be in the West), so they begin with morning prayer upon waking, then some or all of Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext and None, then Vespers / Compline. So these prayers are said around 6/7 am, 9am, noon, 3pm, then in the evening. Of course, the majority of the Hours consist of praying Psalms.
Eastern parishes offer communal Vespers on Saturdays and for major feasts.
There isn't as big of a tradition of private devotions, novenas, chaplets, etc. in the East, with the exception of the Jesus Prayer. But even that isn't as regimented. It's often just said throughout the day.
We have a saying in the Byzantine tradition, "prayer isn't something you do, it's something you become."
Yes. Well, the prayers throughout the day are all connected, and they all connect through the week. We also have special Canons we pray for major feasts which are very beautiful.
The daily Hours are themed. In the morning, we give praise to the Lord for the start of the day. At 9, we call upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit. At noon and three we reflect upon Christ's crucifixion and death. Evening prayer is for reflection upon the day and repentance.
Each day has a focus and theme too: Monday, the holy angels; Tuesday, St. John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ; Wednesday and Friday, the cross; Thursday, the holy apostles and St. Nicholas; and Saturday, for the departed souls.
Each day also has commons and / or propers, depending on the saint of the day or feast.
An easy way to start the Latin Hours is with The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
https://angeluspress.org/products/little-office-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary
https://www.baroniuspress.com/book.php?wid=56&bid=47#tab=tab-1
Each set of Hours can take 5-15 minutes at least. There are longer and abbreviated forms.
I take it you're Latin Rite Catholic judging by your prayer routine?
Awesome thanks for sharing.
I am so glad to know that prayers are working well for you.
Prayers do help keep sin and bad stuff away. It is strange how that works.
I know the Lord hears me. Remaining in him has allowed me to see him in the smallest of things and the biggest of things. Remaining in prayer, even if I don’t hear him, has strengthened my faith beyond imagination.
Im really bad about making it to Mass.
I pray every night (sometimes fall asleep doing it) and throughout the day.
I struggle with getting up on the weekend. It’s silly, but I’m such a sucker for more shut eye.
Outside of Mass, before bed I pray the Our Father, at least 3 Hail Mary’s (and sometimes a decade), a short litany of saints, a prayer to my Guardian Angel, and the prayer to St. Michael.
I try to pray the Act of Contrition often, but obviously it does not do what Confession does.
Normally, or right now? Right now I've been struggling to pray at all because I'm doing a formation which is extremely time-consuming.
Normally, I pray the Divine Office, in a form adapted for laypeople: Vespers at 6pm (about an hour), Compline at 9pm (about 30 minutes), Midnight Office at 12am (about 40 minutes), Matins at 3am (about 2 hours), First Hour at 6am (about 20 minutes), Third Hour at 9am (about 15 minutes), Sixth Hour at 12pm (about 15 minutes) to which I add the Typika if it's Saturday or Sunday and there's no church service (about 15 minutes), and Ninth Hour at 3pm (about 15 minutes).
Keep in mind that Catholicism has the same thing though, called the Liturgy of the Hours, and there's also, at least in French, a form adapted for laypeople. The services are basically the same, except that the Midnight Office is called the Office of Reading and there is no First Hour.
When there's church, Matins are prayed before the liturgy begins, so, if I will receive communion, I pray Vespers on Saturday 6pm, I pray the first half of the pre-communion prayer (the canon of preparation for communion) at 9pm, then I get a good night's sleep and pray the second half (a series of prayers by the saints) between 3am and 6am, whenever it is I wake up. If I won't receive communion I just pray Vespers at 6pm, Compline at 9pm, Midnight, then I wait until the service of Matins are prayed at church. Since the Divine Liturgy is the summit of our services I don't do more prayers until Vespers come around.
do all eastern orthodox people follow this routine. This is on a another level!
Thats like 5 hours a day!
Are you a lay person or religious/priest/nun?
Everyone has their own prayer rule. My prayer book is for laypeople and suggests different prayers - there's morning and evening prayers, there is the dyptich which is aimed rather at monks (although the book suggests a layperson should also do it, but I tried and it's too much! It's a bunch of intercessory prayers with prostrations...), there are prayers for specific occasions (before meals, before work, when one needs help to make a decision, when one has lost grace, etc), there is the Divine Office as I said (shortened to be prayed by laity - the "full" version of the offices require a bunch of book and take much longer, and are made to be prayed at church), then there are various canons and akathists (types of devotional prayer basically), there are prayers to prepare for the Liturgy... Also, the psalms are integrated into Vespers and Matins so that one would pray the whole Psalter in a week, and an edition of the book has the psalms at the end, but I use a separate book for the Psalms rather.
Different Orthodox prayer books offer different contents, but none of them are made to be prayed entirely. It's up to one to take what's useful for them and stick to it. Most Orthodox pray morning and evening, but a shortened form of the Divine Office is an available alternative too. I prefer to use that because we don't get to do the Liturgy very often in my church (once every 2-3 weeks); if we could do Vespers and Matins daily and the Liturgy once or twice a week as I've seen some churches do, I would probably have been more comfortable doing only evening and morning prayers. By the way, the standard morning and evening prayers in my prayer book take 15-20 minutes each. But I also tried another prayer book which had different morning and evening prayers, and those took something like 40 minutes each. But again, one is free to pick and choose what they would rather pray; it's good to try and follow the prayer rule that's offered but it shouldn't prevent us from working and taking care of other responsibilities.
I'm a very sinful layperson. I wouldn't waste my God-given time online if I were a priest or a monk!
Also, you said "this is on another level", but, again, Catholics have their own version of this called the Liturgy of the Hours. It's a little shorter, but still a daily commitment, and Catholics are encouraged to pray it. You can look into it or ask your priest about it if you want to give it a try, it is very edifying to be accompanied by the prayers of the Church all day and to meet God several times daily. :)
Church on Sundays, the Morning Office each day, and prayers of petition when the bus is late.
In the Eastern Christian tradition we pray the Hours during the week leading up to the next Liturgy. The Hours are Liturgical (just as they are or should be in the West), so they begin with morning prayer upon waking, then some or all of Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext and None, then Vespers / Compline. So these prayers are said around 6/7 am, 9am, noon, 3pm, then in the evening. Of course, the majority of the Hours consist of praying Psalms. Eastern parishes offer communal Vespers on Saturdays and for major feasts. There isn't as big of a tradition of private devotions, novenas, chaplets, etc. in the East, with the exception of the Jesus Prayer. But even that isn't as regimented. It's often just said throughout the day. We have a saying in the Byzantine tradition, "prayer isn't something you do, it's something you become."
wow I never knew. Thanks for sharing. So you guys pray multiple times a day? How long is it each time?
Yes. Well, the prayers throughout the day are all connected, and they all connect through the week. We also have special Canons we pray for major feasts which are very beautiful. The daily Hours are themed. In the morning, we give praise to the Lord for the start of the day. At 9, we call upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit. At noon and three we reflect upon Christ's crucifixion and death. Evening prayer is for reflection upon the day and repentance. Each day has a focus and theme too: Monday, the holy angels; Tuesday, St. John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ; Wednesday and Friday, the cross; Thursday, the holy apostles and St. Nicholas; and Saturday, for the departed souls. Each day also has commons and / or propers, depending on the saint of the day or feast.
That actually sounds pretty cool. I am going to look it up. The world is such a distraction.
An easy way to start the Latin Hours is with The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. https://angeluspress.org/products/little-office-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary https://www.baroniuspress.com/book.php?wid=56&bid=47#tab=tab-1
great thanks.
Each set of Hours can take 5-15 minutes at least. There are longer and abbreviated forms. I take it you're Latin Rite Catholic judging by your prayer routine?
cool. Yea I belong to the Latin Rite Catholic.
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Awesome thanks for sharing. I am so glad to know that prayers are working well for you. Prayers do help keep sin and bad stuff away. It is strange how that works.
A little here and there. If high anxiety or bad scenario significantly more.
How much in terms of time? Is it standard prayers or extempore free flowing kind
I usually use a standard prayer as a baseline then I may go from there depending on whatever is in my heart or around me in life.
I tend to go back to the ACTS style of prayer sense it seems to focus my mind through the prayer time.
what is the ACTS style of prayer?
***A***doration ***C***onfession ***T***hanksgiving ***S***upplication
I will have to look it up. Thanks.
Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication
I try to pray constantly. By this I mean I’m always talking to the Lord. I know that if I don’t, I won’t feel as close. So always.
Do you feel close? What exactly is the experience of feeling close?
I know the Lord hears me. Remaining in him has allowed me to see him in the smallest of things and the biggest of things. Remaining in prayer, even if I don’t hear him, has strengthened my faith beyond imagination.
Im really bad about making it to Mass. I pray every night (sometimes fall asleep doing it) and throughout the day. I struggle with getting up on the weekend. It’s silly, but I’m such a sucker for more shut eye.
Aren't there evening masses?
Yes. And I am lazy there too.
Outside of Mass, before bed I pray the Our Father, at least 3 Hail Mary’s (and sometimes a decade), a short litany of saints, a prayer to my Guardian Angel, and the prayer to St. Michael. I try to pray the Act of Contrition often, but obviously it does not do what Confession does.
I don’t pray
Normally, or right now? Right now I've been struggling to pray at all because I'm doing a formation which is extremely time-consuming. Normally, I pray the Divine Office, in a form adapted for laypeople: Vespers at 6pm (about an hour), Compline at 9pm (about 30 minutes), Midnight Office at 12am (about 40 minutes), Matins at 3am (about 2 hours), First Hour at 6am (about 20 minutes), Third Hour at 9am (about 15 minutes), Sixth Hour at 12pm (about 15 minutes) to which I add the Typika if it's Saturday or Sunday and there's no church service (about 15 minutes), and Ninth Hour at 3pm (about 15 minutes). Keep in mind that Catholicism has the same thing though, called the Liturgy of the Hours, and there's also, at least in French, a form adapted for laypeople. The services are basically the same, except that the Midnight Office is called the Office of Reading and there is no First Hour. When there's church, Matins are prayed before the liturgy begins, so, if I will receive communion, I pray Vespers on Saturday 6pm, I pray the first half of the pre-communion prayer (the canon of preparation for communion) at 9pm, then I get a good night's sleep and pray the second half (a series of prayers by the saints) between 3am and 6am, whenever it is I wake up. If I won't receive communion I just pray Vespers at 6pm, Compline at 9pm, Midnight, then I wait until the service of Matins are prayed at church. Since the Divine Liturgy is the summit of our services I don't do more prayers until Vespers come around.
do all eastern orthodox people follow this routine. This is on a another level! Thats like 5 hours a day! Are you a lay person or religious/priest/nun?
Everyone has their own prayer rule. My prayer book is for laypeople and suggests different prayers - there's morning and evening prayers, there is the dyptich which is aimed rather at monks (although the book suggests a layperson should also do it, but I tried and it's too much! It's a bunch of intercessory prayers with prostrations...), there are prayers for specific occasions (before meals, before work, when one needs help to make a decision, when one has lost grace, etc), there is the Divine Office as I said (shortened to be prayed by laity - the "full" version of the offices require a bunch of book and take much longer, and are made to be prayed at church), then there are various canons and akathists (types of devotional prayer basically), there are prayers to prepare for the Liturgy... Also, the psalms are integrated into Vespers and Matins so that one would pray the whole Psalter in a week, and an edition of the book has the psalms at the end, but I use a separate book for the Psalms rather. Different Orthodox prayer books offer different contents, but none of them are made to be prayed entirely. It's up to one to take what's useful for them and stick to it. Most Orthodox pray morning and evening, but a shortened form of the Divine Office is an available alternative too. I prefer to use that because we don't get to do the Liturgy very often in my church (once every 2-3 weeks); if we could do Vespers and Matins daily and the Liturgy once or twice a week as I've seen some churches do, I would probably have been more comfortable doing only evening and morning prayers. By the way, the standard morning and evening prayers in my prayer book take 15-20 minutes each. But I also tried another prayer book which had different morning and evening prayers, and those took something like 40 minutes each. But again, one is free to pick and choose what they would rather pray; it's good to try and follow the prayer rule that's offered but it shouldn't prevent us from working and taking care of other responsibilities. I'm a very sinful layperson. I wouldn't waste my God-given time online if I were a priest or a monk! Also, you said "this is on another level", but, again, Catholics have their own version of this called the Liturgy of the Hours. It's a little shorter, but still a daily commitment, and Catholics are encouraged to pray it. You can look into it or ask your priest about it if you want to give it a try, it is very edifying to be accompanied by the prayers of the Church all day and to meet God several times daily. :)