However, after the Reformation, the English Protestant objective was to improve Biblical literacy among laypeople. The English Patrimony, sometimes called the Anglican Patrimony, is the liturgical tradition that comes from pre-Reformation England, back when England was profoundly Catholic. ![]() So the two hinges of the office (Morning Prayer and Evensong) are packed with readings from the Bible, and the Psalms are arranged in such a way as to allow the user to recite all 150 within a month, by just doing those two readings (Morning Prayer and Evensong). The English Patrimony focuses on Biblical literacy, and it’s more designed for use by laypeople. Now the Ordinariate version the Divine Office is based on the English Patrimony, so it’s a bit different than the old Roman Breviary or the new Liturgy of the Hours. Honestly, if you’re thinking about going this route, I would try the subscription for one year until you get used to it, then maybe cancel the subscription and just buy the books. There is also an online version of the same Breviary, which can be accessed by a subscription for $30 (US) annually. That said, you can pick up the most complete version of it for $380 (US) in this three-book set from Baronius Press. However, if liturgical participation is your goal, either in a traditional Latin community, or in your home, then this is the set of books you need. You just have to understand that the pre-1970 Roman Breviary was not primarily designed for use by regular laypeople, nor was it designed to be a comprehensive tool for Biblical literacy. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, mind you, as it’s actually quite good. However, if your goal is Biblical literacy, and praying all 150 psalms a month, in just two readings per day, it’s just not going to happen with the pre-1970 Roman Breviary. If you’re reading it for that reason, you won’t be disappointed. ![]() Nevertheless, the lay faithful can still tap into its beauty and solemnity. In contrast, the pre-1970 Roman Breviary is beautiful, but the focus is a bit more liturgically oriented, to meet the eight office readings of the day, it is more geared for clergy and religious. Otherwise, you can pick up the four book set for $155 (US) from Amazon. Try it for free, and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s the best product out there for digital reading of the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s a bargain, considering the quality of this stand-alone application. The one application I recommend the most, for the Liturgy of the Hours, is $25 (US) from Universalis. So I would say the Liturgy of the Hours truly comes to life for laypeople in the digital format more than anything else. However, with the invention of smart phones, there are some new applications that can be used to handle the page-flipping and ribbon placing for you. There are shorter abbreviated one-book versions called Christian Prayer and Shorter Christian Prayer, but these do not contain all the readings and can sometimes be even more complicated to use. Also, it can be a bit complicated to use, and requires a four-book set to do it properly. If Biblical literacy is your goal, you’re going to get more than you bargained for with the Liturgy of the Hours. Overall, it’s an amazing selection of readings, however, it does have its downside. This is because in addition to Biblical literacy, the Liturgy of the Hours hopes to acquaint laypeople with various extra-Biblical literature as well. ![]() The new Liturgy of the Hours tries to accomplish a similar goal, but in a very different way, requiring a four book set. If you want to become more literate in Scripture, and simultaneously participate in the official prayer of the Church, this is the book you want. This Ordinariate-version is approved for all lay Catholics, it’s easier to use than the standard Roman Divine Office, and it focuses on Scripture readings like a laser beam. If you’re looking for a Divine Office ( Liturgy of the Hours) that is compacted into one book, then I would highly recommend the Ordinariate version called Divine Worship: Daily Office.
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