Workshop on the Liturgy of the Hours offers its richness

IC photo by Marie Mischel

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Timothy Johnston, shown leading the procession from the Aug. 31 Evening Prayer in the Juan Diego Catholic High School chapel, will host a Liturgy of the Hours workshop for the diocese.

By Christine Young

Intermountain Catholic

DRAPER – The Liturgy of the Hours is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders and laity. “It is often assumed these prayers are not for the laity,” said Timothy Johnston, director of the Diocesan Office of Liturgy.

Johnston will give a basic introduction and overview of the Liturgy of the Hours Sept. 18.

Johnston is passionate about the Liturgy of the Hours. As he has studied liturgy he’s learned the full complement of the liturgical celebration is the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, he said. “If we only attend Eucharist, then the fullness of our liturgical life isn’t being celebrated,” he said. “So I would like to promote the Liturgy of the Hours for everyone as a valid and rich form of prayer for small groups or whole parishes to pray at least once a week.”

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the general instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours asks that the Liturgy of the Hours be celebrated at least on Sundays, Johnston said. “It specifically asks that evening prayer, Compline, be prayed. “One of the goals of the workshop is to help people understand the Liturgy of the Hours and the theology behind them. I will provide time for questions and ways for people to pray on their own, in small groups or in their parishes. A lot of people may be nervous about getting started or engage in something they are not familiar with, and the only way to get familiar with it is to begin praying and to ask questions.”

People’s biggest challenge in praying is finding time to pray, he said. He suggests starting slowly, with five or 10 minutes a day with a psalm or other simple prayers. As you feel more comfortable and are able to reflect on your own experience, then you can add another psalm or move into praying the Liturgy of the Hours. “It can be very difficult to start out praying the Liturgy of the Hours if you haven’t been praying; you may get discouraged if you jump right in,” he said. “I find it is much easier to pray in a group because it not only feels more communal, but it helps me be accountable to prayer and the group. You have to develop a discipline and practice prayer.”

A good resource is DivineOffice.org, a website based in Salt Lake City that provides a format for people to become familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours,” he said. “You can pray while you are jogging or driving, or in your own home with the assistance of the website.”

The website provides a podcast that can be downloaded to iPhone or iPod. It automatically downloads the appropriate prayers for each hour, every day of the year, including Solemnities and feast days. You don’t need iTunes synchronization or access to a computer.

The Sept. 18 Liturgy of the Hours workshop is free and will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the chapel at Juan Diego Catholic High School, 300 East 11800 South, Draper. It is designed for anyone interested in liturgical prayer. Registration is required. Call Ruth Dillon in the Office of Liturgy at 801-328-8641, ext. 322 by Sept. 16.