Divine Office » Midafternoon Prayer (2024)

FAQs

What is the prayer before reciting the Divine Office? ›

“Open, O Lord, my mouth to bless Thy Holy Name: cleanse also my heart from all vain, perverse & distracting thoughts; enlighten my understanding, inflame my will, that I may worthily, attentively and devoutly recite this Office and deserve to be heard in the presence of Thy Divine Majesty.

Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them. Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

There is no wrong way to pray the Divine Office. One can sit and read straight through the office, as the goal is simply to spend time in prayer with the scriptures. So while there may be traditional postures used when prayed in a group setting, this should not distract from the prayer.

The Divine Office provides us with a language for prayer.

But in the Liturgy of the Hours we have access to wisdom that stretches back to before the time of Jesus. The Psalms, canticles, and other passages from scripture form the bulk of the Daily Office; in many ways, it is the Bible at prayer.

Psalm 87 (88)

Let my prayer come into your presence, O Lord. Lord God, my saviour, I have cried out to you by day and by night.

Zuhr prayer, the Islamic midday prayer.

O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What is the midday call to prayer? ›

Dhuhr (midday)

The time interval for offering the Zuhr or Dhuhr salah timing starts after the sun passes its zenith and lasts until call for the Asr prayer is given. This prayer needs to be given in the middle of the work-day, and people normally make their prayers during their lunch break.

The Angelus Prayer

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

In the Roman Catholic Church priests are required by canon law to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours each day while deacons are required to pray the morning and evening hours. The practice among religious communities varies according to their rules and constitutions.

"Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen (Diary 950)."

Recitation of the Office should be aloud, since it is official and mainly vocal prayer. This is why of yore and even now priests move their lips when saying their Office. However, even when you don't read aloud, there is a measure of subvocalization going on when reading.

Opening Prayer for Worship: "Lord of all, as we gather to worship You, we ask for hearts open to Your presence. Fill this place with Your Spirit and our souls with Your peace. Let every song, prayer, and word spoken glorify You and draw us closer in communion with You and each other. In Your holy name, we worship.

Father, anoint me with your Holy Spirit, so that as I read your eternal word, your word may penetrate my whole being and transform me. Grant me the blessing to be a faithful disciple in believing the Word of God and that I may be a light shining upon all who are in darkness.

The Introductory Rite of Mass concludes with the Opening Prayer, also called the Collect (pronounced caw-lect), from the Latin for collecting or gathering together.

Father God, Help me not to rely on myself or my own understanding as I study the Scriptures today to deliver Your message to the congregation. May I find Your wisdom and speak the words you want me to speak. Please give me wisdom beyond what I have studied or observed.