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Online Edition - Vol. V, No. 2: April 1999
Divine Office Sources for Prayerbooks
Several readers have inquired about books for private recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office). The two English-language prayer books most used by laity are Christian Prayer and Daily Prayer. Both are one-volume versions of the multi-volume Divine Office and both are of approximately the same size (about 2,000 pages) and format.
Either book may be used for private prayer by English-speaking Catholics; but approval for liturgical use in English-speaking countries varies.
There are also shorter versions of both books, which include an abbreviated form of Morning and Evening Prayer. Many people who find even the one-volume version daunting may prefer the shorter versions.
Following is a brief description and publication information for both books.
Daily Prayer from the Divine Office: The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite ISBN: 0-00-599504-3 (1974, 1995) Harper Collins, London-Glasgow. Price: £45, plus shipping.
Daily Prayer is a one-volume version of the Divine Office. It is approved for liturgical use in Australia, England, Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and various other countries where English is spoken (but not for the United States and Canada).
For scripture readings, Daily Prayer uses primarily the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Psalms are from the 1963 version of the Grail Psalter.
Original texts of intercessions, antiphons, and the English translations of canticles (Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, Benedictus), the Te Deum and Doxology, are translations approved by the bishops of Australia, England and Wales, and Ireland, confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship in 1973 and 1974. (Alternate versions of the Canticles, etc. by the English Language Liturgical Consultation [ELLC], formerly International Consultation on English Texts [ICET] are printed at the end of the book.)
A Shorter Morning and Evening Prayer
Based on Daily Prayer, but contains Morning and Evening Prayer only. Price: £9.95 (ISBN: 0-00-599734-8).
These books may be ordered from a British book sales website, www.bookshop.co.uk
Christian Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours (1976) Catholic Book Publishing Co., NY. (out of print -- prices will vary)
Christian Prayer is a one-volume edition of the Divine Office, translated by ICEL, approved by the bishops of the US for liturgical use (also approved for liturgical use in Canada, New Zealand and several other countries, but not for Australia, England, Wales, Ireland or Scotland).
Christian Prayer adds Psalm-prayers composed by ICEL, and other original ICEL prayer texts. Scripture readings (except Psalms and Canticles) are from the 1970 version of the New American Bible. As in Daily Prayer, the Psalm texts are from the 1963 Grail Psalter.
This prayerbook uses only the ELLC/ICET versions of the Canticles (Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, Benedictus) Te Deum and Doxology.
Shorter Christian Prayer (Morning and Evening Prayer only): $15.95 (plus tax ).
Both Christian Prayer and Shorter Christian Prayer are available from Catholic book stores in the US, as well as from amazon.com.
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