So, any of you planning to read the whole Bible in 2012? How about using a new daily devotional you received for Christmas? To be fair, I am not big on New Year's Resolutions, but I do find myself trying to place a greater emphasis on this or that aspect of my spiritual life at the beginning of each year.
So here are my plans:
1) I am going to continue to use the Liturgy of the Hours as my foundation for daily prayer. I had picked it up again starting in Advent. In the past I have used the older Little Office of Our Lady, which I am sure I will use from time to time. However, I want to really focus on praying with the Church each and every day, particularly Lauds and Vespers, along with Compline.
2) I am going to use the NABRE as my daily reading Bible. I did something similar to this a few years back, when I went with the NRSV for an entire year. I found that I was able to truly get a better grasp of the translation and why certain decisions were made. It will also allow me to get more familiar with the NABRE notes, which are often more debated than the translation itself. So, I hope to share some of my NABRE reading experiences with you throughout the year.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year,
May I ask if the prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours is for personal practice, or do you practice it within a group, like before mass.
best regards.
Leonardo,
ReplyDeleteBoth actually. Some of my fellow teachers say morning prayer during the school week. The rest I say on my own.
Hi Timothy,
ReplyDeleteIn Spanish we have "La Liturgia de las Horas" which is contained in three of four volumes (I am not sure), and the "Liturgia de las Horas del Pueblo" which is a one volume set.
When in mass, we used to say the "Liturgia de las Horas del Pueblo", which is a shorter version, I think, of the "Liturgia de las Horas".
I like to practice that prayer, but when I am alone, I am not very inspired, but when within a group, I feel myself happy after the reading of it.
Is there a digital version of the Liturgy of the Hours, and if not, which printed version do you recommend which is large print, if there is one?
Leonardo,
ReplyDeleteCatholic Book Publishing makes both the full 4 volume and 1 volume editions in English. That is where I would go.
Ad for digital:
Online: universalis.com
Apps: I Brevary (I use this when needed)
I just started a reading plan to read the Bible in one year: (www.iamlori2.wordpress.com/january/)I like it because instead of going from cover to cover like other plans, this one reads each day from the OT and the NT. For example; Day 3 (today): Gen 3/Ps 3/Mt 2. I am using the NABRE (Little Rock Study Bible) as my main text, and I am also using the reading guide from the Catholic Study Bible for commentary. And if I have time, I also re-read the verses with the RSV-2CE for comparison.
ReplyDeleteTim, so what will your go-to edition of the NABRE in 2012 be?
ReplyDeleteUniversalis is not the official liturgical version of the LOTH, so clergy cannot use it to fulfil the obligation, but laity can of course.
ReplyDeleteAn site for the official version, providing both audio (inlcuding the hymns) or text only is www.divine-office.com
I pray this using my Kindle Fire and its excellent.
Diakonos,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correct info.
Theophrastus,
ReplyDeleteGood questions! Currently, I am making use of the Catholic Study Bible NABRE Oxford, even with the well discussed problems in the reading guide. I have come to really like the page layout of the CSB over the past year.
However, I do need an edition that is a little more portable. Compact is a little too small for me, so I recently ordered the American Bible Society NABRE hardcover, which I hope to get tomorrow in the mail.
With all that said, I have high hopes for the HarperOne NABRE in imitation leather which comes out in later March/April. I do like the feel of the previous NRSV's in imitation leather that HarperOne have done in the past.
There are, of course, others out there, but I am still waiting for the "best" one for me.....whatever that might be. ;)
Hello, Tim. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteMy goal for bible studies in 2012 is primarily the first five books of the bible. There are a couple of other books that involve scripture that I look forward to reading. One is Jack Mile's "God: A Life"; Fr. Raymond Brown's "Christ in the Gospels of the Liturgical Year: Expanded Edition"; and "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can transform Your Faith."
My primary bible is going to be the NISB NRSV and the Jewish Study Bible, with Jonathan Alter's translation of the Torah close by (love his footnotes. I have to admit that I got scared away from the NRSV back in the 1990s due to the inclusive language wars but decided to use it practically full time now.
Leornardo> There also exists in Spanish a book called Diurnal, which contains the Ordinary and full Propers for Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline--that is, everything but the Office of Readings. I treasured my copy, which I obtained while in Junior High, until it tragically perished in the Great Basement Flood of 2010. As you know, La Liturgia de las Horas del Pueblo contains only Lauds, Vespers, and Compline, together with select propers and rubrics to combine Vespers and Lauds with the Mass.
ReplyDeleteTim> For 2012, I've decided to take a break from my Bible reading plan of 4 years and to use My Daily Catholic Bible in the RSV-CE instead. (I continue to read the Psalter and the Gospel independently from this, however.) The cover says that these are 20-minute readings, but over the first three days I've found that with a steady and focused reading pace one can finish the daily selections in about half the time. The RSV-CE edition is now out of print, but a new printing in the NABRE is available for cheap. Why not pick up one of those?
Started using Universalis for many of the hours of individual daily prayer.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful (and easy) way to connect to the heart of the church!
I'm kind of kicking myself for waiting so long to try Universalis because of all the translation zealots who claim that it is not valid; though, I understand the difficulties of using it in a group setting. After having (individually) prayed the actual LoTH for many years, the ease of using Universalis makes it a far away winner for my use -- simply because it is not a hassle and I actually pray (and reflect) more! -- AND it is in beautiful, poetic, and pastoral language, by the way. Consider me a convert.
I also often access Universalis via the *free* Catholic One app on my Kindle Fire. It is seemless, effortless, and *free* as long as you have a wi-fi internet connection available.
I should also point out that my favorite layout for a NABRE so far is the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible.
ReplyDelete@Diakonos, @Timothy: iBreviary is official LOTH online, on widgets, and apps.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Tim, Diakonos and Esteban.
ReplyDeleteTim, you should add this link to your Online Bibles sidebar:
ReplyDeleteLatin English Study Bible
I followed the link given by Esteban, used the Amazon "look inside" feature, and was surprised to see that the NABRE My Daily Catholic Bible did not have the NABRE notes or cross-references.
ReplyDeleteTheophrastus,
ReplyDeleteI noticed that, as well, with the OSV NAB NT edition. So it is possible! ;)
My plans not so much concern getting any new Bibles, but rather looking into getting a Sunday Missal, with the new English translation of the Mass. What I really want is one that has Latin and English, like the older, pre-Vatican II missals, but searching, I could only find two possible options. The CTS Sunday Missal, and the OSV Daily Roman Missal.
ReplyDeleteProblems with the CTS Missal is that it uses the Jerusalem Bible instead of the altered NAB.
The OSV Missal is closer to what I wnat, but it is too expensive, since it is a daily Missal, and I really only want a Sunday/Holy Days/Holy Week Missal.
Plus both the CTS and OSV Missals seem to only come in hardcover. I would prefer a flexible leather or imitation leather cover.
I wrote to St Benedict Press asking them if they would consider publishing a Latin English Sunday Missal with their ultrasoft covers (and maybe even using the Doauy Rheims instead of the altered NAB), and they responded they will pass the idea on to the executives, but even if they do decide to publish one, it'll probably be months if not a year or longer before we could buy a copy.
Any advice?
PS- There are some GREAT DEALS on good condition used missals for the Extraordinary Form on sites like Abebooks and Biblio. I found several pre-Vatican II used missals at great prices. Definately going to get one for the EF.
Hey, maybe I should write St Benedict Press again, and suggest for that Sunday Missal, they include an appendix with the EF Order of the Mass, and the Anglican Ordinariate Order of the Mass.
Jake,
ReplyDeleteThat is a tough call. I think the OSV edition is the best one on the market hands down, but it is expensive. It has everything you would need, including a
very helpful appendix full of prayers and devotions.
But if that is too expensive, your best bet is to wait, maybe St Benedict Press will publish something in the coming years. The new Missal was just released, so I would imagine that there will be more products coming out.
Jake,
ReplyDeleteHaving both the MTF/OSV Daily Missal and the CTS Sunday Missal, I can honestly say you would be happier with the CTS Sunday Missal. The CTS is fully Latin-English, where the MTF/OSV isn't, and the CTS has notations for Gregorian Chant, which the MTF/OSV doesn't. They layout is also better and easier to read, and on the eyes. Both Missals are splendid, but the CTS is slighty better, IMO.
What I'd really like to see happen is for St Benedict Press to make a deal with CTS to publish the CTS Sunday Missal for the American market, replacing the Jerusalem Bible texts with the Lectionary version of the NAB, and substituting any uniquely British feats with uniquely American feasts. Put it in SBP's premium ultrasoft covers, and it would be a very hot seller.
Tim, if you have any contacts at SBP, tell them to work out an agreement with CTS and get this Sunday Missal published!