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The School of Prayer: Introduction to the Divine Office for All Christians
This book is written for all who are learning to pray. It is written firstly for lay people, to introduce them to one of the Church's greatest treasures of prayer, the Divine Office.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 23, 2022
When I purchased The School Of Prayer: An Introduction to the Divine Office (DO) it was to reintroduce myself to the Divine Office, which I have been praying off-and-on for over six years now, albeit rather poorly. In less than a month I will need to assist prospective Secular Carmelites in their own journey with this beautiful tradition. Realizing I had never received any instruction myself and knowing my weaknesses, I hoped Mr. Brook’s book would help me deepen my appreciation for the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH) as I learned about it. The Office is also called the LOTH referring to the seven hours or times of prayer each day.
The wonderful thing about the Divine Office is that it consists almost entirely of Sacred Scripture and therefore is truly a ‘Christian’ prayer—open to any who love and read the Bible. And I have recently discovered how many Protestants have discovered this and either use the Christian Prayer: The Liturgy Of The Hours or have developed their own variations thereof.
Part 1, Introduction to the Divine Office, was what I expected to find from this book, and it met and even exceeded my expectations. It explained the DO, how to pray it, the various hours, the Propers of Seasons and Saints, how to pray the Psalms, Christ in the Psalms and some historical context.
What I did not expect and was absolutely delighted to discover was a breakdown of each Psalm and Canticle from the entire four-week Psalmody for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer. So, in addition to the general historical background given in Part I there is also detailed background for each individual psalm. Also, there is exegesis on the other readings from the Old and New Testament as well. I have followed along at times, and while it has greatly benefited my praying of the DO in some respects, I also know it can distract from the overall prayerful quality of the time, whereby it becomes more of an academic endeavor than an encounter with the LORD. So, it has been difficult to find the right balance hence the book has taken rather long to finish. Overall, it is better to read the appropriate section from this book before (or after) actual prayer time, although reading this book can easily become prayerful in itself!
I will mark it as ‘read’ but really it goes on my shelf, books-I-will-be-reading-until-I-die.
Most highly recommended to all who pray the LOTH.
The wonderful thing about the Divine Office is that it consists almost entirely of Sacred Scripture and therefore is truly a ‘Christian’ prayer—open to any who love and read the Bible. And I have recently discovered how many Protestants have discovered this and either use the Christian Prayer: The Liturgy Of The Hours or have developed their own variations thereof.
Part 1, Introduction to the Divine Office, was what I expected to find from this book, and it met and even exceeded my expectations. It explained the DO, how to pray it, the various hours, the Propers of Seasons and Saints, how to pray the Psalms, Christ in the Psalms and some historical context.
What I did not expect and was absolutely delighted to discover was a breakdown of each Psalm and Canticle from the entire four-week Psalmody for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer. So, in addition to the general historical background given in Part I there is also detailed background for each individual psalm. Also, there is exegesis on the other readings from the Old and New Testament as well. I have followed along at times, and while it has greatly benefited my praying of the DO in some respects, I also know it can distract from the overall prayerful quality of the time, whereby it becomes more of an academic endeavor than an encounter with the LORD. So, it has been difficult to find the right balance hence the book has taken rather long to finish. Overall, it is better to read the appropriate section from this book before (or after) actual prayer time, although reading this book can easily become prayerful in itself!
I will mark it as ‘read’ but really it goes on my shelf, books-I-will-be-reading-until-I-die.
Most highly recommended to all who pray the LOTH.
March 19, 2022
A very good introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours, but what is even better is the in-depth commentary on each of the psalms and canticles used for morning, evening, and night prayer. That extends it from an instruction book to a prayer commentary. This is a book I will be using to some extent for the rest of my life for meditation on the psalms and as a school of prayer.
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August 3, 2011Were we ever instructed in Catechism or Sunday School about the Divine Office, the universal prayer of the Holy Church? No. But here we are: a good introduction to the daily seven-part prayer of the Church. I've found my copy in the local Dominican library, and I'll finish it by year end.
You have surely wondered that Muslims pray five times a day (while many Christians can barely find the time to visit a church); know that this discipline has preexisted in Christianity and is still available to the Christian laity.
You have surely wondered that Muslims pray five times a day (while many Christians can barely find the time to visit a church); know that this discipline has preexisted in Christianity and is still available to the Christian laity.
April 27, 2013
The best part of this book is Part 1--Introduction to the Divine Office, especially chapter 7, "Learning to Pray the Psalms". It includes an excellent commentary on the psalms.
Currently reading
January 18, 2024Although John Brook has died, his surviving wife is one of my best friends at my parish. I definitely want to read this one!
May 17, 2024
AN INTRODUCTION AND STUDY TOOL FOR THE ‘LITURGY OF THE HOURS’/DIVINE OFFICE
John Brook wrote in the Preface to this 1992 book, “This book is written for all who are learning to pray. It is written firstly for lay people, to introduce them to one of the Church’s greatest treasures of prayer, the Divine Office… The Divine Office is the service given to God in prayer. The Office is also called the Liturgy of the Hours, referring to the seven ‘hours’ or times of prayer for each day. It is part of the public liturgy of the Church. The Divine Office is the pattern of prayer based on the psalms. In the early centuries of the Church the Office was the prayer of the whole Christian community, not just the clergy or religious. It was the Church’s school of prayer. By medieval times the Office had, outside the monasteries, become the private prayer of the clergy. The Second Vatican Council revised the Office in such a way as to restore it to its original function as the prayer of the whole people of God. I hope that this book may help to fulfill that intention...
“Secondly, this book is written for novices and seminary students who are just beginning to pray the Office. There are riches in the Office that need to be unlocked, and questions that need to be answered if beginners are to gain most benefit from it… The Divine Office is made up almost entirely of Scripture, and for this reason it is a form of prayer that should appeal to the deepest convictions of Protestant Christians. It is natural that Protestants would have reservations about using a Catholic form of prayer, and so the third purpose of this book is to commend the Office to them. I am convinced that the Divine Office could be one of the pillars on which the unity of the Church is rebuilt. My own Christian nurture was in Evangelical Protestantism, with its zeal for prayer but suspicion of written forms. I have tried to be sensitive to this antipathy to liturgical prayer and to commend such prayer to my Evangelical brothers and sisters in Christ.
“I also hope that those who have been praying the Office for years may find something here to enrich their devotion. In praying the Psalms it is possible to run through words, phrases, whole sections which we do not understand but we say just because they are there. Such prayer can become a heaping up of empty phrases. A return to the original meaning of the psalm and a deliberate attempt to pray the psalm with Christ can bring a freshness back into praying the Office.”
This book is deliberately printed in ‘pocket size’; the small print may make it unsuitable for some readers. Brook’s detailed commentary will be very helpful to most readers.
John Brook wrote in the Preface to this 1992 book, “This book is written for all who are learning to pray. It is written firstly for lay people, to introduce them to one of the Church’s greatest treasures of prayer, the Divine Office… The Divine Office is the service given to God in prayer. The Office is also called the Liturgy of the Hours, referring to the seven ‘hours’ or times of prayer for each day. It is part of the public liturgy of the Church. The Divine Office is the pattern of prayer based on the psalms. In the early centuries of the Church the Office was the prayer of the whole Christian community, not just the clergy or religious. It was the Church’s school of prayer. By medieval times the Office had, outside the monasteries, become the private prayer of the clergy. The Second Vatican Council revised the Office in such a way as to restore it to its original function as the prayer of the whole people of God. I hope that this book may help to fulfill that intention...
“Secondly, this book is written for novices and seminary students who are just beginning to pray the Office. There are riches in the Office that need to be unlocked, and questions that need to be answered if beginners are to gain most benefit from it… The Divine Office is made up almost entirely of Scripture, and for this reason it is a form of prayer that should appeal to the deepest convictions of Protestant Christians. It is natural that Protestants would have reservations about using a Catholic form of prayer, and so the third purpose of this book is to commend the Office to them. I am convinced that the Divine Office could be one of the pillars on which the unity of the Church is rebuilt. My own Christian nurture was in Evangelical Protestantism, with its zeal for prayer but suspicion of written forms. I have tried to be sensitive to this antipathy to liturgical prayer and to commend such prayer to my Evangelical brothers and sisters in Christ.
“I also hope that those who have been praying the Office for years may find something here to enrich their devotion. In praying the Psalms it is possible to run through words, phrases, whole sections which we do not understand but we say just because they are there. Such prayer can become a heaping up of empty phrases. A return to the original meaning of the psalm and a deliberate attempt to pray the psalm with Christ can bring a freshness back into praying the Office.”
This book is deliberately printed in ‘pocket size’; the small print may make it unsuitable for some readers. Brook’s detailed commentary will be very helpful to most readers.
May 5, 2024
A beautiful introduction to the Divine Office and commentary on the Psalms. I will return to this wonderful book time and time again.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews