Thursday, March 20, 2014

Gospel Canticle Antiphons & EWTN at last!

Just a little Divine Office factoid you might or might  not have noticed.

The gospel of  each day's mass during lent (and the other  special liturgical seasons) is recalled in the antiphons of the Benedictus and the Magnificat on the same day.  I love this, because on a day that I don't get to mass, these antiphons clue me in on what the day's gospel was about. And if I do get to mass, these antiphons--especially the one in the evening--bring that day's gospel once more to mind.

This also happens--sort of--on Sundays throughout the year. We have a three-year cycle of Sunday readings, so the gospel canticle antiphons from Sunday evening prayer I, morning prayer, and evening prayer II each take a line from the gospel of either year A, B, or C.


OH, and before I forget, tune in to EWTN Bookmark this Sunday or Monday, or again next Thursday. The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours will be featured. This program was taped back in August, and it's been a long wait for me as the EWTN folks reshuffled their schedule several times.  Here's the writeup they did on the latest WINGS newsletter:



Daria Sockey
Everyday Catholic's Guide To The Liturgy Of Hours    

Why we like it:
 Liturgical prayer is catching on! Daria Sockey calls
the Liturgy of the Hours (the Divine Office), the first cousin of the
Mass.  Doug and Daria's talk at a recent Catholic Marketing
Network convention demystifies this practice of offering prayers
throughout the day which priests, religious, and the laity are
praying right along with you. Find out how "everyday Catholics"
can begin with the help of Daria's book, and the option of online
readings as close as your iPhone.

The take-away: No longer just for those behind monastery walls,
Sockey's book, and her blog, are welcome, accessible entrees into
an ancient prayer practice of the Universal Church. Once begun,
the Liturgy of the Hours is a rhythm of prayer as comforting as
your morning coffee, as encouraging and hard to stop as your
daily exercise routine. 
Buy It Now!