Welcome, new blog followers "Encourager", Timothy, and Terri. And welcome to all those I don't have names for who susbscribed this week on Google Reader and other readers.
Maybe 100,000 pageviews in the eighteen month life of this blog is pathetic, maybe not. But it' a significant number to me. Thank you, everyone, for your interest in the Liturgy of the Hours.
To celebrate this numerologically significant milestone, we're going to have a Giveaway. Thanks to the kindness of the St. Thomas More House of Prayer in Cranberry, PA, I have three copies of a beautiful and easy to use Night Prayerbook-Compline. This is a workbook sized book with everything needed for each night's compline on a two page spread. It has lovely margin decorations, reminiscent of illuminated manusripts, on the edges of each page, color coded for the liturgical season.
Why the liturgical color coding? Because even though Night Prayer repeats each seven days during ordinary time, there are a few variations for the Easter Triduum, its octave, the Easter Season, and the eve of solemnities. So nothing is left to guesswork here for the beginner.
The Night Prayerbook is an ideal way to introduce newcomers to the Liturgy of the Hours, or to get a spouse, friend, or family member to start praying with you. For anyone using this book by themselves, there is a beautifully clear beginner's tutorial that answers every question about the prayers and rubrics of Night Prayer.
How to win one of these beauties? Just enter a comment below. IMPORTANT: If you are signed on as Anonymous, please leave some sort of name or distinguishing remark so that you will stand out from all the anonymous "Enter me" messages.
ALSO: if you are not a regular follower of this blog, and there is no way for me to click on your name and actually contact you if you win, then consider subscribing to this blog, at least for a while, so that you will receive the post announcing the winners next week.
Will my fellow bloggers, especially those involved in third orders, please let their own readers know about this contest? Thanks.
One more note: the St. Thomas More House of Prayer, which donated these books, is a lovely, lay-run retreat house whose mission is identical to that of this blog: to spread awareness and participation in the Liturgy of the Hours. If your travels ever take you across route 80 in northwest Pennsylvania, this beautiful place is worth a side trip.
Still one more note: You may also use this post for the regular weekly Q&A. Just include whether or not you want to be included in the drawing for the Night Prayerbook.
