When learning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we should keep everything simple and just read the texts of the offices. As we get comfortable, we can begin to chant the common parts of the offices and add some melody to our prayers one step at a time.
While some may know the hymns in the Liturgy of the Hours, the easiest place to begin is with the Invitatory Psalm and Gospel Canticles chanted daily. Tunes for these chants are provided in the music section of the single volume “Christian Prayer”, and I have provided recordings of these suggested tunes below.
Note: I’m no Pavarotti, but you’re probably not either if you’re reading this article. You can study the tunes provided in the breviary, but I think the recordings below will provide a helpful beginning.
Invitatory Psalm (Psalm 95)
The Invitatory Psalm (Psalm 95) is supposed to be recited at the beginning of every day.
Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
The Lord is God, the mighty God,
–the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
–and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,
For he is our God and we are his people,
the flock he shepherds.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.
Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
—and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Song of Zacharias (Benedictus)
The Song of Zacharias, known in Latin as the “Benedictus” is chanted every day in Morning Prayer. It is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 1:68-79:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
–that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
The Canticle of Mary (Magnificat)
The Canticle of Mary, known in Latin as the “Magnificat” is chanted every day in Evening Prayer. It is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 1:46-55:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
–in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
–and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
–for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
–and will be for ever. Amen.
The Canticle of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis)
The Canticle of Simeon, known in Latin as the “Nunc Dimittis” is chanted every day in Night Prayer. It is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 2:29-32:
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
God bless your studies,
Mr. William C. Michael, Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
