Category: Prayer

2025 Guide to the Christmas Octave @FranciscanMom

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours in the 2025 Christmas Octave

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“What page are we on?”

With so many different breviary editions out there, I can’t answer that question in this space. But I can tell you what headings to find, so you can put your ribbons and bookmarks in the right places before you start praying. It looks a little complicated—and this week really IS—but when you set everything up ahead of time, it will make your prayer time easier.

Start by downloading my free Christmas Antiphons bookmark. Keep that on Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary, and keep another ribbon or bookmark on Morning Prayer for Christmas. You’ll need that several times in the coming week.

Want some basic information on the Liturgy of the Hours? Get my booklet, The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours (available in print or for Kindle).

December 26: Feast of Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

Morning Prayer:

Look for “December 26: Stephen, First Martyr” in the Proper of Saints (toward the back of your breviary). Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Everything comes from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day.

 

December 27: Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

Morning Prayer:

Look for “December 27: John, Apostle and Evangelist” in the Proper of Saints (toward the back of your breviary). Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Everything comes from Evening Prayer I for the Feast of the Holy Family. See the next section for info.

 

Feast of the Holy Family

This is a movable feast that is usually celebrated the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day—unless Christmas is on a Sunday. In 2025, we celebrate this feast beginning the evening of December 27 with Evening Prayer I.

Saturday evening, December 27:

Look for “Holy Family” in the Proper of Seasons (the section in the front of the breviary) and find Evening Prayer I. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Sunday, December 28, Morning Prayer:

Look for “Holy Family” in the Proper of Seasons and find Morning Prayer. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Sunday, December 28, Evening Prayer:

Look for “Holy Family” in the Proper of Seasons and find Evening Prayer II. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

 

Monday, December 29: 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas and Commemoration of Thomas Beckett, Bishop and Martyr

Morning Prayer:

Return to Morning Prayer for Christmas Day for the psalms, canticle, and their antiphons. After those, look in the Proper of Seasons under “December 29.” For the Commemoration of Thomas Beckett, the antiphon for the Gospel Canticle and the final prayer come from the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Psalms and canticles and their antiphons come from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day. After the psalms and canticle, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 29” with the exception of the antiphon for the Gospel Canticle and the final prayer: those come from the Proper of Saints.

 

Tuesday, December 30: 6th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Morning Prayer:

Return to Morning Prayer for Christmas Day for the psalms, canticle, and their antiphons. After those, look in the Proper of Seasons under “December 30.”

Evening Prayer:

Psalms and canticles and their antiphons come from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day. After the psalms and canticle, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 30.”

 

Wednesday, December 31: 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Morning Prayer:

Return to Morning Prayer for Christmas Day for the psalms, canticle, and their antiphons. After those, look in the Proper of Seasons under “December 31.”

Evening Prayer:

Everything comes from Evening Prayer I for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. See that section below.

 

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Wednesday, December 31, Evening Prayer:

Look for Look for “January 1” in the Proper of Seasons and pray Evening Prayer I. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Thursday, January 1, Morning Prayer:

Look for “January 1” in the Proper of Seasons and find Morning Prayer. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Thursday, January 1, Evening Prayer:

Look for Look for “January 1” in the Proper of Seasons and pray Evening Prayer II. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

 

 

Copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Photo copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.

Amazon affiliate links included.

woman reading bible

Review: Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter

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Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter: A Daily Guide to Reading the Bible

By Colleen Reiss Vermeulen
Publisher: Ave Maria Press

When I looked inside Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter, I was excited to see a prayer format that seems to fit me just right. Each day’s entries contain prayer inspiration from the Liturgy of the Hours and the daily Scripture readings, both of which are already part of my prayer routine. Colleen Reiss Vermeulen has taken prayer elements I’m already familiar with and invited me to go deeper.

 

 

 

 

 

If you don’t pray the Liturgy of the Hours, you can still use this book — and perhaps it will spark your interest in learning more about this beautiful way to pray. The psalm verses from the Liturgy of the Hours open the door to prayerful reflection on the Scripture readings (passages from Mark’s Gospel during Lent and the Acts of the Apostles for the Easter season).

This book is designed to be used one, two, or three times per day. In the section called “How to Use This Book,” the author shares strategies for adapting the prayers into separate sessions or praying all at once, whichever best fits your schedule and your inclination. It’s not so important when you pray … as long as you pray! There are even ways to incorporate these elements into your family prayer time.

 

What you’ll find in each day’s prayers

Each day’s prayer entries include:

  • A Psalm verse from Morning Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours)
  • A sentence or two based on this verse, to aid in your contemplation, followed by a brief prayer
  • Introduction to the day’s Scripture reading
  • Scripture reference for that day’s reading (bring your own Bible)
  • A Scripture verse each week to memorize, from Evening Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours)
  • Invitation to respond to God’s word, with questions to ponder
  • Closing prayer

This looks like a lot, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. You can use as much or as little of this material as you like, and what works for you on some days of the week might not be the same as what works on other days!

 

An invitation to fruitful prayer

Ahead of Lent (which begins March 5), treat yourself to a copy of Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter — and a new journal to go along with it. Then, resolve to spend some time each day in prayer with this excellent resource as your guide.

 

Ask for Simply Scripture for Lent and Easter at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Ave Maria Press.

Copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Image: Canva

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

"How to Pray for the Faithful Departed" by Barb Szyszkiewicz (FranciscanMom.com)

How to Pray for the Faithful Departed

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Essential Prayer for the Dead

by Sister Mary Leonora WIlson, FSP
Published by Pauline Books & Media

Our faith teaches us that it’s everyone’s job to pray for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:45). It’s not something we usually think about unless we’re attending a funeral, but it’s something we can find a way to do every day. The new book, Essential Prayers for the Dead, provides not only a collection of prayer options drawn from the Bible and the traditions of the Church, but also a brief, clear discussion of Purgatory and the role of the laity in helping those who have died through our prayers.

Essential Prayers for the Dead

What’s in this book?

Sister Mary Leonora Wilson, FSP, lists 12 ways we can help our beloved dead through prayer. In this book, she has gathered prayers that can easily be incorporated into your family’s prayer routine or your personal devotions, and encourages practices such as arranging to have a Mass offered for a deceased loved one and making small charitable acts or acts of self-denial for those in Purgatory.

In this book, you’ll also find information about indulgences and how the gift of certain prayers and good works can be offered for souls in Purgatory, as well as the comforting knowledge that suffering souls can also pray for us.

The book includes psalms of comfort and penitence, prayers for our beloved dead, the Stations of the Cross for the souls in Purgatory, meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary for the souls in Purgatory, and much more.

 

Perfect during the Month of the Holy Souls and all year long

During November, the Month of the Holy Souls, we focus on praying for our deceased loved ones and the souls in Purgatory. But this is not something we should do for only one month of the year. The faithful departed need our prayers, no matter what the season.

Ask for Essential Prayers for the Dead at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Pauline Books & Media.

 

"How to Pray for the Faithful Departed" by Barb Szyszkiewicz (FranciscanMom.com)

 

Copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Image: Canva

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

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Liturgy of the Hours: Where to Put the Ribbons During Easter Week

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It’s Easter Week—the Octave of Easter—and of all the weeks in the Church calendar, this one probably calls for the most page-flipping during Morning and Evening Prayer. If you’re already feeling hopelessly confused, grab a few holy cards and follow along!

These instructions work with both the 1-volume Christian Prayer and 4-volume Liturgy of the Hours editions.

First things first: download my Easter antiphons bookmark (it’s free!) and print that out. You have just saved yourself 6 page flips.

Then, take your breviary ribbons, that bookmark, and a handful of holy cards, and set things up as follows:

  • One marker at Evening Prayer II for Easter Sunday (for the Evening Prayer psalms)
  • One marker for the current day in the Easter Octave, at Morning or Evening Prayer. This one, and only this one, moves as you go through the week.
  • Easter antiphons bookmark at Morning Prayer for Sunday, Week 1 (for the Morning Prayer psalms)

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I can’t figure out why the publisher and book designer for these breviaries bothered to include the Lenten and every other Easter seasonal antiphon on Sunday Week 1, with those being used for one day each, but not the ones for Easter Sunday that are used for eight full days. If someone at the USCCB or the ICEL or the publisher would like to hire me as a test user/consultant, I’ll be happy to share my opinion on how to make using these books a little less confusing.

Are you interested in praying the Liturgy of the Hours but don’t know where to begin? Check out my booklet, The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours, for encouragement and tips for getting the most out of this beautiful way to pray with the Church.

Copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.

This article includes Amazon links; your purchase through these links supports the work of this website. Thank you!

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A Quick Guide to Morning and Evening Prayer for Christmas Week

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“What page are we on?”

With so many different breviary editions out there, I can’t answer that question in this space. But I can tell you what headings to find, so you can put your ribbons and bookmarks in the right places before you start praying. It looks a little complicated—and this week really IS—but when you set everything up ahead of time, it will make your prayer time easier.

Want some basic information on the Liturgy of the Hours? Get my booklet, The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours (available in print or for Kindle).

Christmas Eve, December 24

Morning Prayer:

Look for “December 24” in the Proper of Seasons section (the front) of your breviary. The antiphons and reading, responsory, and everything following come from there.

The psalms will come from Saturday morning, Week III in the Ordinary section (middle) of your breviary.

Evening Prayer:

Look for “December 25” in the Proper of Seasons and pray Evening Prayer I for Christmas. Everything is contained on those pages.

 

Christmas Day, December 25

Morning Prayer:

Look for “Christmas” in the Proper of Seasons and find Morning Prayer. Also bookmark Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary for the psalms. Everything else is there in the Proper of Seasons.

Make it easy on yourself by downloading my free Christmas Antiphons bookmark. Keep that on Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary, and keep another ribbon or bookmark on Morning Prayer for Christmas. You’ll need that several times in the coming week.

 

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Evening Prayer:

Look in the Proper of Seasons under “Christmas” and find Evening Prayer II. Everything is there.

 

December 26: Feast of Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

Morning Prayer:

Look for “December 26: Stephen, First Martyr” in the Proper of Saints (toward the back of your breviary). Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Psalms and canticles and their antiphons come from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day. After the psalms and canticle, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 26.”

 

December 27: Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

Morning Prayer:

Look for “December 27: John, Apostle and Evangelist” in the Proper of Saints (toward the back of your breviary). Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Psalms and canticles and their antiphons come from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day. After the psalms and canticle, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 27.”

 

December 28: Feast of the Holy Innocents

Morning Prayer:

Look for “December 28: Holy Innocents” in the Proper of Saints (toward the back of your breviary). Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Psalms and canticles and their antiphons come from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day. After the psalms and canticle, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 28.”

 

December 29: Commemoration of Thomas Beckett, Bishop and Martyr

Morning Prayer:

Return to Morning Prayer for Christmas Day for the psalms, canticle, and their antiphons. After those, look in the Proper of Seasons under “December 29.” For the Commemoration of Thomas Beckett, the antiphon for the Gospel Canticle and the final prayer come from the Proper of Saints.

Evening Prayer:

Psalms and canticles and their antiphons come from Evening Prayer II for Christmas Day. After the psalms and canticle, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 29” with the exception of the antiphon for the Gospel Canticle and the final prayer: those come from the Proper of Saints.

 

Saturday, December 30

Morning Prayer:

Return to Morning Prayer for Christmas Day for the psalms, canticle, and their antiphons. After those, everything is found in the Proper of Seasons under “December 30.”

 

Feast of the Holy Family

This is a movable feast that is usually celebrated the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day—unless Christmas is on a Sunday. In 2023, we celebrate this feast beginning the evening of December 30 with Evening Prayer I.

Saturday evening, December 30:

Look for “Holy Family” in the Proper of Seasons and find Evening Prayer I. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Sunday, December 31, Morning Prayer:

Look for “Holy Family” in the Proper of Seasons and find Morning Prayer. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

 

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Sunday, December 31, Evening Prayer:

Look for Look for “January 1” in the Proper of Seasons and pray Evening Prayer I. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Monday, January 1, Morning Prayer:

Look for “January 1” in the Proper of Seasons and find Morning Prayer. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from Sunday, Week I in the Ordinary. After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

Monday, January 1, Evening Prayer:

Look for Look for “January 1” in the Proper of Seasons and pray Evening Prayer II. Use the antiphons provided there; the psalms come from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary (toward the back of your breviary). After the psalms and canticle, everything is in the Proper of Seasons.

 

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Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Photos copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.

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On MyBookshelf: A Picture Book by Susan Tassone about the Holy Souls

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Whether there’s been a death in the family or your children have simply expressed curiosity about what happens to us after we die, Susan Tassone’s picture book New Friends Now and Forever: A Story about the Holy Souls will help families deal with children’s inevitable questions with sensitivity, care, theological accuracy, and an emphasis on prayer. This sweet story demonstrates the importance of praying for our deceased loved ones and souls we’ve never met, as well as prayer for our family, friends, and our own cares and concerns.

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Church teaching about Purgatory is presented in a comforting way, emphasizing God’s love and our ability to help souls get to Heaven. The book starts out with a note for grown-ups detailing five important truths about Purgatory:

  • Purgatory exists.
  • Purgatory exists because God loves us.
  • Purgatory isn’t a “punishment.”
  • The souls in Purgatory suffer the loss of the sight of God.
  • Purgatory isn’t a physical fire.

The note to grown-ups also underscores the importance of prayer for the souls in Purgatory and how parents can encourage their children to pray for the Holy Souls.

In New Friends Now and Forever, a family greets Mr. Ray, an elderly man from the parish, after Mass; he tells the children that he has been praying for the soul of his deceased wife. The children decide to be the gentleman’s prayer pal and to pray for his wife’s soul as well. The family prays together at meals, bedtime, at Adoration, and when passing by a cemetery. Over and over through the book, the prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is repeated. As the family continues to pray together, they eventually experience the loss of their friend Mr. Ray, and the power of that prayer is reinforced.

“Did You Know?” and Seek-and-Find pages complete this beautifully illustrated book. Artist Yorris Handoko created colorful, detailed images for this book that include families and friends in church, the Mass, and family activities as well as images that represent what Heaven might look like.

 

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Reading New Friends Now and Forever as a family would be an excellent way to help children learn about All Souls Day, which the Church celebrates on November 2. The prayer for souls in Purgatory is right on the back cover of the book; find a way to incorporate that prayer into your family’s daily prayers during the month of November—and beyond! As you’ll learn by reading this book, there can never be too many prayers for the Holy Souls.

Ask for New Friends Now and Forever at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the EWTN Religious Catalogue, where you’ll receive a $5 discount off the purchase price.

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Some links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

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New Time, New Prayer Intention

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Due to some schedule changes, my Adoration hour was switched beginning this week, and it has already brought me a new reminder of the importance of intercessory prayer.

As I drove toward the church this morning, I recognized the car in front of me. The driver attends the Saturday-evening vigil Mass and always sits near the board indicating the hymnal numbers for that weekend’s music. When I sing on Saturdays and take care of changing the numbers, she always greets me and asks me to pray for her niece, who is suffering terribly with stage IV cancer.

Each week when this woman sees me, she thanks me for praying. One time, she told me that on her way to work in the mornings, she stops by the church to pray in front of the statue of the Blessed Mother that faces the parking lot.

 

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That’s what she did today after turning her car into the church driveway. So I parked my car, gathered my things, and walked toward hers. She saw me and waved. I signaled that I was heading in to Adoration and would pray, then waved and went on my way to the chapel.

When you’re going through difficult times, knowing that you’re part of a praying community is a great comfort. When you don’t have the words to pray, you can be sure that someone else is praying those words for you. When all you can do is hold on to your Rosary, there is someone whispering the Hail Marys.

It’s good—and important—to pray for others in secret. But it’s also good and imporant to let them know that you’ve got their back and are interceding for them, or offering up a day’s work and struggles for their intention. So send a text, make a call, mail a note, or signal with a wave in the church parking lot that you’re helping someone else bear their burdens.

 

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Photos copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.

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My Tuesday Church

franciscanmom5 Comments

In September, my parish moved the daily Mass time to noon on weekdays.

I love this, because it allows me to work from 7:30 to 11:30 and then head to Mass before having lunch—if I get it together enough to start that early, and if I have no afternoon meetings.

On Tuesdays, though, I do have a meeting—at noon—so I can’t attend Mass at my own parish. So on Tuesdays, I take a field trip. I’ve tried one church that offers an 8 AM Mass, which works well with my schedule, but there were some other factors that made this not a good fit. (If going to daily Mass is a near occasion of sin, and it was, then some things need to be reconsidered.) So I visited another parish that’s not too far away and has a 9 AM Mass.

 

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I struggle, some weeks, with the idea that I’d rather be at my home parish, my parish home. A part of me feels disloyal for going somewhere else once a week, and for liking it there. But I think it’s OK to want to be at your own parish, because that means it’s important to you—I love my parish home. And it’s also OK to take field trips when you’re unable to attend Mass at your home parish. Better that than to skip! After all, Jesus is present in any Catholic church.

But my Tuesday church has been a real gift. It’s a diverse parish, with weekend Masses in three languages. At daily Mass, the pastor effortlessly switches among those languages as he distributes Communion, so each person receiving hears “The Body of Christ” in his or her own language. This is a beautiful sign of respect for each person’s culture. Father Jorge knows who speaks English, Spanish, or Portuguese, and greets them accordingly.

And on some days, like today, the homily is a real treat, because it’s like it was written just for me. I will remember, going forward, to focus on this:

It’s interesting that every day during Mass, right before we receive Communion, we all hear these words of Jesus Christ: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.”

Father went on to discuss the many times peace is mentioned in the Gospels, and how the Blessed Mother has urged us to pray for peace. He encouraged everyone to read Pacem in Terris, the encyclical by St. John XXIII. And he asked us all to consider how we can be peacemakers and peacekeepers.

I got home from Mass this morning to learn that my noon meeting was canceled. But that’s OK. God gave me a beautiful gift at Mass at 9, at my Tuesday church.

 

 

(If you want to skip to the homily, it’s 20 minutes in. Highly recommended.)

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz

Photos copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.

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The Seven Sorrows: A Rosary for Caregivers

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Theresa Kiser’s new book, Caring for a Loved One with Mary: A Seven Sorrows Prayer Companion, was written by a mother whose child faced a complex medical diagnosis. But we all face times when we’re cast into the role of caregiver, and who better than Mary to run to with our concerns?

More than a decade ago, I first ran to the Rosary when someone in my immediate family faced a health crisis. At that time, I didn’t know all the Mysteries, but keeping that knotted-twine rosary in my pocket was a comfort, a reminder that Mary is a mother to us all, a caring mother who understands what it’s like when our loved ones suffer.

In the fall, when we once again faced news of a difficult diagnosis, I decided I wanted to specifically pray the Seven Sorrows devotion. I ordered a Seven Sorrows chaplet from the Mary Devotions shop on Etsy; Barbara made one specifically for me. It’s a little too large to keep in my pocket, but when I hold these beads, they’re solid in my hands, and have a lot of facets for my fiddling, anxious fingers.

I found that this book, Caring for a Loved One with Mary, has helped me to go deeper with the Seven Sorrows devotion. I’ve been going through it slowly, a chapter at a time, really concentrating on each particular Sorrow. The meditations on the Sorrows, and each prayer, are truly written for the caregiver:

Her sorrows remind me that my own sufferings are part of God’s loving plan. When I try (unsuccessfully, I might add) to avoid the difficulties of my circumstances, I may be closing myself off to the grace he generously offers within them. When I struggle to find the strength, I am comforted to know—at the very least—that Mary walked this road before me. There is no reason why she would abandon me when she knows so deeply how my heart aches. (32)

 

So many prayer books about suffering focus on the person who is enduring a particular trial. This book is for the ones who love them; they are suffering too, in their own way, just as Mary suffered along with her Son. It is a comfort to read and pray along with Caring for a Loved One with Mary. I’ve already purchased an extra copy to give to a friend who is in the thick of an intensive caregiving season.

At the end of this book, you will find tips for starting a support group; questions for reflection, discussion, or journaling; and a way to quickly pray the Seven Sorrows Devotion, as well as St. Alphonsus Liguori’s “Little Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.”

Ask for Caring for a Loved One with Mary at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Our Sunday Visitor.

 

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Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz

Photos copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz

This article contains Amazon affiliate links; your purchase through these links supports the work of this website at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

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Holy Week in the Liturgy of the Hours

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Don’t miss the beauty of Holy Week liturgy—including the Liturgy of the Hours!

While Holy Thursday and Good Friday rightly get lots of attention, the earlier days of Holy Week shouldn’t be overlooked.

A few observations and tips to get you through this week of praying:

Morning Prayer includes readings from the prophets who foretold Christ’s suffering.

Evening Prayer’s readings focus on Christ’s sacrifice and its implications for us.

If you attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, you do not also pray Evening Prayer.

If you attend the liturgical celebration of the Passion on Good Friday, you do not also pray Evening Prayer.

Highly recommended: the Second Reading in the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday.

Holy Saturday pro tip: pray Evening Prayer before you head to the Easter Vigil.

 

Get ready for the Easter Octave with a FREE downloadable bookmark!

Download and print my Easter Antiphons bookmark and save yourself a whole lot of page-flipping during Morning Prayer for the Octave of Easter.

 

This week on Instagram, I’m highlighting one beautiful element from each day’s Liturgy of the Hours.

Ask for The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours at your local Catholic bookstore, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Our Sunday Visitor.

 

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Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz (created in Canva), all rights reserved.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Your purchase through these links supports the work of this website at no additional cost to you. Thank you!