Course: Liturgy of the Hours
I remember the first time I realized the gravity of the spiritual needs of my choir –– I was planning for an intense rehearsal and the last few weekends had already felt a bit lackluster. In my previous choir directing roles, a little chutzpah was all I felt I needed to make a rehearsal jive. But instead I felt the nudge to turn the rehearsal into more of a retreat-like experience. Beginning with prayer and creating space for them to speak aloud their own prayer intentions revealed that there were some really heavy hearts in the room. Oh how my own heart broke… I felt the burning desire to bring them to Jesus for healing.
The biggest game-changer for my work as a music minister was when I started – first myself, and then with my choir – praying the liturgy of the hours. The psalms are immensely powerful, and chanting them reveals a profound dimension of Christ’s love for us. While clergy and religious are instructed on how to pray the hours, there are few resources to teach lay individuals and families to pray the hours. This course is an invitation to take a first step in praying the hours, first for you, and then for those around you.
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Why Pray the Liturgy of the Hours
The goal of this course is to unpack the psalms and the liturgy of the hours. We will understand what it is, how to pray it, and why to pray it. In this first session, we dive into the big foundational question: why pray the liturgy of the hours?
The goal of this course is to unpack the psalms and the liturgy of the hours. We will understand what it is, how to pray it, and why to pray it. In this first session, we dive into the big foundational question: why pray the liturgy of the hours?
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How to Sing the Liturgy of the Hours
Let's begin to understand what the liturgy of the hours is, and how to sing it. Andrew begins with definitions, the schedule of the hours each day, and establishes the structure of the hours.
Let's begin to understand what the liturgy of the hours is, and how to sing it. Andrew begins with definitions, the schedule of the hours each day, and establishes the structure of the hours.
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Resources to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours
Now that we understand the structure of the hours, where do you find it if you want to get started? Andrew provides a practical, and certainly not comprehensive, list of resources to begin praying the hours.
Now that we understand the structure of the hours, where do you find it if you want to get started? Andrew provides a practical, and certainly not comprehensive, list of resources to begin praying the hours.
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Practical Instruction on Singing the Hours
Andrew begins to illuminate practical instruction on text, chant, and putting these elements together in prayer. This episode provides the basic instructions to successfully sing the hours in the vision of the church.
Andrew begins to illuminate practical instruction on text, chant, and putting these elements together in prayer. This episode provides the basic instructions to successfully sing the hours in the vision of the church.
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An Experience of Praying Vespers
As a final episode, Andrew leads an experience of praying Vespers from the Mundelein Psalter.
As a final episode, Andrew leads an experience of praying Vespers from the Mundelein Psalter.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Andrew Goldstein grew up in the choir loft and spent fifteen years as a church music director. He recently joined The Vigil Project team as the Director of Mission Advancement. He has a lifelong passion forchasing the good, true, and beautiful in the contexts of the CatholicChurch, as well as in the classical music world. He is the co-founder of Seattle’s critically acclaimed experiential music series: Emerald CityMusic. He has worked as an Artistic Administrator for California'sMusic@Menlo, Korea's Chamber Music Today, and a marketingconsultant for Molina Visuals. He is a proud dad of five daughters, andspends his free time flower farming with his wife, Eryn.