Hello hivemind.

TL;DR at the end...

Regarding the office:

For about a year, up until Palm Sunday a couple months ago, I was praying the Roman LoTH, and using the new Divine Office Hymnal (I like to chant the office whenever possible: it helps me contemplate everything just that much more.)

For the past couple months I have been praying the office according to the Benedictine usage from 1962/63 found in the Diurnal from St. Michaels abbey. I have loved just about every minute of it, even though I'm not singing: it has helped me to learn the NT canticles in Latin, and I have absolutely enjoyed praying the day hours on a weekly cycle, internalizing them as I went along. But It was hard to keep the calendars straight since I work in a NO parish as a Director of Music.

Just this last weekend, I was accepted as an Oblate Novice for my local Monastery. I absolutely love the way they pray the office (it's just a tad longer than the Roman office since it is a 2 week cycle, and has a bit of the Benedictine "flavor" that I loved about the '62/63 office..); not to mention, they were gracious in allowing me PDF copies of their in-house office books... But here is my issue.

I don't mind the Roman office... But it's my least favorite of the 3 in the 1974 LoTH edition, but that is what I use when we celebrate sung vespers at my parish on Sundays of Lent, Advent, Pentecost, and select other Sundays...

Praying according to the monastery's usage that I have begun my oblation to allows me to feel more closely tied with the abbey, the monks, the priests, the oblates, etc.

But I LOVE the '62 Benedictine usage, especially how the prayers are filled out at the end, and it doesn't feel as if the office just STOPS, like the others do... my only complaint is the calendar issues (which I remedied in my practice by simply praying each day as a ferial day of the respective season, and only praying a given feast if they lined up...)

I know I can use whatever I want at any time as a member of the laity, but as one of the purposes of living the Rule as an Oblate is to find balance and stability in one's life, I feel that I should choose something and stick with it. (This isn't even to mention the Little office of the BVM, Divino Afflatu, etc., etc., etc....)

I love them all according to their own merits, and am having a hard time deciding. I would love your thoughts!



TL;DR: I have used the Roman LoTH of 1974, A local monastery's usage (2 week cycle) to which I have been accepted as an Oblate Novice, and the 1962/63 Benedictine usage (Monastic Diurnal). I love all three, and they all have their merits and I love them all based on these. .. I don't know which to use and settle into.... Thoughts?