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To pray silently ? Or, outloud ?

No Image Laura McNulty on March 12th, 2024 at 10:07
Good morning to our prayer community, When at home, during prayer time, at times I’ll pray LOH silently, at other times, I’ll pray out loud. But; is there any knowledge out there, of a “rule”...

7 responses to “To pray silently ? Or, outloud ?”

  1. Michael says:

    I had the same question when I started a little over a year ago. I cannot speak to rules or guidelines. I’ve read the General Instruction, but I don’t recall what it says on the subject. Now that I mention the General Instruction, I should go back and read that again, as I probably would absorb more of it now.Anyway, I can tell you where I’ve ended up.First, if you are in a place of silence and/or where speaking out loud would draw attention to yourself, it’s better to pray silently than not to pray.That said, when you pray the liturgy, you are not praying in your own person, rather in a chorus, whether present with you or distributed throughout the world. You are not praying your own words and thoughts, rather the words and thoughts of God and of the whole Church. Sometimes I think of it as me performing for God a play that has been written by God. Not like a Shakespearian actor. Not like that. This would be more like a child in a grade school play with a parent looking on. So I think it really should be out loud. I do read the actual readings in the Office of Readings silently, but the antiphons, psalms, and responsories are aloud.

  2. seanmoylantd says:

    Mind and voice must be in harmony in a celebration that is worthy, attentive and devout if this prayer is to be made their own by those taking part in it, and be a source of devotion, a means of gaining God’s manifold grace, a deepening of personal prayer and an incentive to the work of the apostolate.”This excerpt is from the General Instructions of the Liturgy of the Hours, which is a necessary read and a good starting point.https://divineoffice.org/general-instructions/

  3. seanmoylantd says:

    I haven’t a clue. I’d love to know myself.

  4. Virgilio Maisonet says:

    If you can raise early to pray like Jesus did that May help. But even if you are in buzzy place; but can focus on your prayers that good too. We are called to be in constant prayer.

  5. Virgilio Maisonet says:

    Read Matthew 6:6-9

  6. Mark Alfaro says:

    I try to remember Matthew 6:5-7 in regards to prayer. I try to find a private place and pray aloud. But there are 2 families living in my house and sometimes privacy is not to be found. At these times I pray silently. I am by no means an expert or learned in these things, but I hope this helps.

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