You may have noticed The Way of Beauty button over there on the sidebar.
Naturally your interest is piqued with my clever tease. I just put it there and then waited a good long while before telling you all about it. It's all part of my master plan…in which I have great ideas and then get distracted.
So, without any further delay, I'd like to introduce you to what's going on at Thomas More College, specifically the Summer Atelier they're hosting. Its originator is David Clayton, artist in residence at the college and a new friend of ours.
{Can I just say how very much I enjoy making new friends? It makes me feel young! Do always try to make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold — remember singing that in camp?}
Have you ever noticed that every beautiful thing is connected to every other beautiful thing? And every beautiful thing has its fulfillment in the liturgy, which is simply worship of the one, true, beautiful, and good God. When we worship God, we realize that beauty isn't random. Beauty reflects something absolute and real.
And the whole culture gets formed by each person's relationship to truth, beauty, and goodness.
Just as the Church has asked us to do (but some of us don't really know how), David has been promoting the Liturgy of the Hours (LOH) through his writings and teachings, and we've talked a bit about praying the LOH as a family here on the blog. It seems a little pitiful to me to see my poor efforts to give you a peek at what participating in the LOH can do for your family life. I am so enchanted by the idea of being relieved from having to figure everything out for myself — to discover that everything has been provided by the Church, ready and waiting for us to participate in whatever degree we are able.
Communicating this enchantment is a different story! I don't seem to be doing what I mean to do in this regard. But the centrality of this message for raising children demands that I keep trying!
For families, learning more about what David calls The Way of Beauty seems especially important. I've quoted Plato before, to the effect that what a child needs is an education in beauty — knowing what's ugly and what's not, and being able to respond with affinity to reason, on account of his acquaintance with beauty.
If a family does this, they hardly have to worry about any other aspect of education. A child properly formed in beauty, truth, and goodness can't help gaining knowledge in all sorts of wonderful ways! Yet, it's easy to get confused. A family has many demands on its time and resources. I hate to see anything wasted on unworthy materials and pursuits. The very best help in the admittedly difficult task of discernment is the family's prayer together, led by the father and facilitated by the mother. Order the days to reap the wonder of beauty.
Help is on the way. These classes offered at the Atelier have a common theme: relating the skills of any creative pursuit to the Liturgy, specifically the Liturgy of the Hours (which in turn is an extension of the Mass, the central act of worship as instituted by Our Lord Himself). Getting people together this way leads immediately to a conversation about the culture, about creativity and piety, about the unity of life — worship and work and rest.
I've seen that many people are now coming together with their interest to embrace tradition and enliven it in their own sphere. They take what they learn from each other back to their own interests, their families, and their communities. I think David's work at the College, on his blog, and in his efforts to bring people together is so encouraging.
Even if you simply read about what he's doing, I know you will be enriched.
A wonderful place to start is with David's most recent blog post on the father's role in leading prayer in the home. David so clearly expresses the importance of this leadership. I hope you will read it and share it with your friends! And let me know what you think of it all.
J.C. says
If it's beauty you crave, make sure you get yourself to the nearest Tridentine Mass!! Most beautiful thing this side of heaven, I promise!
David says
I agree. I love the Extraordinary Form. The Mass done with dignity is a wonderful thing. The most beautiful I have seen were Solemn Masses at the London Oratory or the Birmingham Oratory (I struggle to choose between the two), which happened to be OF. I always urge people to go if they have a chance. This is the liturgy that converted me to the Faith.
Sarah says
I'm not a Catholic but I think that the article by David Clayton is a really thoughtful description of the power of prayer becoming part of your every day routine (a little 'shot of wonder' as it were). Since Easter Sunday I've been trying to pray the morning, midday and evening prayers from 'Common Prayer' http://commonprayer.net/about. Although I've not been as faithful as I was hoping to be it is becoming a habit and I'm starting to feel the beauty of the liturgy. I previously attended an evangelical church but have now returned to a high Anglican one (much more similar to the church I was raised in) and have been struggling with the liturgy. I feel that it is all too easy for my mouth to say the words without my brain being involved at all. When I was a teenager I thought that meant that I should move further away from liturgical services but now (I'm in my mid-20s) I am starting to realise that it means that I should invest more of myself in the liturgy and experience it more often in order to get more out. I appreciate that you may be shocked by the question but I was wondering if you have any advice for someone trying to remain engaged / appreciate the wonderSara in a liturgical service? Thank you!
_Leila says
Sarah, you know that scripture verse, “be still and know that I am God”? Sometimes we measure everything in terms of how we are experiencing it and whether we are engaged. But you can only know how much you “have gotten out” of something long, long afterwards. Certainly not at the time, usually.
Human nature is such that how we *feel* about something can't be our guide as to how real it is to us or how helpful it is or how invested we are. Sometimes we will just glide along… St. Paul talks about how the Spirit moves in us with groanings too deep for words. Sometimes our prayer has to be the incense that rises of itself.
Also, I find that it is much more helpful for me to do the LOH (or book of common prayer) with others, aloud. I read too fast to be truly present the way I should in this kind of prayer. And this is why I do so encourage you to find others — family, community — even one friend — to pray with. You will be amazed at how the slow pace of communal prayer facilitates focus, engagement, and appreciation of what is going on! Better to pray a little, slowly, than a lot, quickly!
A prayer table/altar/shrine also helps (even a crucifix and candle) if you can't be in church. God bless!
convertingheart says
What a gorgeous blog! I can't wait to dig in and read more. Thanks for sharing!
Sue says
What a gorgeous blog! I'm looking forward to digging in and reading more.
MamabearJD says
I really appreciate your guidance in this. Dad's influence is so important, and while my husband did convert to the Catholic faith 4 years ago, he still lives more in the secular world (as Dads often do, by necessity, as the breadwinner) and I find that my influence is not as strong with my oldest son, now 5, as I would like. Dad doesn't lead us in prayer, and I know that the only thing that can change that is prayer and opportunity. Thanks for the suggestion.
Lisa G. says
This reminds me – I've been reading “Leisure the Basis of Culture”, and find it quite thought provoking! Thank you for the recommendation.
Josie says
Dear Leila, this is awesome! Can't wait to read David's blog! If anyone is interested I will link my name to a new blog I created to try to create the habit of stopping for prayer throughout the day for mothers (who are chasing littles all day!), in order to eventually get to praying the LOH. It's sort of a warm up, habit training kind of thing like Charlotte Mason, but for me, not my kids! Since I am drawn to plop on the computer too often, I thought I might use it for the good, that pull to this machine that calls to me too often throughout the day.
David says
Dear Josie – I would love to know more about this and how it goes. What a terrific idea! what's the address? If you want to you contact me through my Facebook page. It would love to see this succeed and hear about how it goes.
David Clayton
Josie says
Oh my goodness, how embarrassing I somehow never saw this reply from Mr. Clayton! I am searching here three years later to find that little bit about how to improve one’s singing and I see his response! I could never get it as fine tuned as I had hoped, but a few of us did start it. Maybe I ought to go and pull it up again as I have recently lost my habit of MP. Not sure anyone will see this, but I feel moved to respond, even three years later! 🙂
Anne Marie says
Leila, thanks for these thoughts and the great link. Besides the encouragement to pray the LOH as a family, it is just so great to receive the reminders to let the father lead the family in prayer. Our society is so not into letting men lead. You can hardly read a modern children's book (the Berenstain Bears come to mind) or watch a comedy, tv or otherwise — I was just at a play that included the line, delivered by a man, “You know: girls — they wear skirts and they're smarter than we are!” This kind of thinking doesn't just hurt men, it hurts families and therefore all of society, as you wisely point out here and elsewhere. Thank you for reminding us all of this. We need to retrain our thought patterns on this, me included! So, I know what I DON'T want to do — tramp all over my husband's role, because as mothers we are so used to doing it all, just making all this home stuff happen, right? — but I love what you point out out IS my job: facilitating, making space and time stepping aside to follow as my husband takes the lead in family prayer! This probably seems simple to everyone else, but I really had an aha moment there. Brilliant.
Carol says
A seminarian pointed out to me that the LOH is merely a another personal devotion for a lay person when said without a lawfully delegated person[priest,nuns,etc.]. It is not liturgical unless it is in this setting. It would be like saying the Mass without a priest. The best, and highest personal devotion that lay people can do is say the rosary. I see some danger here if people do not understand this and forsake the rosary looking for something new and novel. I would hate to see a family forgo the family rosary for LOH. I knew a very pious, large family that did the LOH and and neglected their daily duties. Our state of life does not require us to say the LOH. I own a set myself and think they are wonderful but only recently discovered that it was only another personal devotion for me. The LOH is not an extension of the Mass unless it is said with a lawfully,delegated person. I am all for the beautiful and the true. I am a retired homeschooler of 17 yrs.
David says
The information your seminarian gave you doesn't tally with anything that I have been told or read. I wonder where he is drawing his information from? i might be misunderstanding things of course, but the priests I have spoken to do not say this and as I read it, the document that Leila referenced below describes how both the LoH and the Mass are the prayer of Christ – that is that he actually prayed it. We continue his prayer through the Church and this is the liturgy. The Catechism does say that the Liturgy of the Hours is liturgy and is more powerful and effective than any other devotional prayer. Also my information is that unlike the Mass, you don't need a priest present to make it valid, or even a Catholic – the Anglican Offices are valid Offices. There is a great book about this called Earthen Vessels written by Gabriel Bunge OSB and published by Ignatius. He suggests that families devise their own manageable schema for the psalms to help them to mark the Hours with the Psalms. Unlike priests, we are not bound to any set form. The Psalms and the Hours are the essential elements. He even describes how to create a traditional domestic shrine with visual images. In the encyclical Marialis Cultis (On the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary), Paul VI describes how praying with Christ in the Liturgy is the fullest expression of devotion to Mary and calls the Liturgy of the Hours, the 'highpoint which family prayer can reach'.(54)
Carol says
Leila, I sent you the previous post. I should add that I love your blog. My daughter loves your blog. We follow you all the time. Carol
Josie says
I'm not so down on LOH as a family devotion, perhaps morning and evening prayers? I've prayed the Rosary for years and know the graces flow from it, but have also prayed it to the exclusion of almost anything else and am now longing to be enriched by the prayer of the Church. Also, I'm noticing a sort of sobernost (am I using that correctly, like God is moving us to be of one mind and heart?) within the Christian Church as a whole in regards to sanctifying time with prayer like LOH. I really am just spouting that off though. It's an interesting point, but I think a family could include Rosary and parts of LOH with much fruit. Feel free to correct me. I was delighted to see this topic come up as it's been on my heart for the past year or so. God bless!
justamouse says
Ohhhhh. It scares me how I have this deep longing in my heart and I come here and you have written about it. As I've been becoming Catholic I've been more desiring of a home alter and have been starting to collect icons, a crucifix and candles. I bought Shorter Prayer, the LOH short version and it's wonderful.
My priest came to bless my house today and his prayer was for love, beauty and peace to be here. It was amazing and fully propelled me onward as I search these things out.
_Leila says
To Carol: Thanks so much for your comment. I have been taking for granted (and meaning to post about) the family Rosary. The Rosary is a beautiful devotion that I would never detract from!
And I am also assuming that our readers know my point of view, which is that one must have common sense and also a sense of one's station in life. We families are not running convents. St. Francis de Sales makes it clear that we lay people must take seriously our duties in the home and to each other. My emphasis is on praying together because yes, the LOH may become burdensome to the lay person when prayed alone — when that lay person has duties to a family.
I'm not sure that the Liturgy of the Hours could ever be described as “something novel” however. And I'm also not sure that your seminarian was exactly correct in characterizing the LOH as not liturgical in the way you say. I would encourage everyone to read this document —
GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS
Congregation for Divine Worship
found here: http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwgilh.htm#Ch%…
Specifically the following:
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27. Lay groups gathering for prayer, apostolic work, or any other reason are encouraged to fulfill the Church's duty, [103] by celebrating part of the liturgy of the hours. The laity must learn above all how in the liturgy they are adoring God the Father in spirit and in truth; [104] they should bear in mind that through public worship and prayer they reach all humanity and can contribute significantly to the salvation of the whole world. [105]
Finally, it is of great advantage for the family, the domestic sanctuary of the Church, not only to pray together to God but also to celebrate some parts of the liturgy of the hours as occasion offers, in order to enter more deeply into the life of the Church. [106]
***********************
I will post about this again because I believe that in addition to a solid devotion to the Rosary, a familiarity *as a family* with the LOH is important, and praying it is liturgical.
Lindsay says
We've toyed and experimented with and mostly talked a lot about incorporating the LOH into our home. It is hard with littles. But I didn't bring it up, I just posted this post on my husband's facebook page (passive, maybe, but he liked the post, lol). So, in his enthusiasm for his new iPad, he downloaded the App that provides the audio. It really is lovely, and the multiple voices help you feel you are saying it in community as it is meant, even if you are alone. We've been listening to the morning prayers during breakfast and the evening prayers during dinner with the invitiatory before breakfast and the compline before bed. Not ideal or the most prayerful posture, but it is better than nothing and how we were able to quickly incorporate it into our day just this week. I think that the podcast is available for free online, even without the iApp.
jenletts says
Leila, I did notice your Way of Beauty button right away! It looks like a wonderful program, if only plane tickets weren't so $$$ off this island right now!