Liturgia Godzin moją modlitwą

Abstract

Prayer is an inherent manifestation of the presbyter’s pastoral service. To make the prayer attitude easier the Church has worked out its own book of prayer, that is the Liturgia Horarum. It allows one to distribute the prayer in the time of the whole day so that each period of time could be sanctified. Elements contained in each part of the book are supposed to make the prayer attitude easier. Psalms occupy a special place in it. They are God’s address to man, and man’s address to God said by means of God’s words. Admittedly, it is Old Testament poetry, but the very title of the psalm, the sentence, the Biblical and patristic as well as hagiographie antiphon are to help interpret the Bible in the Christian way. Although the approved text talks about prayers after the psalms, in the Polish edition we are still waiting for Volume V of the Liturgy of the Hours with appropriate texts of orations. Drawing the reader’s attention to the above details of the Christian interpretation of the psalms is supposed to facilitate and to help making them one’s personal prayer and to transform them into an individual conversation with God. After all, the ultimate aim is to make the prayer poetry of the Old Testament a Christian’s personal prayer.