This is a companion piece for the Daily Hours already published. During weekdays in Lent, extra prayers are added to reflect the mood of the season and encourage a spirit of repentance. A version of these Lenten hours is provided below for download:
The text is larger because it has been edited for printing: if you select "Booklet" in the printing options and follow the instructions, you should end up with an A5 booklet made from 14 pages of A4 paper using any good home printer.
The intention in this booklet is for it to be used to build a simple prayer rule during Lent. This is done by choosing one of the hours to pray (whichever is most convenient) each day. The first or third hours are suitable for any time during the morning; the sixth or ninth hours are suitable for anytime in the afternoon; the ninth hour is also suitable for the evening, as in the Church it is sometimes added to the beginning of Vespers, the main evening service.
Said aloud, an hour should take around 15-20 minutes to pray. This is longer than the normal Daily Hours, but this is intentional as an increase in the prayer rule is normal at Lent. The Hours as presented here are not used on Saturdays and Sundays, and the normal Daily Hours can be used then. The Typika can also be used on Sundays if no services are available.
For completeness, the places where the kathisma would normally read are included. The kathisma is a portion of the Psalter/Book of Psalms appointed to be read at certain times. Over a certain period, the entire Psalter is read in these kathisma "portions". Although included, including these Psalm readings into an hour will significantly increase the time taken to read the prayers. For non-monastics and those who have work and family lives, this will put big pressures on your time and is not recommended.
It is normal to want to increase the prayer-rule during Lent. However, increasing it beyond our capacity will cause us to fall and perhaps abandon our prayer rule altogether. Please be careful in taking on a new prayer rule and consult with your priest or someone you trust in these matters.
Have a fruitful and joyous Fast!
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