u/rosarymama2776

A fabulous discussion by Bishop Robert Barron on the Liturgy of the Hours.

https://youtu.be/Zt3a3E5g0kE?is=LIV\_Cl2WE-wrPZjU

I wanted to keep my tabs simple and easy to use. I purchased a set of colored tabs from Amazon. The tabs in the photo are easy to apply and easy to remove from any paper including the paper in your Breviary. I matched the tabs to the color of the ribbons. I was still struggling to find my way around and wanted the tabs to help me find things quickly. I placed a tab on the title page of each section in the book:

•Proper of Seasons: Green ribbon-Green tab

•The Ordinary: Purple ribbon-Purple tab

•4 Week Psalter: Blue ribbon-Blue tab

•Proper of Saints: Yellow ribbon-Yellow tab

•Commons: Red ribbon-Red tab

Then I went to the "Ordinary" section of the book. And distinctively marked the Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer instructions. I also marked these two prayers with two simple slips of paper (yellow for morning and blue for evening) Even though when I purchased my LOTH set, a card was enclosed with the books and these prayers were included with those cards. But I lost the cards sometime ago and decided to just mark them in my own way in the book for sake of ease. 

The tabs I've used in my breviary are light and plastic. Keep in mind, they are not heavy duty. I also only allowed a small portion of the tabs to extend over the page because I don't want them to be in the way. 

And that's it. I didn't want to overcrowd the book with tabs and slips of paper. The ribbons are designed to be moved around as you pray. And because I've added these little signposts (the colored tabs), I've become much, much more confident in praying the hours throughout the day. 🙂

I started praying the Liturgy of the Hours four years ago. I made the investment and purchased the four volume set published by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. Each day was hit or miss and I quickly became frustrated because I didn't understand how to pray with the books. But when I found out that new books were coming out, I decided I really, really wanted to learn, pray and navigate the books properly. 

I downloaded the Divine Office app and I used that for awhile to get a better understanding of what I was attempting. The app is great. I love it and I love the community that is gathered around it. But I made the decision in June to not use the app as much and try to pray just with my books. 

And I want to say that my efforts are starting to pay off. In the last few months I've been very consistent praying the LOTH daily. And as a result, I'm now learning my way around the books. I'm able to navigate the books without an app and without the daily reading guide published each year by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. 

Today, I wanted to get a bit more organized and added a few colored tabs to my books. The tabs match the ribbons I use and they help me to find what I'm looking for even faster. One thing I really, really love about LOTH is the rhythm it creates. There is a beautiful sense of connection that my heart and mind experience when I pray daily. 

I also pre-ordered the new books by Word on Fire so I'm extremely excited to get those and start praying with those beautifully crafted books. 🥰💕📚