Horologion

(n.) [Gr. Ὡρολόγιον, hōrologion, from hōra (hour) + legein (to collect, speak)]

— a liturgical book of the Eastern Orthodox Church that contains the fixed prayers, psalms, hymns, and sacred readings appointed for the daily cycle of canonical services, including but not limited to: the Hours (First, Third, Sixth, Ninth), Vespers, Matins, and Compline. Employed chiefly in monastic worship, though abridged for parish use. Sometimes styled the Book of Hours, comparable yet distinct from the Western breviary.

As an inquirer into the Orthodox Christian faith, I have presented my prayer rule here for personal ease of use from many sources, to avoid much flipping of pages and unnecessary scrolling. I’ve also attempted to convert the Elizabethan English that still prevails in liturgical texts into modern parlance, at least regarding the content that regularly left me tongue-tied.

I have developed this prayer rule without direct blessing from a priest or spiritual father, but my inspiration initially comes from priests accessible on YouTube: Spyridon Bailey, Paul Trubenbach, Josiah Trenham, and Peter Heers, among others. These men emphasize having a prayerful life, and advocate keeping a prayer rule.

I began with a simple rule of prayer…a few minutes in the morning and a few at night. After learning more about Orthodoxy, hesychasm, and prayer, I evolved the rule into what is represented on this blog. It took over a year of prayer and reflection for the rule to grow from its humble beginnings to what it is now. That being said, in practice I try my best to focus on the words of each prayer without using imagination, and also saying them without expectation. Well, maybe not entirely without expectation…I know that God hears these prayers, His will be done.

The overarching theme of these prayers is “Lord have mercy.” We’re not asking for Mercedes-Benzes here. My current understanding is that mercy is grace and forgiveness bestowed by God. My current belief is that by repeating these prayers regularly and earnestly I will be able to affect changes in me in order “to strip off the old man, the garment of sin, and let us put on the new man, through the renewal of our life and conduct.” (St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 1). My intention is to continue this until I can find a church and a spiritual father, receive the mysteries, and truly begin on my path towards salvation.

Although there is a lot of material here, and it’s a “rule”, the only real rule is to pray every day. Some days I can’t hit all the bases, and many days my mind wanders mid-prayer. I have consolation that this is a condition that saints have suffered, and the salient point here is to not give up. Fall down, admit the fall, ask forgiveness, start again and avoid falling if possible. Lather, rinse, repeat. Meanwhile, it’s advisable to not “bite off more than one can chew” to avoid the dangers of prelest.

This site is not monetized, and I make no authorship claim to any content except for this About page. This site exists only for my own edification. If you are reading this, I hope you find personal value in it. Meanwhile, I encourage you to add these volumes, which are the sources of the content here, to your bookshelf.

Jordanville Prayer Book
The Unabbreviated Horologion or Book of the Hours
The Orthodox Study Bible

Love in Christ,

Geoff