When COVID hit us in March of 2020, I was very frightened as probably everyone else was. I was isolated, craved human contact, and needed to reach out and take comfort in being with my friends. St. Paul’s quickly offered online services and was looking for participants to help out with officiating at the daily office, which I volunteered for, leading me to the practice of the Daily Office. As time went on, I found myself more and more drawn to this practice, if for nothing else than to just be with others. Funny how dealing with a crisis can open new doors.
Because I was an officiant, I had to become familiar with the liturgy, which I discovered has a much more comprehensive approach to scripture. Instead of getting snippets of scripture once a week on Sunday, the daily office systematically goes through the Bible, and especially the Psalter, over the course of two years. I finally began to see that the Bible tells a far richer story than can be told when reading it only once per week, and this has given me a greater understanding of my faith, both historically and as it applies to me in this moment in time.
I probably need to thank Thomas Cramner, who wrote the first Anglican Book of Common Prayer. It was his specific intent to vastly simplify the daily office so that it could be led by any literate member of the congregation, make it accessible to all people, lay and clergy alike, and bring the systematic reading of the Bible out of the monasteries and into the life of the parish and the home. And somehow, the panic of the pandemic coupled with the magic of the Internet enabled us at St. Paul’s to reimagine what the daily office looks like in practice, and we now have a vibrant and active daily office faith community that meets virtually.
Who would have thought?
Speaking for myself, this practice has not only transformed my faith and deepened my understanding of scripture, but, more importantly, has made me appreciate being part of the daily office faith community. Please consider joining us! Links to the daily office online meeting and liturgy can be found at https://stpaulcathedral.org/calendar
Hope to see you there!
They say everything happens for a reason. I am taking a Shaping the Parish online class and in it, it is recommended that everyone attend the Eucharist on Sunday, the Daily Office during the week and do personal devotion daily. I had nowhere to do the Daily Office until now. Thank you.