Simple Way is a collection of people working together to draw nearer to Christ, improve themselves, their families and communities, and provide authentically good products and services to the world. Our reference materials are freely available from this web site. We also invite you to visit our operating companies, The Rosary Shop, Arpeggio Music, and our new custom speaker company, Arpeggio Music and Sound. We welcome comments for improvements and inquiries from people who wish to become associates (people interested in studying, practicing or adopting our spiritual disciplines).
Now Available
Opening and printing some of these files requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (click to download) -- this software is already installed on most newer computers. Some people encounter technical difficulty downloading and printing PDF files; if you do, please make sure you have downloaded the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, and consult your computer help manual.
- Sample 1: Clip from the introduction
- Sample 2: First group attempt after introductory exercises
- Sample 3: Incorporates some tone changes
Discovering Prayer (click to download now for free): Our updated easy-to-understand tutorial on the Liturgy of the Hours is now available for download and printing. This fifth edition (2007) adds sections on how to pray on special feast days, a detailed tutorial for praying with the abridged prayer books, chanting and basic Latin prayers. This text has been in development and revision for almost 10 years; I believe it has reached a point where it is finally complete, and is certainly the most comprehensive such tutorial avaiilable. You can purchase the book with an audio CD direct from The Rosary Shop for $16. If you choose to download it, the audio samples for the new chapter on Gregorian chant are embedded directly into the pdf. As long as you have a current version of Adobe Reader, you should be able to read and hear the example chants. However, it now makes for a huge download at about 50MB. Do not attempt to download it unless you have a high speed connection. If you have a slow connection, you will do much better to purchase the book in print.
Liturgy of the Hours Help Card (click to download now for free): This card is included in the latest edition of our tutorial on praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Or you can download and print it separately. Includes a complete outline of every hour, common prayers in English and Latin, and psalm tones.
Current Calendar for the Liturgy of the Hours (click to download now for free): This simplified calendar makes it easy to keep track of which page to be on in the Liturgy of the Hours. Free download. Third draft. This version is computer-generated and shows the complete Roman Calendar for any (relevant) year.
Listen to Latin Lauds, Vespers and Compline: You can now listen to, follow along and pray with the Church in Latin on a daily basis. The prayers are broadcast from the Vatican Radio website. This is perhaps the best way to learn common Catholic prayers in Latin. Sometimes other languages are mixed in for certain readings, prayers and responsories. This link goes direct to the liturgy broadcast web page. We carry the prayer books in English and Latin at The Rosary Shop.
Lord, Open My Lips (click to order from The Rosary Shop): Our easy-to-understand tutorial on the Liturgy of the Hours is now available in a professionally-published version. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to pray any of the prayers found in the Liturgy of Hours, from the shorter, abbreviated books, all the way to the complete 4-volume set. It is available direct from the author at The Rosary Shop. This book will be in limited supply because our publisher, North Bay Books, has never provided the required publishing reports or royalties it agreed to. As a consequence we have revoked their permission to print it. So get it while it lasts.
Way of the Cross for families. Based upon the Ligourian Stations of the Cross, but simplified to make it suitable for families with younger children (yet still in keeping with the spirit of the original text -- not "watered down" like so many are).
Way of Faith (click to view the draft): A 16-page pamphlet summarizing the spiritual practices of our partnership and apostolate. Please feel free to send us your questions or comments. We'd love to hear what you think should be added or changed.
Q & A about the Catholic Church (click to download now for free): This double-sided 8 1/2 x 11 pamphlet is intended as a free evangelical tool you can give to friends, family or visitors. It answers 20 basic questions about the Catholic faith, and invites the reader to contact the local Catholic parish, references, or even you with additional questions.
Audio MP3 of Sample Chants from the Discovering Prayer book, above. We originally intended to make the entire CD available for electronic download, but at 30MB it was just too big. The complete 30-minute audio of the section on chant is provided on CD if you purchase the print book. Here are a few small excerpts from the CD (even though these are only about 45 seconds, they are almost 1MB and may take awhile to download). These are MP3 files and can be played on most computers.
Why charge for the hardcopy? Many years and thousands in various costs went into developing the tutorial and accompanying CD. Though we are happy to give away the electronic download for free, we have to find a way to recoup some of the development cost. Most of the development cost was the recording/mastering equipment for the CD.
Questions about Prayer or the Catholic Faith?
Please feel free to send us your questions or comments. If we don't know the answer, we'll do our best to refer you to someone who does. We will eventually compile a searchable database of questions and answers.
Coming in the Future
- Live database of prayer groups, locations and meeting times.
- Business success resource materials and online training.
Related Web Sites
Please send us a note if your site is directly related to The Liturgy of the Hours or the Lay Apostolate and you would like to be listed here.
- Vatican Radio: Liturgical prayers in Latin
- Universalis: Daily Morning and Evening Prayer
- Liturgy of the Hours: Distributes daily prayers as PDFs
- St. Thomas More House of Prayer: A prayer and retreat house where they teach the Liturgy of the Hours in person
- Magnificat: Monthly periodical that includes the readings for the Mass and modified Morning and Evening Prayers
- Papal Reflections: Reflections by Pope John Paul II upon some psalms and canticles of the Liturgy of the Hours
- GILH: General Instruction for the Liturgy of the Hours
Related Church Documents
Recommended Books
- The Liturgy of the Hours: Complete Set, Vinyl Cover, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1999. ISBN 0899424112
- Shorter Morning and Evening Prayer, John Brook, Liturgical Press, 1994, 562 pages. ISBN 0814619398
- Shorter Christian Prayer, Vinyl Cover, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1999. ISBN 0899424082
- Christian Prayer, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1999. ISBN 0899424066
- The Art of Praying, Msgr. Romano Guardini, Sophia Institute Press, 1995, 192 pages. ISBN 0918477344
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Ed., Hardcover, Our Sunday Visitor, 2000, 928 pages. ISBN 0879739770
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Ed., Softcover, Our Sunday Visitor, 2000, 928 pages. ISBN 0879739762
- Christian Prayer (Large Print Edition), Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1986. ISBN 0899424074
- From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours: The Structural Reform of the Roman Office 1964-1971, Stanislaus Campbell, Pueblo Publishing Company, 1995, 384 pages. ISBN 0814661335
- The Liturgy of the Hours: Complete Set, Vinyl Cover, Moshy Brothers Publishing Company, 1980. ISBN 0899424090
- The Liturgy of the Hours: Advent and Christmas, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1980. ISBN 0899424015
- The Liturgy of the Hours: Lent and Easter, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1980. ISBN 0899424023
- The Liturgy of the Hours: Ordinary Time Weeks 1 to 17, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1980. ISBN 0899424031
- The Liturgy of the Hours: Ordinary Time Weeks 18 to 36, Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1980. ISBN 089942404X