The Canticles of the Liturgical Hours

"In this well-crafted scholarly work, Abbot Gregory Polan offers a timely exposition and meditation upon the treasures to be found in the canticles that are part of the daily round in the Liturgy of the Hours. This, together with Abbot Gregory's highly acclaimed commentary on the psalms, will be a rich resource for all who pray together 'in the person of Christ' for the People of God and the whole world each day."
--Arthur Cardinal Roche, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

"With the prayerful depth of a senior monk, the careful precision of a scripture scholar, and the personal warmth of a spiritual companion, Abbot Gregory opens up the Old and New Testament canticles for all believers, but especially those who succumb to the lure of the Liturgy of the Hours. Even if you have prayed these canticles for many years, here you will dive more deeply into their context, structure, and meaning. You will find no better guide inhabiting the fields of liturgy, scripture, and prayer."
--Fr. Paul Turner, pastor, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Kansas City, MO'

"No one is more qualified to write this unique set of reflections on the canticles of the Liturgy of the Hours than Abbot Gregory Polan. Not only does he have the experience of praying the divine office daily during his decades of monastic life, but he is a renowned scholar whose insights stem from deep engagement with the biblical text. An essential resource that addresses a long-neglected component of the divine office!"
--Ronald D. Witherup, PSS, adjunct professor at St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore

"Volumes have been written on the history, structure, and traditions of the divine office, but rarely have authors examined just the canticles--the 'little songs' that punctuate the Liturgy of the Hours. In this book, we are treated to the insights of an historian, the mind of a biblical scholar, the soul of a poet, the heart of a believer, and the experience of a monk whose life has been shaped by the rhythm of beloved texts. This book will certainly encourage scholarship and enrich prayer."
--Rita A. Thiron, executive director, FDLC, Washington, DC

Gregory J. Polan is a Benedictine monk and priest who served as abbot primate of the Benedictine confederation at Sant'Anselmo in Rome from September 2016 to September 2024. Before this, he was abbot of Conception Abbey for twenty years, where he also taught courses in scripture and biblical languages. He holds a doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Faculty of St. Paul University, Ottawa, Canada.
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