The Saint Helena Breviary

The rich tradition of monastic prayer, dating back to the earliest days of the desert hermits in the third century, has been the foundational daily prayer of the Church for most of its existence. The regimen of praying the daily office continues to this day in religious communities of several Christian traditions. In recent years, the Order of Saint Helena, a community of women in the Episcopal Church, haws spent a great deal of time and energy in revising their office book. High on the list of priorities for the revision was a broadening of language to avoid masculine imagery when referring to God. This softening of language is also evident in the avoidance of other masculine nouns and images -for example, "sentries" instead of "watchmen" and "ruler" instead of "prince."This personal edition of The Saint Helena Breviary is adapted from the monastic edition for private rather than communal use. The Saint Helena Breviary is designed for use with the Bible; but some readers will find it a source for devotion simply using the prayers, Psalms, Canticles, and hymn texts appointed for each day.