Today is the first day of preorders for the Liturgy of the Hours Second Edition from both Word on Fire and Ascension Press. Word on Fire has updated their website with an informational video and lots of new details on their edition. Here is a quick run-down of the features in Word on Fire’s volumes:
- Both regular and large print editions will be available. The font sizes will be 11.4 pt in the regular edition and 14 pt in the large print edition
- The regular size will be larger (0.5 inches wider and 1.25 inches taller) than the comparable volumes of the current standard-print Liturgy of the Hours from Catholic Book Publishing Corporation (CBPC)
- All volumes will be offered in black full grain leather
- Red and gold art gilding
- 7 ribbons
- Printed by LEGO in Italy using French paper from manufacturer PDL Paper
- The page layout was redesigned to reduce clutter compared to the current volumes from CBPC. Red text labeling the readings, intercessions, antiphons, responsories, etc., have been moved to the margin.
- Artwork by Gustave Dore was used throughout the volume.
Preorder pricing (which includes a 28% discount off the MSRP), is as follows:
Regular size 4-volume set: $359
Large Print 4-volume set: $429
Dang, WOF is beautiful too. And I respect that they didn’t send out nearly the amount of surveys as Ascension and yet they still produced a smashing edition. I love Ascension’s artwork, but WOF avoided all use of sans serif fonts and that matters more in my book haha. Sans serif still looks 70s/80s. At the end of the day, both WOF and Ascension have shown how much the US Catholic Church’s aesthetics are healing.
So… it would appear that WoF’s leather edition is over $100 less than Ascension’s? And artwork by Dore? Makes that one VERY tempting.
So, if I understand, the hymns will be different in the WoF edition than the Ascension edition? Or same hymns?
I wonder that too about the hymns. And I assume a significant reason WOF is able to offer a cheaper edition (of still incredible quality) is at least partly because their artwork is public domain rather than newly comissioned?
Eric B all of the content is exactly the same.
For an early bird discount (no indication when this ends), WOF offers a 28% discount, and AP offers a 5% discount. After the discount, WOF will cost more than the similar edition of AP.
I received confirmation from Word on Fire that all of the content, including the hymns, is the same between the WOF and Ascension versions. The artwork is different between the two publishers, but the text is the same.
Have to say that I just really dislike the layout of the WoF. Moving all the red text to the margins – just looks horrible IMO. Probably good for older people’s eyes, but it just feels very disjointed, like everything that isn’t the body of the text is a footnote.
Already ordered my premium grain leather set from Ascension this morning. Ascensions’s art and layout won me over. Frankly, I am not impressed by Word on Fire. I compared the layouts to the 2011 Baronius Three Volume Roman Breviary, the 1965 Prayer: Lauds, Vespers and Compline from Benziger, the 1963-64 Liturgical Press Divine Office, the 1950 Benziger Roman Breviary in English and the 1962 Short Breviary. Ascension seemed to me to be the most practical, as well as showing continuity with Benziger’s 1965 book. The idea of leaving large margins, claiming it unclutters things, struck me as a bogus afterthought. The wide margins are no different than the layout of their bibles. That might be good for a bible, but the LOTH? No. We pray the office, we do not have office study sessions, like a bible study.
Another reason I bought the Ascension set is that I liked the Ascension Premium Leather Bible that I bought, following comments from Marc and Timothy about it. I had the first two volumes of the Word on Fire bible and gave them away. I did not like the layout and did not find them conducive to study.
Pre-ordered the WOF edition. Excited about the design but pretty skeptical about the new translation- of the psalms and canticles at any rate. My view is, the Grail Psalter is exquisite and that a slavish focus on formal equivalence is just actually the wrong approach for psalteries which are, after all, composed of poetry. Looking at some of the sample pages in the Ascension edition, I don’t think there’s a single example (admittedly, on a single read) where the rhythm is improved or the language more poetic. I’m sure I’ll get used to it but, eh.
On the other hand, I’m not attached to the Grails translation and am looking forward to the new one that has more mainstream rendering. I for one prefer the new translation of Psalm 95’s “Harden not your hearts” to the current Grails’ “Do not grow stubborn” which seems banal to my eyes. There’s no pleasing everyone, I guess.
That’s curious as the Grail Psalter in use in the Divine Office since 1974 (in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Africa, India, etc.) has always rendered Ps 94 (95), verse 8, as “Harden not your hearts…”
ICEL took some liberties with the US edition, it’s not pure Grails. Psalm 95 in particular seems unrecognizable compared to the UK Grails edition. Unfortunately, that’s the Psalm I read every day. The new Abbey translation should look more like the current UK Grails.
Another thing I’m looking forward to with the new translation: the restoration of the original “Glory Be”. Boo those who thought they should unilaterally change the words of one of the Top 5 — if not the Top 3 — of Catholic prayers. Now Liturgy of the Hours Catholics can coexist with rosary Catholics, and now there shall be healing within English-speaking Catholicism. I’ve given myself permission to use the traditional Glory Be wording in the LOTH. Now I’m no longer muddling my prayers when praying either the Hours or the rosary.
The UK version of the LOTH never made this mistake.
YES
To quote Peter Griffin, the WOF LOTH “insists upon itself” in my eyes.
That said I did go ahead and preorder the WOF set. The discount and the “pay as you go” plan were too good to pass up and besides, I have the entire (so far) WOF Bible in leather so… it’s a set
For me, the decision did have to come down mostly to price and payment options. With WOFs discount/free shipping right now, I did decide to purchase their 4 volume standard print. It does have the natural, full grain cowhide leather from Cromwell which is nice. I chose their 4 payment option (no additional fee or anything to do it), and after tax the first payment came to $97.15. Assuming no change in tax over time, the full amount will be $388.60. Next payment will be May 2027, after that July 2027, and finally November 2027. On the receipt they also noted I will get an email before each volume ships to confirm my address and edit if needed. If I’m reading Ascension’s website correctly, their top grain standard 4 volume set right now with 5% discount/free shipping before tax is $489.99. While beautiful and I’m sure amazing quality, Ascension’s natural, full grain goatskin leather 4 volume set being $909.99 just isn’t possible for me now or in the foreseeable future. I’m thankful that WOF was able to make a set with black full grain leather (nicer and more inconspicuous in my opinion than the red bonded) attainable for someone like me. I hope this information helps anyone else who also may be having to heavily weigh price.
I reached out to Word on Fire for clarification on whether their leather binding is edge-lined. The information on their website includes the following quote:
“Durable Reinforced Construction
The first and last pages, the points of greatest stress, are reinforced using innovative binding methods. This specialized construction protects the spine against separation and cracking, so that the book endures thousands of openings without losing its integrity.”
Here is the response I received from Word on Fire:
“Edge-lined binding is a wonderful option, and we seriously explored it. Our book is different. It is a Smyth-sewn book with reinforced paste-down end sheets that uses a custom adhesive specially developed for this exact paper and this exact cover. This bespoke solution gives us the best balance of durability, beauty, ethical production, and accessibility. Producing an edge-lined four-volume set at this quality in a country outside China would have made the price dramatically higher, well beyond what most families, parishes, seminarians, and ordinary Catholics could afford. We’re very confident it will hold up to decades of daily prayer.”
Compared to the Word on Fire Bible, the new Liturgy of the Hours set will have:
“…a softer leather that testing shows holds the foil and glue better….We also changed the end sheets to a latex impregnated material that test showed will stay glued to the cover better because it flexes at a similar rate to the cover.”
Only WOF would use “bespoke” in this context and part of the things that irks me about them, and the designer with his hipster mustache points.
That’s good to know. Thanks for reaching out about that. I remember the days of not knowing the difference between a well-bound or poorly-bound book…
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. (Ecclesiastes 1:18, RSV)
Anyone concerned at all about the WOF being somewhat larger? The Ascension one appears comparable to the current version. Not sure I’d like a bigger book….
And re price – It appears to me that (with the WOF early bird discount). the bonded leather of Ascension is about 100 less than the full grain leather of WOF. But a comparable leather from Ascension is much higher (it appears so even without the discount actually). Since WOF isn’t offering a cheaper model, then Ascension has the cheapest one… but their prices are comparably higher.
Do I have that right?
I think you are right on that James. It seems that the WoF version is the better relative value for what you are getting. But for those of us who aren’t priests or religious and aren’t carrying around their brievery everywhere they go and using it 5 times a day, the bonded leather version will hold up just fine. I think the biggest factor is layout, font size, and text block size, and people will regret their choice if they override that by trying to maximize value with the pre-order discount. Which is more comfortable to read and more conducive to prayer for you? I think you will be happy with your choice years from now if make your decision based on that.
Thanks, Cory. Yes, the bonded lasted 30 years this time, should do the same…. even though I do actually pray the five hours. And I do think might not go for the larger size. God Bless.
I agree but what is the size exactly of the wof large print version?
https://word-on-fire.helpscoutdocs.com/article/1358-dimensions
https://ascensionpress.com/pages/content-hub/the-liturgy-of-the-hours-second-edition-which-edition-is-right-for-you
There’s a tradeoff. The WoF volume is taller and wider than Ascension’s but significantly thinner. Ascension’s lower end options are 2.6in thick regardless of size, vs WoF’s 2in. Ascension’s most expensive tier is 2.28in thick.
Is that all the volumes or the thickest volume because the photos on Ascension’s product page make it look like the four volume vary in thickness?
This volume is going to be the thickest: https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1ujyy4q/comment/ouz5lzk/
That was also true for the previous CBPC 4-vol: the Lent/Easter volume was the thickest. They don’t actually know the thickness of subsequent volumes, but they should all be thinner.
It’s unfortunate for Ascension’s first volume to be this one. It’s the thickest, and (for the standard edition) it’s bright red. Red and chunky is not the best look. Subsequent volumes should look better.
I just measured the thickness of my old Lent/Easter volume. It is a little more than 2 inches. Is the new one from Ascension really going to be a half inch thicker (2.6) than the one we’ve been using for years?
Will an update of the compact one-volume edition of the Liturgy of the Hours (e.g., Daughters of St. Paul, Christian Prayer) be published as well?
Yes but not from AP or WOF. Catholic Book Publishing will be doing an extracts volume and a couple of others but relatively late in the process
https://theologicalforum.org/the-liturgy-of-the-hours/
Besides MTF, the other publishers authorized to publish Major Extracts are: Catholic Book Publishing, Magnificat and Liturgical Press. But the others have maintained dead radio silence. Only MTF has said anything.
Note that the 2 publishers of the 4-vol sets are not allowed to publish 1-vol “Major Extracts”.
CW how do you know WOF and Ascension are “not allowed” to print one volume editions? We will never see one volume editions of their LOTHs?
The official Ascension representative on the r/divineoffice subreddit has stated they can’t publish the 1-vol. The 4 publishers have exclusive license to publish the “major extracts” for the next 5 years. The 4-vol and 1-vol contracts are exclusive: there is no overlap among the publishers. So no, you will “never” see the 1-vol offering from these 2 publishers for at least the next 5 years.
https://archgh.org/liturgy-of-the-hours-second-edition
Be aware that if you order each volume individually from AP as they’re published, you will be charged for shipping. That likely adds another $10+ per volume. You only get free shipping from AP if you pre-order the whole set. WOF allows you to pay as you go and still get the 28% pre-order discount plus free shipping on each volume. I checked with WOF directly and they said that the early bird discount is the best deal they will be offering on these volumes, so don’t wait for a better one. It may not be available for more than a few weeks.
I had always planned to get the bottom-tier AP edition purely because of price, but I decided to go with WOF for these reasons: 1) The 28% pre-order discount, including free shipping on each volume (shipping is free with AP only if you pre-order the whole set, otherwise you’re paying an additional $10+ for shipping on each volume, while WOF offers the same deal for the pay as you go option); 2) WOF volumes are a bit larger and have a bigger 11.4-pt font (the AP volumes are slightly smaller than the current CBP volumes and have the same 10-pt font. I’m not a fan of the metallic gold color of WOF’s artwork, favoring AP’s artwork (though Dore’s images in the WOF are classic), but the above factors swayed me in the end. I asked WOF how long the early bird discount will be available and they said they don’t know but mentioned “a few weeks.” They also said that this will be their best deal on the set, so don’t hold out for a better one.
I wonder if the gold stamping on the cover of the WoF version will hold up to repeated use or wear off over time like some so-called “premium” Bibles.
On one level I’m glad I don’t have to make such an expensive choice as I live in the UK. My three volume Collins set of the Divine Office still has life in it, although day-to-day I use the Universalis app, which enables you to have the scripture readings in the RSV while retaining the Grail psalms. If I had to choose I think I’d go with Ascension. Their editions look like a Breviary, whereas the WoF edition looks like a collector’s edition for the library. Over here it seems work on updating the Office was put on hold so as to focus efforts on the ESV-CE lectionary.
any news on whether either edition will include any Latin?
Will the Bible translation be the forthcoming Catholic American Bible?
The USCCB site is not clear: “… the latest version of the New American Bible will be employed for the various readings.”
No indication if this is from the forthcoming CAB (the liturgical Bible) or the previous NAB.
Yet as the CAB is to be released on Ash Wednesday next year (2/10/27), the same date as the first use date of the LOTH2E (Volume 2), one might believe that the biblical text of the LOTH2E will be the CAB, with the Abbey Psalms and Canticles will be the text for those.
One thing less discussed is the thickness. The WoF site indicates they measure 5x8x2in. So, 2in thick. In the subreddit, I find the Ascension volumes will be 2.6in thick for the standard edition and 2.38in for the premium editions. This is why the red standard volume looks ludicrously thick in the pictures: while smaller in height and width, it’s significantly thicker.
I use the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible full edition, so there is a chance my judgement of what makes a text too thick is forever skewed. But after a 15 year wait for her, I still think she’s pretty despite her size 🙂
Hah, I love my OG ICSB too. But it’s never leaving my house. If you use your ICSB one-handed, you got bigger hands and bigger muscles than I.
The comparison is on target, actually. Ascension’s cheaper option is about the same thickness as the original-size ICSB if you exclude the hardcover. I was holding my ICSB in my left hand last night, picturing myself praying the LOTH that way. Granted, the actual Ascension volume is much shorter and narrower, but just picturing the thick 2.6″ spine in my hand is a little awkward. Not a deal breaker, of course. I consider both offerings attractive.
I would imagine the thickness would vary as it does in the current 4 volume, with the Advent/Christmas one the thinnest and the Lent/Easter one the thickest, so not sure how one number can be given….
I’m 80 years old so the readability of the text is important to me. I think the WOF edition would be the best in that regard. However, I purchased the first volume of their Bible and gave it away because it was so difficult to read. I’m afraid the print is going to be the same in the LOTH. Any thoughts?,
The large print edition of the WoF LOTH uses 14 point fonts, as opposed to their standard at 11.4 point. That’s the absolute largest print you can order. By contrast, the WoF Bible(s) is 9 point. This might be useful:
https://word-on-fire.helpscoutdocs.com/article/116-what-is-the-font-size
I replied to you sometime ago, but I don’t think it went through. I’m not very good at this yet. Your information was very helpful, thank you for taking the time to send it to me.
Stephanie
Having prayed the Liturgy of the Hours 48 years I’m looking forward to the Second Edition.
I orders the WOF large print. the main reason was white they are using, AP is using a cream color paper that I find difficult to read in dim lighting.
I’m looking forward to January to get my hands one the first book.