Hi! Thanks for this detailed answer! I agree with you on the importance of worshipping by doing. I love the two great commandments given by Christ.
You put me on the hunt about other things... I downloaded the Forward Day by Day app to try to get a sense about what you're describing. So essentially it seems to boil down to, you're given particular prayers and scripture to study both day and night. This doesn't limit you to studying or praying about other things as well, but it provides almost like a guidance to your days. This sounds like it may be a good thing- rather than saying I'll study my Bible and then forgetting to do so, you get into the habit of doing that. Does this sound right?
I do have some follow up questions, if that's alright:
I probably have more but my phone is dying from research today. 😅 Thank you so much!!
Ok, so there are two lectionaries. The Eucharistic lectionary (three years: A, B, C) was replaced by the very similar RCL (also a three-year Eucharistic lectionary). This is not supposed to be used for the Daily Office.
At the very end of the BCP, after the three-year lectionary, is a separate two year lectionary specifically for the Daily Office. It's a bit confusing: the left side of the page is Year One, and the right side of the Page is Year Two. We will be in Year Two until Advent begins on November 29, 2020.
Most days have two sets of psalms—morning and evening—as well as an Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel reading. I read the Old Testament and Epistle in the morning and the Gospel in the evening. Feast days usually have two each (OT and NT) for morning and evening, and for feasts of Our Lord there are special readings for the eve as well.
I wasn't able to make a habit of the Daily Office until I used the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory app—dailyoffice.app. It's a very clean interface, suitable for computers and mobile devices alike. It uses Rite II and takes looking things up and making liturgical choices out of the equation (though you can set some options). The webmaster is also responsive to feedback.
Once I got the habit and internalized the structure a bit more, I switched to using books more often. I can't overstate the convenience of a single volume, such as Prayer Book Offices (I have the now out-of-print Contemporary Office Book, but I believe they are similar). Also convenient is to use a BCP plus a dedicated lectionary set: Revised Office Readings—this is two volumes, Year One and Year Two; "Revised" in the name just means it uses the NRSV instead of RSV.
But of course, having a BCP and a complete Bible (and maybe a hymnal!) is sufficient—it just takes a bit more effort.
Welcome to the holy rhythms of the Daily Office.
Readings: While there is a daily RCL, I don't know anyone that uses it. For Daily Office, BCP lectionary still rules. RCL is for the Sunday liturgy.
Yes, feast days take precedence over the appointed daily readings (such as today - Bartholomew trumps the Monday in the 12th week after Pentecost (Proper 16)).
You can find the readings in a few places:
http://satucket.com/lectionary/
https://www.venite.app/ (this is a great app/website that is very well done)
Or you might prefer a printed book with the text of the liturgies and readings.
Some tips for starting - having a set time for each Office is important to establish a pattern, but don't worry about it if you have to deviate from that time. We're all human and sometimes miss an office - you can make up the readings the next time to you sit down (or kneel).
May God bless you in this discipline.