Divine office evening prayer4/27/2023 ![]() ![]() Lay people are encouraged to pray the Liturgy of the Hours as well, especially Morning and Evening Prayer. Their work is organized around this prayer, keeping God always at the center of their days. ![]() The other hours are the Office of Readings (a service with a biblical reading and a reading from the Fathers or Church writers or a reading related to a saint which may take place at any time of day), a Daytime Prayer (which may take place at Midmorning, Midday, or Midafternoon), and Night Prayer (said before going to sleep).īishops, priests, deacons, and many men and women in consecrated life pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day. The most important times, called the "hinge hours," are Morning Prayer (which takes place upon rising) and Evening Prayer (which takes place as dusk begins to fall). The Liturgy of the Hours includes several specified times of prayer. Through this prayer, the people of God sanctify the day by continual praise of God and prayers of intercession for the needs of the world. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church fulfills Jesus' command to "pray always" (Luke 18:1 see also 1 Thessalonians 5:17). ![]() And stay tuned for the next installment in this introductory “course”.Evening Prayer (also called Vespers) is part of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. I’ll do my best to answer all of them, based on long practice and careful study of the Church’s instructions regarding this prayer. Questions about the Liturgy of the Hours/Divine Office are welcome in the comments section. Although I do write about other Catholic topics on this blog, its main purpose is to encourage and teach people to pray it, and to share some of the spiritual treasures I find in its pages every day. I have been praying the Divine Office for many years. For that reason alone, it is worth considering as an addtion to one’s prayer life. Thus, the Liturgy of the Hours is on a different level from the rosary, chaplets, novenas, and devotionals. When you pray the Liturgy of the Hours you are praying on in the name of the Church, and in union with the Pope, clergy, religious and laity throughout the world who are praying it. The Liturgy of the Hours is, as its name implies, liturgical prayer: along with the mass it forms the public worship of the Church. As recently as last November, Pope Benedict stated that he wishes all laity become familar with Morning, Evening and Night prayer. The revision of the Liturgy of the Hours that came after the Second Vatican Council was done partly with the aim of making it more accessible to the laity. There are additional variations for the liturgical seasons and/or feast days.Īlthough long perceived to be the territory of religious and clergy, the Divine Office is strongly recommended by the Church to us lay people. The psalms and readings of the Divine Office rotate in a four week cycle throughout the year during ordinary time. Daytime Prayer can be called Terce, Sext, or None, depending on whether it is prayed at Mid-morning, Noon, or Midafternoon. Lauds, Vespers, and Compline are the other names for Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer. You may also have heard other names for the liturgical hours, names derived from Latin.
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