The Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) is a pattern for turning to God in prayer at regular intervals as the day unfolds. There we discover the underlying current that carries our life toward fulfillment in Jesus Christ through all the invitations, small and great, to turn away from the small circle of self-interest into the wide embrace of love for God and neighbor, according to the pattern of Christ's cross.
In the morning you hear me;
in the morning I offer you my prayer,
watching and waiting. (Psalm 5)
The Office ofMatins (also called Vigils) is ordinarily prayed in the very early hours of the morning, before dawn.
As for me, I will sing of your strength
and each morning acclaim your love. (Psalm 59)
The Office of Lauds, its name taken from the Latin word for praise, is sung at dawn.
The Little Hours, the three short offices of Terce, Sext and None, take their name from the third, sixth, and ninth hours in the schema of a Roman day. Today they are sung as punctuation for the workday: Terce is sung before morning work begins, Sext is sung at mid-day, and None is sung before the afternoon work.
Your word, O Lord, for ever
stands firm in the heavens:
your truth lasts from age to age,
like the earth you created. (Psalm 119)
The
Divine
Office
The Office of Vespers takes its name from the Latin word for "evening." It is sung near sunset.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense,
the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.
(Psalm 141)
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart. (Psalm 16)
The Office of Compline, whose name is drawn from the Latin word for completion, brings the day to a close. It is the signal for the night silence to begin.
