The Liturgy of Hours
 
Office of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship asserts that “From ancient times the Church has had the custom of celebrating each day the liturgy of the hours. In this way the Church fulfills the Lord’s precept to pray without ceasing, at once offering its praise to God the Father and interceding for the salvation of the world.”  
 
What is the Liturgy of Hours?
 
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), “is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer.”  (USCCB) The Liturgy of Hours is rooted in the Old and New Testaments; it draws as well from hymns and Catholic prayers that likely originated in the early Church. The Apostles, as reported in the Acts of Apostles, were faithful not only to the breaking of the Bread (the Eucharist), but they also observed the Jewish custom of praying with the Psalms at the third, sixth and ninth hour and at midnight. 
 
The U.S. Bishops maintain that in the Hours of the Divine Office, “the royal priesthood of the baptized is exercised, and [the] sacrifice of praise is thus connected to the sacrifice of the Eucharist, both preparing for and flowing from the Mass.” (USCCB) The Liturgy of the Hours is thus like an extension of the Eucharistic celebration. It also calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
The Liturgy of Hours has five “Hours.” Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation.  Morning Prayer or Lauds and Evening Prayer or Vespers are the two most important or hinge Hours.  They include a Gospel canticle: “the Canticle of Zechariah from Luke 1:68-79 for Morning Prayer (known as the Benedictus), and the Canticle of Mary from Luke 1:46-55 for Evening Prayer (known as the Magnificat).”  (USCCB) Morning and Evening Prayer also include intercessions for the whole Church.  
The three other “Hours” are the Office of Readings, Daytime Prayer, and Night Prayer. The Office of Readings “seeks to provide God's people, and in particular those consecrated to God in a special way, with a wider selection of passages from sacred Scripture for meditation, together with the finest excerpts from spiritual writers.” (USCCB) Daytime Prayer can be prayed at Midmorning, Midday, or Midafternoon, and this because “these hours were linked to a commemoration of the events of the Lord's passion and of the first preaching of the Gospel.” (General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, no. 74-75) Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, and is normally said before retiring, even if that is after midnight. (GILH, no. 84). In addition to Psalms that inspire full confidence in the Lord, this Hour contains an examination of conscience and a brief penitential rite. 
 
The Constitution On The Sacred Liturgy says that the Liturgy of Hours is “the public prayer of the Church,” and “is a source of piety, and nourishment for personal prayer.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, par. 90) This Second Vatican Council document adds that: “Pastors of souls should see to it that the chief hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts. And the laity, too, are encouraged to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or even individually. (Sacrosanctum Concilium, par. 100) 
Here at St. Cyprian, we will be praying Vespers or Evening Prayer in the church every last Sunday of the month at 5:00PM. Please join us in praying with and for the Church.
 
Blessings,
Fr. Robain