A midday prayer is suggested - shorter than morning and evening prayer. Lauds (morning prayer) and vespers (evening prayer) are given a clear priority, with the rest of the day structured around them. The Liturgy of the Hours is organized currently in a similar way to the earlier Divine Office, but with a number of significant changes. Pope Paul VI, in his apostolic constitution Laudis Canticum establishing the Liturgy of the Hours, wrote, вЂњSince the Liturgy of the Hours is the means of sanctifying the day, the order of this prayer was revised so that the canonical hours could more easily relate to the chronological hours of the day in the circumstances of modern life.вЂќ The name Liturgy of the Hours was adopted in 1970 to emphasize that the purpose of prayer was to sanctify the whole day and every activity of daily life in the modern world. These versions are typically used by members of monastic and contemplative communities, such as the Trappists and Carmelites. It should be noted that religious orders have a right to their own version, though many simply use the Roman Office. This Office of Matins (Readings) likewise had its divisions into nocturnes, corresponding to the beginning of each вЂњthrough the nightwatchesвЂќ (Ps 63:7) - that is, 9 p.m., midnight and 3 a.m.ДЄfter the Council of Trent and its reforms, the Roman Breviary became the Office of the entire Latin Church. In addition, the monks arose to read and pray during the night. Benedict in his Rule for Monasteries (chapters 8-19) around 550, with canonical hours of lauds (morning prayer) offered at sunrise, prime (first hour of the day), terce (third hour, or midmorning), sext (sixth hour, or midday), none (ninth hour, or midafternoon), vespers (evening prayer) offered at sunset, and compline (night prayer) before going to bed. With the reforms of the Second Vatican Council the traditional one-week Psalter cycle became a four-week cycle.ДЄmong the earliest Psalter cycles of which we have a record is the division given by St. At first some tried to do the entire Psalter (150 psalms) each day, but eventually that was abandoned for a weekly cycle built around certain hours of the day. The practices were quite individual from monastery to monastery. Monastic and eremitical (hermit) practice, as it developed in the early Church, recognized in the psalms the perfect form of prayer and did not try to improve upon it. And, although the apostles no longer shared in the Temple sacrifices - they had its fulfillment in the вЂњbreaking of the breadвЂќ (the Eucharist) - they continued to frequent the Temple at the customary hours of prayer (Acts 3:1). The Acts of the Apostles notes that Christians continued to pray at these hours (see Acts 2:15 10:3).

We know that in addition to morning and evening prayer to accompany the sacrifices there was prayer at the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day. The inspiration for this development may have been sentiments in Psalms such as King DavidвЂ™s prayer, вЂњSeven times a day I praise youвЂќ (Ps 119:164), and the statement that GodвЂ™s law is studied by those who are righteous вЂњday and nightвЂќ (Ps 1:2).ДЄfter the people returned to Judea, and the Temple was rebuilt, the prayer services developed in Babylon for the local assemblies (synagogues) of the people were brought into Temple use as well. During the Babylonian Exile (587-521 B.C.), when the Temple did not exist, the synagogue services of Scripture readings, psalms and hymns developed as a substitute for the bloody sacrifices of the Temple, a sacrifice of praise. 1280 B.C.) to offer a morning and evening sacrifice (see Ex 29:38-39). The Divine Office owes its remote origin to the inspiration of GodвЂ™s Covenant with the Jewish people. Why are these prayers important in the life of the Church? вЂњSeven times a day I praise youвЂќ Many Catholics hear that priests are required to recite the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Divine Office, and assume it is a вЂњprivateвЂќ prayer said only by priests and those in religious orders.ДЄlthough clerics and religious are obligated by Church law to say the Divine Office (see Canons 1173-1175), laymen and women are increasingly making the Liturgy of the Hours part of their spiritual growth and development by reciting morning and evening prayer.

Divine office evening prayer for today