How I Pray: The Liturgy of the Hours

St. Paul tells us in 1 Thes 5:17, we should “pray without ceasing”. The Church fulfills this demand with The Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office, Breviary). It is a form of public prayer in the Church (although it is often recited in private for some) to praise God and sanctify the day.

The Liturgy is composed primarily of the psalms and canticles that follow a four-week cycle and it is prayed at specific times (“hours”) during each day. The “hours” consist of Invitatory, Office of Readings, Morning Prayer (Lauds), Mid-Morning (Terce), Midday (Sext), Afternoon (None), Evening (Vespers) and Night (Compline). Bishops, priests, deacons and most religious communities are required to pray at least some of these hours daily. However, since the reforms at the Second Vatican Council, the Laity has been encouraged to pray the Office as well.

I started doing the hours as a Lenten practice some years ago and enjoyed it so much that it is now part of my daily prayer routine. Like many of you, I do not have the lifestyle to do all of the hours. I mainly do the Invitatory, Office Readings and Compline. Every morning, I say a short prayer, “Heavenly Father, I pray this Divine Office today in union with the Church and for the Church” and then pick a priest a day to pray for. It unites me to the Body of Christ and allows me to participate in the Church’s universal dialogue with the Father. I recite the Compline right before I go to bed, which includes an examination of conscience.

You need not buy a breviary book, as the Liturgy of the Hours is readily available online. You can also use the “Laudate” app or the “ibreviary” app. T

Terri Aluise

Terri Aluise has been a parishioner at St. Bens for 17 years. She is a lector, minister of care, and organizes the annual St. Joseph’s Day Table. She is married with two children.