The Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) is the public prayer of the Church for sanctifying the day by praising God. Its daily recitation, or celebration, is a sacred duty of men in holy orders, and of men and women religious, according to their role of life. It is highly recommended to all the faithful.
By tradition going back to early Christian times, the faithful devoted themselves to prayer at certain hours. Gradually, the practice developed of praying together, not only in the morning and at sundown, but at regular intervals during the day. It was not long before the custom arose of arranging the whole course of the day and night in such a way that somewhere in the Church the praises of God would be sung and his name would be hallowed by those who believe.
Since the Second Vatican Council, the Liturgy of the Hours has been thoroughly revised in its structure and form. At the same time, its indispensable function in the Church’s life and activity has been emphasized.
In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church exercises the priestly office of her head and constantly offers God a sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name.
By offering praise to God in the Hours, the Church joins in singing that canticle of praise which is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven; it is a foretaste of the heavenly praise sung unceasingly before the throne of God and the Lamb, as described by John in the Apocalypse.
As well as praising God, the Church’s liturgy expresses the hopes and prayers of all the Christian faithful and intercedes before Christ and through him before the Father for the salvation of the whole world. This voice is not only of the Church but of Christ.
Whoever participates in the Liturgy of the Hours makes the Lord’s people grow by imparting to them a hidden apostolic fruitfulness. For the goal of apostolic works is that all who are made children of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in her sacrifice, and to eat the Lord’s Supper.
The readings and prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours constitute in turn a wellspring of the Christian life. From the table of Sacred Scripture and the words of the saints, this life is nourished, and by prayer it is strengthened. The Lord alone, without whom we can do nothing, can if we ask him, give fruitfulness and increase to the works in which we are engaged.
The revised Liturgy of the Hours now consists of Lauds and Vespers, the morning and evening prayers called “the hinges” of the Office; Matins, to be said at any time of the day, which retains the form of a nocturnal vigil service and is called the Office of Readings; Terce, Sext and None, any one of which may be chosen for prayer at an appropriate time of the day, approximately mid-morning, noon, or mid-afternoon; and Compline, which is the night prayer.
In the new Office, the hours are shorter than they had been, with more textual variety, meditation aids, and provisions for silence and reflection. The psalms are distributed over a four-week period instead of a week. Readings include some of the best material from the Fathers of the Church and authors with a reputation for sanctity and orthodoxy. Biographies of the saints are drawn from scholarly sources.