The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is an invitation to all Christians to join in the eternal prayer of Christ. Rooted in Christ’s command to “pray without ceasing” (Luke 18:1, 21:36), it provides a way to sanctify each day through praise, thanksgiving, and intercession. Traditionally seen as a prayer for clergy and religious, today it is an opportunity for everyone to ground their lives in prayer.
The Development of the Divine Office
From the earliest days of Christianity, the faithful sought ways to fulfil Christ’s call to constant prayer. Drawing on Jewish traditions of praying at set times, the Church structured the Divine Office into seven key moments: Matins (Night Prayer), Lauds (Morning Prayer), Vespers (Evening Prayer), and the minor hours—Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, and Compline. By the ninth century, this prayer became formalized, sung primarily by monastics and clergy. Over time, as languages evolved and fewer people could dedicate hours to prayer, the Breviary was created as a simplified version for clergy and religious.
A Prayer for All: Not Just for Clerics
The Second Vatican Council recognized the need to make the Liturgy of the Hours accessible to all. Sacrosanctum Concilium emphasized that the Divine Office should not be reserved only for clergy but should be open to everyone. As Pope Francis notes, it’s not enough to simply provide the texts; the faithful must allow the liturgy to shape them.
Sr Shalini Xavier CTC
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