Ethan Walker
Canonical hours are the official prayer of the Catholic Church, also known as the officium divinum (divine service, divine office, or divine duty), and the opus Dei (work of God). They are divided into daytime canonical hours, such as lauds (dawn), prime (sunrise), terce (mid-morning), sext (midday), and none (mid-afternoon), and nighttime canonical hours, such as vigil. The observance of these hours is obligatory for certain individuals, including bishops, priests, deacons, and members of the consecrated life, and they are marked by the tolling of church bells in some Christian traditions. The practice of canonical hours has evolved over time, with the Catholic Church simplifying them after the Second Vatican Council to make them more accessible to the laity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Other names | Officium, Liturgy of the Hours, opus Dei, divine office, divine service, horologion, officium divinum, liturgia horarum, opus Dei, daily office, the Work of God |
| Obligation | Bishops, priests, deacons, members of the consecrated life, clerics in Holy Orders, beneficiaries, religious men and women are obliged to recite the hours each day |
| Laity | Encouraged to recite the prayer of the hours |
| Number | Seven daytime canonical hours and one nighttime canonical hour, though the interpretation of their number varies |
| Daytime canonical hours | Lauds (dawn), prime (sunrise), terce (mid-morning), sext (midday), none (mid-afternoon), Vespers (sunset), compline (retiring) |
| Nighttime canonical hour | Vigil |
| Purpose | Marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer |
| Nature of prayer | Meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer |
| Dialogue | Between the Church or individual soul and God, among the members of the Church, or between the Church and the world |
| Participants | At least two people |
| Structure | Includes antiphons, psalm tones, responsories, hymns, and lesson tones |
| Polyphonic settings | Made of Tenebrae texts, such as Tomás Luis de Victoria's Lamentations and Responsories (1585) |
| Style | Orchestrally inspired church services, such as Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers (1610) |
| Liturgical books | Editio typica altera (second typical edition) |
| Liturgical reforms | Cycles of hymns and Vesper services, settings of Matins, Lauds, and Compline for major feasts |
| Psalms | Set in falsobordone style: a four-part chordal texture with the plainchant psalm tone in the upper part |
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What You'll Learn
- Canonical hours are the official prayer of the Catholic Church
- They are also called the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Work of God
- They are divided into daytime and nighttime hours
- The Horologion, or Book of Hours, provides the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services
- The early monastic communities composed a complete series of hours for morning, noon, and evening
Canonical hours are the official prayer of the Catholic Church
The term "canonical hour" is derived from the custom of the early Christians, who designated prayer according to the hour it was said. The Rule of St. Benedict, one of the oldest documents mentioning canonical hours, refers to "ad omnes canonicas horas." Over time, the concept evolved to include not just the prayers but also the books or collections that contained them, known as "book of hours."
In the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, bishops, priests, deacons, and members of the consecrated life are obliged to recite the canonical hours daily, following the approved liturgical books. The laity is also encouraged to participate. The canonical hours include Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. Each of these hours is further divided into fixed and movable parts, with the fixed portions provided in the Horologion or Book of Hours and the movable parts drawn from various liturgical books.
The specific structure and practices associated with the canonical hours have evolved over time. Following the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church's Roman Rite simplified the observance of the canonical hours, abolishing the office of Prime and distributing the psalms over a longer period. The current official version of the hours in the Roman Rite is the Liturgy of the Hours, which integrates the prayer of the psalms with the symbolism of the time of day, liturgical season, or feast being celebrated.
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They are also called the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Work of God
Canonical hours are the official prayer of the Catholic Church, also known as the officium divinum ("divine service", "divine office", or "divine duty"), and the opus Dei ("Work of God"). They are also called the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Work of God.
The Liturgy of the Hours is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. Each of the five canonical hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation. The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated.
The canonical hours are divided into Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. The early monastic communities composed a complete series of hours for morning, noon, and evening; cathedral and parish churches had incorporated all the hours by the 8th century, and by the 9th century the structure was fixed. The monastic rule drawn up by Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 – c. 547) distinguishes between the seven daytime canonical hours of lauds (dawn), prime (sunrise), terce (mid-morning), sext (midday), none (mid-afternoon), Vespers (sunset), compline (retiring) and the nighttime canonical hour of vigil.
In the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, bishops, priests, deacons, and members of the consecrated life are obliged to recite the hours each day, keeping as far as possible to the true time of day, and using the text of the approved liturgical books that apply to them. The laity are encouraged to recite the prayer of the hours.
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They are divided into daytime and nighttime hours
The Catholic canonical hours are the official prayers of the Church, also known as the officium divinum ("divine service", "divine office", or "divine duty", and the opus Dei ("work of God"). They are divided into daytime and nighttime hours, with the daytime hours being referred to as the diurnal or horae diurnae.
The number and identity of the daytime canonical hours vary, but they typically include Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, and None. Lauds refer to dawn, Prime to sunrise, Terce to mid-morning, Sext to midday, and None to mid-afternoon. Vespers, which marks the sunset, is considered a daytime hour by some and a nighttime hour by others. The nighttime hour is called Vigil.
The early monastic communities composed these daytime and nighttime hours for morning, noon, and evening. By the 8th century, cathedral and parish churches had incorporated all the hours, and by the 9th century, the structure was fixed.
The current official version of the canonical hours in the Roman Rite is the Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: Liturgia Horarum), published as the Liturgia Horarum in the Roman breviary and translated into English as The Liturgy of the Hours. In the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches, the canonical hours may be referred to as the divine services, and the book of hours is called the Horologion (Greek: Ὡρολόγιον).
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The Horologion, or Book of Hours, provides the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services
The Horologion, or Book of Hours, is an important service book of the Orthodox Church. It provides the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services (akolouthies) as used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches. The Horologion is primarily a book for the use of the reader and chanters, while the Euchologion is used by the priest and deacon.
The Horologion contains the fixed portions of the Daily Office, including Vespers, Greater and Lesser Compline, the Midnight Office, Matins, the Little Hours, the Inter-Hours, Typica, and the prayers before meals. The parts for the reader and chanters are given in full, while the priest and deacon's parts are abbreviated. Great Horologia also contain a list of the saints commemorated throughout the year, with their troparia and kontakia, selected propers for Sundays, and movable feasts from the Menaion, Triodion, and Pentecostarion.
The Horologion is also used by the Byzantine Rite monasteries of the Byzantine Catholic Church. The overall order is the same among these monasteries, although parish and cathedral customs vary. The Coptic equivalent of the Byzantine Horologion is the Agpeya, which is used by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Coptic Catholic Church.
The canonical hours are the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. The Horologion, or Book of Hours, contains a version of, or selection from, these prayers.
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The early monastic communities composed a complete series of hours for morning, noon, and evening
The canonical hours are the official prayers of the Catholic Church, also known as the officium divinum ("divine service", "divine office", or "divine duty"), and the "opus Dei" ("work of God"). The early monastic communities composed a complete series of hours for morning, noon, and evening. The monastic rule drawn up by Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–c. 547) distinguishes between the seven daytime canonical hours of lauds (dawn), prime (sunrise), terce (mid-morning), sext (midday), none (mid-afternoon), vespers (sunset), and compline (retiring). The nighttime canonical hour is known as the vigil.
The canonical hours are divided into fixed portions of the Divine Office, which the Church appoints to be recited at different times of the day. The term was borrowed from the custom of the Jews and passed into the speech of the early Christians. The observance of the canonical hours was initially optional, but it eventually became obligatory for certain classes of people due to canons or ordinances promulgated by the Church. Each portion of the Divine Office was then referred to as a canonical hour, and the prayers for a specific day were collectively known as the canonical hours.
The early monastic communities played a significant role in shaping the canonical hours. They composed a comprehensive series of hours for morning, noon, and evening, ensuring that the prayers were suited to the varying needs of the apostolate. By the 8th century, cathedral and parish churches had embraced all the hours, and by the 9th century, the structure was firmly established. The Horologion, or Book of Hours, serves as a guide for the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, providing the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services.
The canonical hours are not just a collection of prayers but also include musical elements such as antiphons, psalm tones, responsories, hymns, and lesson tones. The musical settings of the hours have evolved over time, with renewed interest in polyphonic settings in the 16th century, leading to the creation of Vesper publications by Lutheran publisher Georg Rhau. The liturgical reforms of the Council of Trent further contributed to the development of cycles of hymns and Vesper services, as well as settings of Matins, Lauds, and Compline for significant feasts.
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Frequently asked questions
Canonical hours are the fixed portions of the Divine Office, which the Catholic Church appoints to be recited at different hours of the day. They are also referred to as the official prayer of the Church, or officium divinum ("divine service", "divine office", or "divine duty"), and the opus Dei ("work of God").
The Catholic canonical hours are divided into Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. The monastic rule drawn up by Benedict of Nursia distinguishes between seven daytime canonical hours: Lauds (dawn), Prime (sunrise), Terce (mid-morning), Sext (midday), None (mid-afternoon), Vespers (sunset), and Compline (retiring). There is also one nighttime canonical hour, Vigil.
The Catholic canonical hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer. They are a way to sanctify the day with prayer and to integrate the prayer of the psalms into the daily life of the Church. They are also a way to commemorate the events of the Lord's passion and the first prayers of the Church.
