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Home , Compline, Lauds, Liturgy of the Hours, Vespers

NIGHT PRAYER RESOURCES "Night prayer is the last There is a significant amount of re- prayer of the day, said be- sources for the of the . fore retiring, even if that is Praying the after midnight" (GILH, no. The Divine Office 84).The that are www.divineoffice.org liturgy of chosen for Night Prayer are www.universalis.com full of confidence in the hours Lord. The , Fr. Felix Just, SJ www.catholic-resources.org/LoH/index.html

The Liturgy of the Hours is the richest single The prayer resource of the Christian Church, with www.magnificat.com prayers, psalms and readings for each of the Hours, changing each day and through the Give Us This Day seasons of the Church. www.giveusthisday.org

WHO CAN PRAY THE HOURS? Purchase the Liturgy of the Hours While the Liturgy of the Hours is obligatory www.catholiccompany.com/ for , and other individuals in emails/041310LitofHours.html different states of life in the Church, these beautiful prayers can be prayed by anyone. “The Office is the prayer not only for the clergy but of the whole people of God” Canti- cum Laudis. The seasons are broken down into four vol- umes for the .

VOLUME I: & VOLUME II: , the Triduum & Catholic Diocese of Columbus Office for Divine Worship VOLUME III: Weeks 1 to 17 of the Year 197 E. Gay Street VOLUME IV: Weeks 18 to 34 of the Year Columbus, OH 43215-3229 Phone: 614-221-4640 Fax: 614-241-2513 E-mail: [email protected] Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Office for Divine Worship Join in the daily prayer of the Church

74-75). These prayers help us to remain “WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, very prayer Christ Himself, together with His MORNING PRAYER anchored in Christ throughout the day. PRAY AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY IN THE body, addresses to the Father.” Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), #84 "As is clear from many of the elements that The day can be stressful. Turning to the SPIRIT.”-EPHESIANS 6:18 make it up, morning prayer is intended and Lord in Scripture can help us put our lives arranged to sanctify the morning. St. Basil back into perspective. It helps to break the Prayer is the “The purpose of the Divine Office is to sanc- the Great gives an excellent description of monotony of our day. cornerstone of tify the day and all human activity” Canticum Christian life; this character in these words: "It is said in Laudis. EVENING PRAYER it is the very the morning in order that the first stirrings of our mind and foundation of "When evening approaches and the day is will may be Come, let us sing our faith and WHAT ARE THE HOURS? already far spent, evening prayer is cele- consecrated to key to our rela- to the Lord and brated in order that 'we may give thanks for Canonically, there are five hours associated God and that we tionship with what has been given us, or what we have with the Liturgy of the Hours. They are: may take noth- shout with joy to God. From the Holy , to numerous done well, during the day.' We also recall ing in hand until and varied types of devotional prayers, the the redemption through the prayer we send 1. Office of Readings we have been the Rock who is rich in prayer. One of up 'like in the Lord's sight,' and in gladdened by the foundational prayers of the Church is the 2. (Morning Prayer) saves us. which 'the raising up of our hands' becomes the thought of Liturgy of the Hours. 'an evening sacrifice' (see Ps 141:2). This 3. Daytime Prayer (can be mid-morning, God, as it is sacrifice 'may also be interpreted more mid-day or mid-afternoon) written: 'I was Psalm 95 WHAT IS THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS? spiritually as the true evening sacrifice that mindful of God our Savior the Lord entrusted to the apos- The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the 4. (Evening Prayer) and was tles at supper on the evening when he insti- Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus glad' (Ps 77:4 [Jerome's translation from 5. (Night Prayer) tuted the sacred mysteries of the Church or Hebrew]), or set our bodies to any task Dei), is the daily prayer of the Church. It of the evening sacri- before we do what has been said: 'I will mirrors St. Paul’s extortion to the people of OFFICE OF READINGS fice of the next day, pray to you, Lord, you will hear my voice Ephesus by marking the hours of the day the sacrifice, that is, “The office of readings seeks to provide God's in the morning; I will stand before you in which, raising his with prayer. The Hours help us to focus on people, and in particular those consecrated to the morning and gaze on you' (Ps 5:4-5)." the mystery of Christ, through scripture and God in a special way, with a wider selection hands, he offered to prayer. “By tradition going back to early of passages from sacred Scripture for medita- DAYTIME PRAYER the Father at the end of the ages for the Christian times, the divine office is devised so tion, together with the finest excerpts from "Liturgical custom in both East and West salvation of the that the whole course of the day and night is spiritual writers” General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours [GILH], no. 55. has retained midmorning, midday, and mid whole world.' Eve- made holy by the praises of God. Therefore, -afternoon prayer, mainly because these ning prayer can help when this wonderful song of praise is rightly hours were linked to a of us to transition from performed...then it is truly the voice of the the events of the Lord's passion and of the the stress of daily bride addressed to her bridegroom. It is the first preaching of the " (GILH, no. living to family life at home.