From Dawn to Dusk: Rediscovering the Liturgy of the Hours

In Catholic liturgy, there exists a vibrant thread known as the Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the Church's daily prayer and marks specific periods of the day using scripture. Each of the five canonical Hours (Office of Readings, Morning, Daytime, Evening, and Night Prayer) includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation. They don’t take an hour to pray, each one can be about 15-20 minutes.

The Divine Office is required to be prayed daily by clergy and religious, but the laity is also encouraged to participate in this rich tradition. But what exactly is the Liturgy of the Hours and how does it work?

Why is it called a liturgy?

It may be a little confusing to call a set of prayers a liturgy, but there is a good reason behind it. As Fr. Jason Downer explains, it is called a liturgy because it is a public prayer of the Church like Mass or the other Sacraments. The Divine Office includes hymns, psalms, readings, and prayers according to the liturgical calendar. The communal nature of this prayer makes it different from other private devotions, like praying the rosary or the Lectio Divina. 

How do you pray the Liturgy of the Hours?

You can think of the Liturgy of the Hours like you would Holy Mass. Some core parts of the Mass don’t change from day to day (like your responses), but other parts will change (like the readings for the day). The order of how those prayers work will never change though. Generally, the liturgy of the hours follows this format:

• Opening verse
• A hymn
• Two Psalms, or parts of Psalms
• A scriptural canticle taken from the New Testament. 
• A short passage from scripture 
• A responsory, typically a verse of scripture, but sometimes liturgical poetry 
• A canticle taken from the Gospel of Luke: the Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) for morning prayer, and the Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) for evening prayer 
• Intercessions
• The Lord’s Prayer 
• The concluding prayer
• The blessing

The church has compiled all the prayers and responses into a book so that the faithful can simply read and pray along with the prescribed readings for the day. 

Where can I find the Liturgy of the Hours?

If you look up the prayer book that comprises the Liturgy of the Hours, two search results will come up. The first will be for Christian Prayer which is only 2,080 pages, or the larger four-volume set which is a whopping 8,160 pages. Of course, you don’t pray everything in the book all at once, but that does mean there is a lot of page flipping to find the right prayers for the day.

Take a deep breath. Anyone can pray this, and you don’t even need those books!

In the 21st century, you don’t have to go to a monastery or buy the volumes to learn. You can pray the Divine Office online or use the iBreviary app. They will not only give you the specific prayers you need for the day but also will even guide you in prayer. All you need to do is pick the hour of the day you want to pray, click the listen button, and scroll your way through the prayers! Easy peasy.

Can I do it? It seems complicated!

When I first prayed the liturgy of the hours, I was fourteen years old. I was training for my receptionist job at a church, and my colleague pulled out this massive book to pray the 6:00 PM evening prayer with me. The first words of Divine Office appropriately described my feelings: 

“God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.” 

It was scary, but my colleague was extremely patient with me and described each part of the liturgy to me. After several months of showing me, I finally felt confident enough to do it on my own. By the time my mother decided to become a third-order Carmelite a few months later, I was able to show her how to use her breviary and pray the office with her.

You aren’t going to get it right away, but it does get easier with time. Just like any form of prayer or sacrament like the Mass, confession, the rosary, benediction, and/or the Divine Mercy chaplet, there may be some confusion at first. It is okay to make mistakes or even get frustrated. God doesn’t expect perfection from us but only requires that we give it an effort.

Why should I do it? Isn’t this just required for priests and nuns?

At its basest level, the laity isn’t required to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Not everyone will be attracted to this form of prayer or find the time to pray it every day, and that is okay. However, that doesn’t mean that the Divine Office should be written off completely.

At its core, the Liturgy of the Hours is a communal prayer of the Church. Each member—clergy, religious, and laity—plays a unique and indispensable part in this symphony of prayer.

For the laity, embracing the Liturgy of the Hours fosters a deeper integration of prayer into daily life. In a world often consumed by business and distractions, this sacred prayer offers moments of pause and reflection, grounding individuals in the timeless truths of the faith. By setting aside designated times for prayer throughout the day—morning, midday, evening, and night—the faithful sanctify the passage of time, consecrating each moment to God.

Moreover, the Liturgy of the Hours provides a profound opportunity for spiritual growth and formation. Through the regular recitation of psalms and scripture, participants immerse themselves in the Word of God, allowing it to permeate their hearts and transform their lives. 

Whether prayed individually, with family, or in parish communities, this shared prayer transcends barriers of time and space, linking the faithful across continents and generations. In a world marked by division and discord, the Liturgy of the Hours becomes a powerful instrument of unity, drawing believers together in common worship and supplication.

By actively engaging in this sacred tradition, the faithful enrich their spiritual lives, contribute to the Church's communal prayer, and bear witness to the transformative power of prayer in the world.