The time is drawing near; Easter is nearly here.
But first, we must eat with Jesus in the Upper Room, pray with him in the garden, follow him to the court of Pontias Pilate, watch as he is crucified, and keep vigil as we wait for resurrection. As we enter the throes of Holy Week, what better way to pray than with the hours?
Scripture invites us to do just that, outlining in great detail each event of Jesus’ final days, allowing us to fully enter the scene as we keep watch and wait for the most powerful story to unfold. For our final spiritual practice in the Lent 40 Days to Pray series, I invite you to join me in praying the hours in these last few days of Lent, whether you follow along with the liturgy of the Church (find resources below) or keep vigil with the gospel of your choice.
Easter isn’t the same without the descent that comes before it, and I have a feeling praying the hours during these final days and keeping vigil with Christ and his Church will leave you transformed.
Have you followed along with the 40 Days to Pray series during the season of Lent? I’d love your feedback. Fill out my survey here and let me know what else you’d like to see!
ABOUT PRAYING THE HOURS
The Liturgy of the Hours is a rhythm of public or personal prayer set to specific hours of the day, an opportunity to regularly pause and sanctify the day with spiritual practice. Birthed out of the Jewish tradition, the practice of praying the hours can be found throughout the Psalms, where Psalmists proclaim, “Seven times a day I praise you” (Psalm 119:164), “At midnight I will rise and thank you,” (Psalm 119:162), and “In the morning I will offer you my prayer” (Psalm 5:3).
The early Christians carried on this tradition (Acts 10:3, 9; 16:25), and with the rise of the Roman empire, the hours of prayer began to coincide with the hours of the bell that rang to mark the work day at 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, and 6pm. The Church Fathers continued the practice with morning and evening prayers, and the Desert Mothers and Fathers, who were the founders of the monastic tradition, followed a similar liturgy of the hours to help them to “pray without ceasing.”
In the sixth century, St Benedict (there he is again!) formalized the practice by naming each hour, and it has since formed the basis of prayer for many monastics as well as those in religious life. The day begins with Matins or Vigils (midnight to dawn), followed by Prime (originally at 3am, but since omitted), Lauds or Morning Prayer (dawn), Terce or the third hour of the day (referring to daylight, usually around midmorning), Sext or the six hour (noon), None or the ninth hour (mid afternoon), Vespers or Evensong (twilight), and Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, around 9pm).
Practitioners follow a breviary—a collection of Psalms, prayers, hymns, Scripture readings, and antiphons (responsive chants), the most widely known being the Book of Common Prayer within the Anglican Communion (containing the Daily Office) and the Divine Office within the Catholic church. Today many independent breviaries are being published that follow specific themes, including special editions for the sister seasons of Advent and Christmas and Lent and Easter, as well as volumes drawing from Celtic spirituality or the rhythms of the seasons of the earth. Such guides serve as a way for practitioners to make the practice their own, providing simple ways to gather in intention with a communion of believers far and wide and continually return to the presence of the Divine throughout the day and remember what it is that we seek.
HOW TO PRAY THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS
- Set a daily rhythm. You might want to simply start with a morning and evening office each day, or follow the rhythms of the early Christians by praying at 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, and 6pm. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are natural times to pause and pray. Or, you can go all out by following the full liturgy, from Matins or Vigils in the hours between midnight to dawn to Compline or Night Prayer as darkness takes over.
- Choose a guide. You could keep it simple by reciting a prayer and reading a Psalm, keep things classic by following the liturgy of the church or another breviary (a collection outlining the service for each day—see my favorites below), or you could get creative and make your own.
- Show up. If you’re praying throughout the day, set an alarm on your phone to serve as a call to prayer. It might also be a good idea to notify family members and coworkers of your intention, so they can honor your time. Who knows? Perhaps they might even decide to join you!
GO FURTHER…
Resources About Praying the Hours
Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day by Macrina Wiederkehr
In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson
Resources for Praying the Hours
Divine Hours (online)
Daily Office (online)
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove
The Divine Hours series by Phyllis Tickle
Celtic Daily Prayer from the Northumbria Community
Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace by John Philip Newell
Book of Common Prayer (Anglican Communion)
Liturgy of the Hours (Roman Catholic church)
Have you followed along with the 40 Days to Pray series during the season of Lent? I’d love your feedback. Fill out my survey here and let me know what else you’d like to see!