The Hours

    The chief end of the Divine Office is the sanctification and marking of time.  

"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." - St. Mark 13:35-37

    As a result, the various Hours of the Office are distributed throughout the day. Here, we associate them with the following times:  

    Matins -- Midnight or as awakened to pray

    Lauds -- 3am or or upon rising

    Prime -- 6am or upon start of day

    Terce -- 9am or the third hour of the day

    Sext -- Noon or the sixth hour of the day

    None -- 3pm or the ninth hour of the day

    Vespers -- 6pm or at dusk or sunset

    Compline -- 9pm or before bed 

We echo the sentiment of commonprayer.org when we say, "There are many sources containing forms of the Hourly Offices which claim to be ancient, authoritative, or both...the Hourly Offices as they appear here are not more 'official' or valid than what can be found elsewhere; they are simply... selections from [a] variety of available materials. Those with a deep interest in the Offices are encouraged to contact local clergy, bookstores and the Internet to obtain firsthand information."

Lex orandi, lex credeni*

Fr. Jim+

*The rule of our prayer is the rule of our belief