The Liturgy of the Hours
With the Eucharist, the other mainstay of the prayer of the Church is the 'Liturgy of the Hours', also known as the Divine Office, or Daily Office, because the day is punctuated by short services of prayer known as 'offices'. The round of prayer helps us to sanctify the day by marking each of its pivotal moments with prayer.
The day begins with Morning Prayer - Lauds - a prayer time the name of which name means ‘praise’ and is focussed on praising God for his creation, with which we are about to be blessed again, as the sun rises on a new day.
Prayer During the Day is offered privately. And as evening comes, the Church comes together again for Evening Prayer - Vespers - a name which simply means ‘evening’.
Finally, at the end of the day it is good to thank God for all the day has brought us, asking him to bring peace and healing where we have failed to and praying for his protection in our vulnerability which the darkness seems to bring to mind.
The day concludes with Night Prayer, the last 'office' of the day - Compline - which means, appropriately, ‘completion’. And it also has with it the hope that our last conscious thought will be of the love of God.
The day's main offices of Lauds and Vespers are celebrated in church, around our group of parishes.
