Divine Office
The liturgy is the highest form of our prayer in which we join in the praise of the Church, glorifying Christ and through him the Father. In the power of the Holy Spirit we stand with Christ before the Father on behalf of the whole world. The liturgy is the fountain from which our strength flows….
The Opus Dei, our common divine praise in the Liturgy of the Hours, for which we gather several times a day, bears witness to the priority of rendering glory to God. The Opus Dei is in itself a proclamation of faith.
Constitutions, Chapter III, 2
Our common divine praise consists of Lauds, Day Office, Vespers and Compline.
Constitutions, Norm 303
LAUDS and VESPERS
By the venerable tradition of the universal Church, Lauds as Morning Prayer and Vespers as Evening Prayer are the two hinges on which the daily Office turns; hence they are to be considered as the chief Hours and are to be celebrated as such.
LAUDS is designed to sanctify the morning, as is clear from many of its parts. Saint Basil the Great excellently described its character as morning prayer in these words: ‘Matins consecrates to God the first movements of our minds and hearts; no other care should engage us before we have been moved with the thought of God, as it is written, “I thought of God and sighed” (Ps 76:4), nor should the body undertake any work before we have done what is said, “I say this prayer to you, Lord, for at daybreak you listen for my voice; and at dawn I hold myself in readiness for you, I watch for you” (Ps 5 :4-5).’125 This Hour, recited as the light of a new day dawns, recalls the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the true light, enlightening every man (cf John 1:9), ‘the Sun of Justice’ (Malachi 4:2), ‘arising on high’ (Luke I :78). Thus the remark of Saint Cyprian may be well understood: ‘We should pray in the morning to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord with Morning Prayer.’
MIDDAY PRAYER – Prayer during the Day
In imitation of the Apostolic Church and from the earliest times, Christians in their private devotions have, even in the midst of their work, dedicated various moments to prayer throughout the course of the day. This tradition has been associated in different ways with liturgical celebrations.
At least one of the Hours is to be celebrated by those who do not say all three, so as to preserve the tradition of praying during the day’s work.
~ General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours GILH), Nos. 74, 77
COMPLINE
Compline is the final prayer of the day to be said before going to bed, even if this is after midnight.
~ General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours GILH), Nos. 84
