In many monasteries the hour is prayed just before Lauds, or even the night before. Recalling the nocturnal prayer of Christ on the mountains of Galilee, Matins is traditionally offered in darkness, anticipating the coming of the light, longing for the Lord’s return. At a signal he stands with his confreres and makes the sign of the cross on his closed lips and sings “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.” Traditionally, according to the Holy Rule, this is sung three times, there being a preference for three’s in the liturgy for obvious reasons. Early the next morning, the monk awakes in the darkness, goes to the oratory (church) and approaches God. The Little Hours of Prime, Terce, Sext, & NoneĪfter the last prayers of the day, called Compline, there begins the grand silence lasting through the night. Bernard Abbey and the Traditional Monastic Hours of Prayer, click on the links below or scroll down. To learn more about the Divine Office at St. Extended readings, one from Scripture and one patristic reading, are found only at Matins, and each is followed by an extended period of silence to allow for meditation. The short readings of the Liturgy of the Hours change daily some monasteries prefer that variety. In their brevity and their repetition, the readings lend themselves to a positive familiarity and even memorization. Traditionally they are the same for most days, with variations appearing on feast days. Most readings of Holy Scripture during the office are very short segments ( lectio brevis). They were on the lips of Our Lord and his disciples and continue to be the “hymnbook of the Church” in an unbroken tradition. The Psalms are the cry of the People of Israel. The monks sing the Psalms on behalf of themselves and the rest of the world, aware that they reflect the real condition of men throughout the world. The Psalms reflect all of human experience: joy, suffering, fear, anger, praise, thanks, contrition, petition. The office is composed principally of the 150 Psalms, the inspired word of God that is the human response to life – in relationship to God. Orations (The Our Father and the Prayer of the Day at each office) Readings (Scripture, and the patristic reading at Matins) The general framework of every office is composed of the following major components, applied or distributed according to the days of the week / season / year / feast: The Benedictine Office is a rich collection of prayer that is based on the Rule of St. Praying the hours puts the monk into the real world, sanctifying his whole life and assisting him toward his goal of unceasing prayer – Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus. The office punctuates the day of the monk like a leaven awakening his soul to make the entire day, indeed the whole of life, a gift of the self to God. Through it the monk lifts heart and mind to Almighty God, and uniting himself to his confreres, the Church and the entire world in offering God praise and thanks, in confessing his sins, and in calling on God for the needs of all people. The Divine Office is at the center of the Benedictine life.
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