By Fr. Joshua Neu, S.S.L.
In a recent address, Pope Leo XIV issued a compelling invitation to the universal Church. He explicitly urged pastors to promote the Liturgy of the Hours among the faithful. For many Catholics, the Liturgy of the Hours, often called the Divine Office or the breviary, remains a hidden treasure, perhaps perceived as the exclusive domain of clergy and religious orders.
The Holy Father’s exhortation, however, reminds us that this ancient prayer belongs to the entire body of Christ. It is the prayer of Christ Himself, given voice by the Mystical Body of Christ, sanctifying the day and uniting our voices with Christ’s perpetual dialogue with the Father in heaven. In order to familiarize ourselves with this ever ancient, ever new prayer of the Church, let us turn to the history, meaning and practice of this liturgy.
What the Liturgy of the Hours Is
The Liturgy of the Hours is part of the official public prayer of the Catholic Church, distinct from private devotions such as the rosary or the chaplet of Divine Mercy. While the Mass is the source and summit of the Christian life, the Liturgy of the Hours is designed to extend the Eucharistic mystery into the different hours of the day. As the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours states, the purpose of the Liturgy of the Hours is the “sanctification of the day” (GILH, 10). It consists of a cycle of psalms, biblical readings, hymns and prayers, arranged to be prayed at specific times — morning, midday, evening and night — thereby consecrating the flow of time to God. The structure of the Divine Office hinges on two primary hours: morning prayer (“lauds”) and evening prayer (“vespers”). The Second Vatican Council described these two hours as the “chief hours” and mandated that they be celebrated as such (“Sacrosanctum Concilium,” 89). Morning prayer is a celebration of the Resurrection and a dedication of the day’s work to the Lord. Evening prayer is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the graces received during the day. By pausing to pray at these intervals, the faithful fulfill the apostolic command to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17).
History
The roots of the Liturgy of the Hours are found even in the Old Testament. The psalmist declares, “Seven times a day I praise you” (Ps 119:164). In the New Testament, we see the apostles continuing this practice, such as when Peter and John go up to the Temple “at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour” (Acts 3:1). As the early Church grew, these fixed times of prayer evolved into a structured liturgy involving the singing of psalms and the reading of Scripture.
Although in the early days many of the lay faithful participated in the Liturgy of the Hours, by the medieval period, the Liturgy of the Hours had largely become the responsibility of monks and clergy. The liturgical movement of the 19th and 20th centuries sought to bring this prayer to the laity once again. Vatican II called for a revision of the Liturgy of the Hours to make it more accessible to the average Catholic, explicitly encouraging the laity to recite it, either with the clergy, among themselves or individually (“Sacrosanctum Concilium,” 100).
Significance
The theological significance of the Liturgy of the Hours is profound. It is not merely a human activity; it is a participation in the prayer of Christ himself. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that in this liturgy the “mystery of Christ … permeates and transfigures the time of each day” (CCC, 1174). When we pray the psalms, we speak with the voice of Christ to the Father.
The Liturgy of the Hours is also the voice of the Church, the bride, speaking to her bridegroom. Unlike private prayer, which is shaped by individual intention and preference, the liturgy is universal. When a person prays the Liturgy of the Hours, even if they are alone in their living room, they are praying with the entire Church militant, suffering and triumphant. The liturgy transforms the individual from a solitary believer into a conscious member of the mystical body, exercising the common priesthood of the baptized by offering a sacrifice of praise.
How To
Responding to Pope Leo’s call to integrate this prayer into daily life requires a gradual and practical approach. The Church does not expect the lay faithful to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours every day, though the Church would not forbid it either! The best way to begin is to pray the “hinge” hours of morning and evening prayer.
To start, one should focus on establishing a habit of praying morning prayer, evening prayer or both. Consistency is more spiritually fruitful than ambition. The faithful can utilize the four-volume “Liturgy of the Hours” or the single-volume “Christian Prayer,” but for beginners, modern technology offers excellent accessibility. Apps such as iBreviary automatically format the psalms and readings for the correct day, removing the difficulty of navigating ribbons and rubrics.
Finally, the most authentic way to learn the Divine Office is to pray it communally, as the Pope suggested. The liturgy is inherently communal. Families can recite a form of evening prayer together, or parishioners can approach their pastors to inquire about organizing a public celebration of vespers, especially on Sundays and solemnities. By engaging the Liturgy of the Hours, we allow the rhythm of the Church’s prayer to shape our lives, joining our voices to the hymn of praise proclaimed eternally in heaven.
Fr. Neu serves as an Assistant professor of sacred Scripture and director of liturgy. Prior to arrival at St. Patrick’s Seminary. Fr. Neu worked at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, and previously ministered as a vocations director, campus minister chaplain, diocesan director of faith formation and parochial vicar.
