Over the centuries, the Christian Church developed and prescribed a set of canonical hours for daily prayer, defined in the officium divinum (divine office) and Roman breviary. This practice stems from the Jewish practice of reciting prayers at set times of the day, as evidenced in Psalm 119:164, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.”

While the breviary has been reformed several times, the current ‘Divine Office’ (or Liturgy of the Hours) focuses on three major hours (matins, lauds and vespers) and several minor hours:

1. Matins — the Office of Readings
2. Lauds — Morning prayer
3. Daytime prayer, consisting of one or all of the following:
   • Terce — Mid-morning prayer
   • Sext — Midday prayer
   • None — Mid-afternoon prayer
4. Vespers — Evening prayer
5. Compline — Night prayer

In its full form, each hour involves hymns, psalms, scripture passages, a hagiographical passage (e.g., an account of a saint’s martyrdom or a theological tract) and prayers. It is practiced by priests and religious.

An abbreviated form called the Little Office of Our Lady is modeled after the Liturgy of the Hours and is recited by many lay Christians, including tertiary order Carmelites.

This year, consider increasing the time you devote to prayer. You might not follow the Divine Office, but I encourage you to try the Little Office of Our Lady, which only requires prayer in the morning and at night. A simplified online version is available, or purchase one of two beautiful (and affordable) bound editions: An easy-to-use English edition from Catholic Book Publishing Co. (via Amazon.com); or the superior English/Latin typesetting, complete with Gregorian chant notation, from Baronius Press. If you want to pause to pray in the middle of the day, add the Angelus at noon.