The Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office)

The Liturgy of the Hours resonates with the general public through the image of monks’ offices or that of a priest reading his breviary. This liturgy (or prayer of the Hours, otherwise called the Divine Office) is the public prayer of the Church, which shows its importance. It is primarily (but not exclusively) addressed to priests, religious men and women who thus put into practice the exhortation of Saint Paul: "Pray without ceasing" because the Lord alone, reminds the Church, can guarantee the effectiveness and progress of the work to which they labor, He who said: "Without me you can do nothing". All the texts and prayers necessary for the daily liturgy of the Hours are gathered in the breviary.

The number of offices varies according to the monastic orders and the states of each (priest, religious sister, …), but the simple faithful are also called to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. They generally do so by reciting the Angelus and the rosary.

The order of the offices is organized according to the ancient division of the days of the Hebrews and Romans who began the day at sunset: 12 Hours of night and 12 Hours of day. This custom is still observed today with the Sabbath which begins Friday evening (6 pm) or the anticipated Sunday mass which can be celebrated on Saturday from 6 pm.

Origin of the Liturgy of the Hours

This ancient practice of prayer shaped several traditions of which the most complete, and often the best known, is that of the monks, codified as early as 530 by the Rule of Saint Benedict.

However, Maria Valtorta traces the origin of the Divine Office back to Christ himself, which is a constant theme of her work: everything was "created" by the divine Master during his public life and entrusted to the men He instituted to succeed Him... As confirmation of this thesis, the Church affirms that the Divine Office is a "work of Christ and of the Church" and that "Christ Jesus, assuming human nature, introduced into our earthly exile this hymn which is eternally sung in the heavenly dwellings. He gathers the whole community of men and associates them with Himself in this divine song of praise. Indeed, He continues to exercise this priestly function through His Church itself which, not only by the celebration of the Eucharist, but also by other means and especially by the fulfillment of the Divine Office, constantly praises the Lord and intercedes for the salvation of the whole world."

Its organization today

This Liturgy of the Hours was updated by the conciliar Fathers. It led on December 4, 1963, to the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum concilium) which addresses the topic in its chapter IV. Later, it gave rise to the General Presentation of the Liturgy of the Hours, a lengthy specific publication of the Congregation for Divine Worship, published on February 2, 1971.

This "prayer of the Hours" is intended to become the prayer of the entire People of God. The laity are therefore invited to participate. The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions it among some daily rhythms of prayer: "morning and evening prayer, before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours.

To this end, the French-speaking Episcopal Liturgy Association (AELF) publishes on its website the texts proposed for the daily liturgy according to the different French-speaking countries.

The seven prayer times proposed are: Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline to which the Mass is added. To understand the terms used, it is necessary to remember that the liturgy follows the Hebrew division of the day: it starts at 6 pm and is divided into twelve Hours of night and twelve Hours of day. In the usages employed, Terce therefore corresponds to 9 am (3 hours after the start of the day at 6 am) and None to 3 pm (6 + 9). It is the hour of Christ’s death.

1. Vigil or Matins: Prayers around 2 am.
2. Lauds: at dawn (around 6 am). It is sometimes joined by the hour of Prime, made optional by the liturgical reform.
3. Terce: at 9 am or before the high mass.
4. The Mass.
5. Sext: around noon.
6. None: around 3 pm.
7. Vespers: early evening (around 5 or 6 pm).
8. Compline: in the evening, before sunset. It is at this hour that the "Nunc dimittis" or prayer of the old man Simeon who had just seen and touched the Messiah he was awaiting according to Luke 2:29: "Now, Lord, you can, according to your word, let your servant depart in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before all peoples, a light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel."

All these elements being recalled, one can better understand the full richness of Maria Valtorta’s vision in which Jesus explains to Marziam, the young prodigy disciple, the praise of the Hours.

In the work of Maria Valtorta

The episode takes place at Bozrah, a central city of the Auranitis, a region beyond the Jordan but attached at the time to the kingdom of Herod. Jesus is accompanied by many Disciples, including Women Disciples, which is rare because Jesus most often evangelizes accompanied by the twelve Apostles. But this is explained by the fact that all are returning from Jerusalem where they celebrated Sukkot, the feast of tents, one of the three obligatory feasts. Instead of taking the direct path back to Galilee, Jesus goes through the other side of the Jordan.

Marziam, a young prodigy disciple known in history as Saint Martial and adopted son of Simon Peter, watches Jesus who has isolated himself behind the group. He joins Him and learns that Jesus acts thus to pray.

"Tell me how you pray, why you pray?" Marziam asks Jesus.

"Certainly, I will tell you. Thus you will pray with Me. The day is given by God, entirely, both the luminous and the dark: the day and the night. It is a gift to live and to have light. It is a kind of sanctification how one lives. Is it not so? Therefore, we must sanctify the moments of the entire day to keep ourselves in holiness and keep present in our Heart the Most High and His goodness, and at the same time keep away the devil.

Lauds

Notice the Birds: at the first ray of the sun, they sing, they bless the light. We too must bless the light which is a gift from God, and bless God who gives it to us and who is Light. Desire it at the first dawn as if to set a chord of light, a note of light especially for the advancing day, so it will be entirely luminous and holy, and to unite with all creation to sing hosanna to the Creator.

Terce

Then, as the Hours pass, and as they pass, they bring us the realization of the pain and ignorance in the world: pray again for the pain to be relieved, for ignorance to disappear, and for God to be known, loved, and prayed by all men who, if they knew God, would always be comforted, even in their sufferings.

Sext

At the sixth hour (noon), pray for the love of Family, savor this gift of being united with those who love us. This too is a gift from God. And pray that food does not turn from its character of utility into an occasion of sin.

Vespers

And at dusk pray thinking that death is the twilight that awaits us all. Pray that the twilight of our day or our life always takes place with our soul in Grace.

Compline

And when the lamps are lit, pray to thank for the day ending and to ask for Protection and pardon in order to surrender to sleep without fearing unexpected judgment and the assaults of the devil.

Vigil or Matins

Finally, pray during the night - but this is for those who are not children - to guard against the sins of the night, to keep Satan away from the weak, so that the guilty may experience contrition with reflection and good resolutions that will become realities at sunrise. This is how and why a just person prays throughout the day."

None

"But you have not told me why you withdraw, so serious and imposing, at the hour of None (3 pm) ..."

"Because... I say: 'By the Sacrifice of this hour may your Kingdom come in the world, and may all who believe in your Word be redeemed.' Say it yourself too..."

"What sacrifice is it? Incense, you said, is offered morning and evening. Victims at the same hour every day on the altar of the Temple. Victims also for vows and atonement are offered at all Hours. The ninth hour is not prescribed for a special rite."

Jesus stops and takes the child with both hands. He lifts him holding him before Him, and as if reciting a psalm, face raised, He says: "And between the sixth and ninth hour, He who came as Savior and Redeemer, He of whom the prophets speak, will consummate His Sacrifice, after having eaten the bitter bread of betrayal and given the sweet Bread of Life, after having pressed Himself like a cluster in the press, having quenched with all of Himself men and plants, and made a royal purple with his blood and having taken the crown and the sceptre and carried His throne to a high place to be seen by Zion, Israel and the world. Raised in the purple garment of His countless wounds, in the Darkness to give Light, in death to give Life, He will die at the ninth hour and the world will be redeemed.”

Jesus does not speak of the Mass (Eucharist) because it will only be instituted at the Last Supper as a prelude to His Passion. He consoles Marziam, upset by the announcement of the Passion, then rejoins the group of Disciples.

"Master, what have you done?" asks Peter. "I was explaining the Hours of the day to Marziam."

"And the boy cried? Was he bad and You excuse him out of kindness," says Peter.

"No, Simon. He watched me pray. You did not do so. He asked me the reason. I gave it to him. The child was moved by my words. Now, leave him alone. Go to my Mother, Marziam. And all of you listen. It will not hurt you also to hear the lesson."

And Jesus again explains the usefulness of prayer during the main Hours of the day, without speaking of the explanation of the hour of None. And He concludes: "The union with God is to have Him present at all times to praise and invoke Him. Do this and you will progress in the life of the Spirit."