What Is the Divine Office?

The Divine Office, also called the Liturgy of the Hours or the Daily Prayer of the Church, is the official daily prayer of the Catholic Church.

It is the prayer by which the Church sanctifies the hours of the day and night. Alongside the Mass and the sacraments, it belongs to the public worship of the Church. It is not simply private devotion, though it can be prayed privately. When a Catholic prays the Divine Office, he or she is joining in the prayer of the whole Church.

The Divine Office is made up mainly of the Psalms, together with Scripture readings, hymns, canticles, intercessions, and prayers. Through it, the Church prays in the words of the Bible and carries the needs of the world before God.

The Prayer of Christ and His Church

The Divine Office is not just something we do for God. It is first a sharing in the prayer of Christ Himself.

Jesus prayed. He prayed in the synagogue, in the Temple, alone on the mountain, before important moments, at the Last Supper, in Gethsemane, and on the Cross. He prayed the Psalms, the prayer book of Israel. On the Cross He prayed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, words from Psalm 22.

The Church continues this prayer. Christ, our Head, prays with His Body, the Church. This means that when we pray the Divine Office, even quietly at home, we are not praying alone. We are praying with Christ and with His Church.

A Short History of the Divine Office

The roots of the Divine Office go back to the prayer of the Jewish people. In the Old Testament, the people of God prayed at set times of the day, especially morning and evening. The Psalms were central to this prayer.

The first Christians continued this pattern. The Acts of the Apostles shows the early Church devoted to prayer, the apostles going to the Temple at the hour of prayer, and Christians gathering to praise God. The prayer of the Church grew naturally from the prayer of Israel, now fulfilled in Christ.

Over time, the Church developed a daily pattern of prayer. Morning and evening became especially important. These became known as Lauds and Vespers. Other hours were also prayed during the day, such as prayer before noon, midday, and afternoon. Prayer before sleep became known as Compline or Night Prayer.

In monasteries, the Divine Office became central to daily life. Monks and nuns gathered throughout the day and night to chant the Psalms. This was not seen as separate from the life of the Church, but as prayer offered for the Church and the world.

In parish and cathedral life, Morning and Evening Prayer were also important. In the Middle Ages, many lay people also prayed simplified forms of the Hours, especially through books of hours. These helped ordinary Catholics unite their day to the prayer of the Church.

Over the centuries, the Divine Office became especially associated with priests and religious. Priests were obliged to pray it daily, and religious communities prayed it according to their rule. For many lay Catholics, however, it became less familiar.

The Renewal after Vatican II

The Second Vatican Council encouraged a renewal of the Divine Office so that it could be more clearly understood as the prayer of the whole Church.

The Council taught that the purpose of the Office is to sanctify the day and night through the praise of God. It especially encouraged the public celebration of the chief Hours, above all Evening Prayer, in churches on Sundays and solemn feasts. It also encouraged lay people to pray the Divine Office, either with priests, among themselves, or individually.

After Vatican II, the Divine Office was revised and became more commonly known as the Liturgy of the Hours. The revised form arranged the Psalms over a four-week cycle, simplified some parts, restored the importance of Morning and Evening Prayer, and made the Office more accessible to the whole people of God.

This renewal was not a rejection of the past. It was a recovery of something ancient: the idea that the Church’s daily prayer belongs not only to clergy and monasteries, but to the whole Body of Christ.

The Main Hours

The full Liturgy of the Hours includes:

Hour	Usual Time
Office of Readings	Any suitable time
Morning Prayer	Morning
Prayer During the Day	During the day
Evening Prayer	Evening
Night Prayer	Before sleep

For most people, the best place to begin is Night Prayer, because it is short and peaceful. After that, many people add Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer.

You do not need to pray everything at once. Begin small and be faithful.

Why Should Lay People Pray It?

The Divine Office helps Catholics to pray with the Church and not only as isolated individuals.

It teaches us to pray with Scripture. It gives words to our praise, sorrow, repentance, thanksgiving, and hope. It helps us bring each day to God: our work, family life, worries, griefs, joys, and needs.

It also reminds us that prayer is not only about feelings. Some days we feel close to God; some days we do not. The Divine Office carries us when our own words are poor. It gives us the words of the Psalms and the prayer of the Church.

How to Begin

If you are new to the Divine Office, begin gently.

A simple way to start:

Week 1: Pray Night Prayer once or twice.
Week 2: Try Night Prayer more regularly.
Week 3: Add Morning Prayer on one or two days.
Week 4: Try Evening Prayer on Sunday.

Do not be discouraged if you miss a day. The Divine Office is not meant to become a burden. It is meant to help us pray.

Where to Find It

The Liturgy Office for England and Wales provides information and resources for praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

Useful places to begin:

Liturgy Office for England and Wales
liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/Hours/

Universalis
universalis.com

Printed editions
The full Divine Office is available in printed volumes from Catholic bookshops. There are also shorter versions of Morning and Evening Prayer which may be easier for beginners.

A Final Encouragement

The Divine Office is one of the great treasures of the Catholic Church.

It joins our ordinary day to the prayer of Christ. It teaches us to pray with Scripture. It unites us with Catholics throughout the world. It helps us give the hours of the day back to God.

Begin small. Pray slowly. Keep going.

Even one psalm prayed with faith is a real prayer of the Church.