IF you come early to the Saturday Vigil Mass, or the Sunday 9:30am Mass, or on Sunday evening for the Rosary at 6pm, or Benediction at 6:40pm, it is very likely you will find the friars and some lay people singing psalms and praying. This is called the ‘Divine Office’ ― it is a strange use of the word ‘office’, but think of it as ‘service’ or ‘prayer’. Most people find the Divine Office a mystery. Even by its other name ― the Liturgy of Hours ― we are no closer to understanding what it is, and why it exists.

Many Catholics have an idea that monks and possibly nuns chant psalms, and that priests have big fat prayer books. What many don’t realise is that these chants and fat prayer books do not belong to priests and consecrated religious. They are the patrimony of the whole Church.

Every Catholic knows what the Mass is. As ancient as the Mass, and intimately related to it is the ‘Divine Office’. These are the two official prayers that the Church offers daily. The Divine Office extends and prolongs the worship offered at Mass to cover the whole 24-hour period of a day. If you think of the Mass as a jewel of the supreme form of worship, the Divine Office surrounds the Mass like a beautiful golden setting.

What is it? It consists of psalms, hymns, readings and other prayers which are sung or recited at set times in the day and night. The Divine Office contains seven day offices and one night office, corresponding to the words of the psalms, Seven times a day I have given praise to thee, and I rose at midnight to give praise to thee. The offices are Matins (night office), Lauds (at dawn), Prime (6am), Terce (9am), Sext (12noon), None (3pm), Vespers (at dusk) and Compline (before retiring to bed).

Vatican II called Lauds and Vespers the ‘hinges’ of our prayer, and it asked that all parishes (parishes, not just friars!) should celebrate Vespers, at least on Sundays. At Holy Cross we sing Lauds and Vespers daily. Lauds (from Latin laus, praise), or Morning Prayer, praises God at the start of the new day and asks for His help in the coming day. Vespers (from Latin vesper, evening), or Evening Prayer, gives Him thanks as the daylight fades. These two offices are sung in English. On Sundays we sing an early Compline (from Latin completorium, completion) in Latin, in the traditional Dominican form. See the noticeboards outside for times.

Everyone is warmly invited to attend these prayers, and to draw inspiration from the voice of the Church praising God. If you come a little earlier, books can be provided so that you may follow the offices more closely. It’s a little tricky, but with time you will get the hang of it. Remember to sing quietly. Even if you don’t wish to come into the sanctuary, you can share in the prayer from wherever you are sitting, and stand when the friars stand (because Christians always stand for the Gospel!).

In Holy Week there is a special form the Office takes during the last three days. We call this Tenebrae (Latin: darkness), which is a dramatic and beautiful preparation for Easter. Come and join us, if not as Lenten prayer ― at least as Lenten penance! It depends what you think of our singing...

Fr Leon Pereira OP