A day-in-the-life of a priest includes no end of responsibilities to carry out and souls to reach. But, up close, every priest’s daily routine centers on one important commitment that they all make: pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
Catholics all around the world––clergy, religious, seminarians, and lay people too––pray the Liturgy of the Hours, maintaining the centuries-long rhythm of the official prayer of the Church. You may not know this about your parish priest, but he has actually made a vow to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every single day for the rest of his life.
In fact, the Liturgy of the Hours is even more important for priests than daily Mass. Yes, your priest is encouraged to celebrate Mass every day, but according to the Church’s canon law and the vows of his vocation, he is called to pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily.
A Sacramental Promise
At his ordination, every priest promises to pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily. It’s one of the ministerial responsibilities to which they say “I do.”
“The sacramental ordination confers on the deacon and on the priest a special office to lift up to the one and triune God praise for His goodness, for His sovereign beauty, and for his merciful design for our supernatural salvation.” (Congregation for Divine Worship, cited by EWTN)
There are seven hours of the Divine Office: the Office of Readings (Matins), Morning Prayer (Lauds) at dawn, Midmorning Prayer (Terce), Midday Prayer (Sext), and Midafternoon Prayer (None), Evening Prayer (Vespers) and Night Prayer (Compline). The texts of these prayers––psalms, canticles, writings of Church Fathers, intercessions, and more––are rooted in the Holy Scriptures and Sacred Tradition according to the Catholic liturgical year.
Some priests pray all of these hours daily, although diocesan priests like your pastor may only be required to pray the most significant of these hours––the Office of Readings together with Lauds in the morning, Vespers later in the evening, and Compline at night. Religious communities, especially cloistered ones, typically commit to the full number of hours as part of their rule.
Deacons also promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Seminarians who are ordained to the transitional diaconate as the step before becoming priests are required to pray the entire office. Laymen who become permanent deacons must pray several of the hours too. Like priests, deacons are asked to promise their dedication to this form of prayer when they are ordained:
“Are you resolved to maintain and deepen a spirit of prayer appropriate to your way of life and, in keeping with what is required of you, to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours for the Church and for the whole world?” (EWTN, cf. Roman Pontifical, Rite of the Ordination of Deacons)
As a primary spiritual task in their vocations, the Liturgy of the Hours involves priests, deacons, and other consecrated religious in much more than a prayer routine. It is a participation in God’s work.
Work and Worship
Another name for Liturgy of the Hours, “the Divine Office,” comes from a Latin phrase meaning “the Work of God.” Those who pray the Divine Office worship God, consecrate everything to Him, and hold a part in His work of sanctifying all things. It sets aside certain times, dedicating them to God. As Father Mike Schmitz explains, “by stopping at various moments throughout the day and calling upon the Lord, renewing our mind with his Word … the Liturgy of the Hours gives us the opportunity to create holy time.”
This great honor of sharing God’s work is at the heart of every religious vocation. Priests, having been formed in its rhythm since the seminary, order their priestly duties around these times of prayer. Their steady, silent commitment is how the Church continues to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It’s how the Body of Christ here on earth lives and breathes day to day.
Help Your Priest Lift Up the Prayer of the Church
In 2027, Catholics across the United States will begin praying with the Second Edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, featuring a new translation.
To help prepare for this historic transition, Ascension has established the Liturgy of the Hours Assistance Fund, a need-based program designed to help clergy, seminarians, and religious communities throughout the United States obtain copies of the new Divine Office.
To learn more about how you can support those who have committed themselves to praying the Church's daily prayer, visit here.
This article first appeared at Catholic-Link
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