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The Prayer of the Church

The Liturgy of the Hours

Also called the Divine Office, it is the public prayer of the Church that makes the whole day holy, prayed by priests, religious, and lay people around the world.

Find the hour that fits right now below

Pray today’s Office

Free sources for today’s prayers

The official texts are copyrighted, so we don’t reproduce them here. These trusted sites offer each day’s complete Office for free.

Universalis

Every hour for today, in English, set to your local calendar. Also available as an app.

Open Universalis

Divine Office

Today’s hours as text, plus audio you can pray along with. Also available as an app.

Open DivineOffice.org

iBreviary

The Breviary, the Missal, and prayers in several languages, on the web and as an app.

Open iBreviary

What is it?

From the beginning, God’s people have prayed at fixed times of the day. The psalmist sings, “Seven times a day I praise thee” (Psalm 119:164), and St. Paul urges us to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The Liturgy of the Hours carries on that tradition. It is built mainly from the Psalms, with readings from Scripture, hymns, and prayers. In it, Christ Himself prays with His Body, the Church, to the Father.

The Church asks priests, deacons, and many religious to pray it daily, and warmly invites all the faithful to join, especially in Morning and Evening Prayer (Catechism 1174–1178; Sacrosanctum Concilium 100). The psalms are spread over a four-week cycle called the Psalter, and the feasts and seasons of the Church year add their own texts.

“Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice!”Psalm 141:2
The hours

Five hours of prayer

The highlighted hour is a suggestion based on your local time. Times are traditional guides, not strict rules.

Any time of day

Office of Readings

A longer meditative hour, traditionally prayed at night or before dawn, but it may be prayed at any time.

  • Opening verse (or the Invitatory, if it is the first prayer of the day) and hymn
  • Three psalms or sections of psalms
  • A longer reading from Scripture
  • A second reading from the Church Fathers, a saint, or a Church document
  • Te Deum on Sundays (outside Lent), solemnities, and feasts
  • Concluding prayer
Early morning

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

One of the two “hinge” hours of the day, offering the new day to God and recalling Christ’s Resurrection.

  • Opening verse (or Invitatory) and hymn
  • A morning psalm, an Old Testament canticle, and a psalm of praise
  • Short reading and responsory
  • The Canticle of Zechariah, the Benedictus (Luke 1:68–79)
  • Intercessions, the Our Father, and concluding prayer
Mid-morning, midday, mid-afternoon

Daytime Prayer

A short pause in the middle of work. It may be prayed at mid-morning (Terce), midday (Sext), or mid-afternoon (None). Most lay people choose one.

  • Opening verse and hymn
  • Three psalms or sections of psalms
  • Short reading and verse
  • Concluding prayer
Late afternoon or evening

Evening Prayer (Vespers)

The second hinge hour, giving thanks for the day and lifting our prayer to God like incense.

  • Opening verse and hymn
  • Two psalms and a New Testament canticle
  • Short reading and responsory
  • The Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55)
  • Intercessions, the Our Father, and concluding prayer
Before going to sleep

Night Prayer (Compline)

The last prayer of the day, entrusting ourselves to God for the night. It is short and changes little, which makes it a great place to start.

  • Opening verse and a brief examination of conscience
  • Hymn and one or two psalms
  • Short reading and the responsory “Into your hands, Lord” (see Psalm 31:5)
  • The Canticle of Simeon, the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29–32)
  • Concluding prayer and an antiphon to the Blessed Virgin Mary

How to start as a beginner

  1. Start small. Choose one hour. Night Prayer is short and simple, and Morning or Evening Prayer are the heart of the day.
  2. Use a free app or website. Universalis, DivineOffice.org, and iBreviary (linked above) show the right texts for today, so you don’t need to learn the ribbons of a printed breviary yet.
  3. Pray slowly. Read the psalms aloud or quietly, pausing briefly between verses. It’s fine to pray alone; you are still joined to the whole Church.
  4. Be faithful, not perfect. If you miss a day, simply begin again. Over time, the psalms will become your own prayer.
  5. Pray with others. Many parishes and religious communities pray Morning or Evening Prayer together. Ask at your parish.

Want a printed book? The official U.S. edition is the four-volume Liturgy of the Hours; the one-volume Christian Prayer contains Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer.