The Mass is the public prayer or the public form of worship of the Roman Catholic Church.  But there is a second form of public prayer that many people have not heard of and that is the “Divine Office” also called the “Breviary.”  The Breviary is the set of Psalms, Hymns, Antiphons and Prayers that every priest, deacon and most religious are required to pray every day – seven times each day.  You may have heard some of the names of these prayer “hours:” Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.  Matins and Lauds are prayed early in the morning,   Vespers is prayed early in the evening and Compline is prayed just before bed.  The other hours are prayed roughly three hours apart during the day. Whenever there are two or more priests or religious together, the Church encourages the Breviary to be prayed publicly, singing or chanting the prayers. The Constitutions of the Fraternity of St. Peter require its members to pray three of the hours publicly whenever possible.

 

Since the Breviary is the public prayer of the Church, there are great graces for being in attendance when the Office is being prayed; in fact, since the priest prays the Breviary in the name of the Church.  When a layman unites his prayer to the Breviary being prayed publicly, he or she actually prays in the name of the Church.

You are encouraged to stay and unite your prayers with them who are praying in the name of the Church.

 

This calendar shows the times scheduled for the public chanting of the Divine Office.  It is updated daily, so check this before coming to the Church in case the schedule has changed for a particular day.