Nocturns ( Latin : nocturni or nocturna ) is a Christian canonical hour said in the nighttime.
69-638: In the liturgy of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church , nocturns refer to the sections into which the canonical hour of matins was divided from the fourth or fifth century until after the Second Vatican Council . A nocturn consisted of psalms accompanied by antiphons and followed by readings, which were taken either from Scripture or from the Church Fathers or similar writings. Matins
138-500: A feria or a vigil day, there is no division into nocturns and the 12 psalms and 3 readings are treated as a single nocturn. In comparison with the post-Vatican II revision, the readings are very brief. In 1911 Pope Pius X introduced a radical revision of the psalter of the Roman Breviary . He ended many of the previous repetitions of the same psalms day after day. For instance, Psalms 148–150, which previously were said every day at
207-669: A daily basis into the eighteenth century. Since its inception, the Anglican communion has maintained an evening office, which is called evening prayer (or evensong ). There are prescribed forms of the service in the Anglican prayer book . The Anglican Breviary contains Vespers in English according to the pre-1970 Roman Rite . For information on that service, see above, as in the Roman breviary. The Liberal Catholic Rite also includes Vespers, including
276-527: A day "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion." With respect to midnight prayer and the ablutions preceding it, Hippolytus wrote: Around midnight rise and wash your hands with water and pray. If you are married, pray together. But if your spouse is not yet baptized, go into another room to pray, and then return to bed. Do not hesitate to pray, for one who has been joined in marital relations
345-540: A formal ritual enacted by those who understand themselves to be participating in an action with the divine. The word liturgy ( / l ɪ t ə r dʒ i / ), derived from the technical term in ancient Greek ( Greek : λειτουργία ), leitourgia , which means "work or service for the people" is a literal translation of the two affixes λήϊτος, "leitos", derived from the Attic form of λαός ("people, public"), and ἔργον, "ergon", meaning "work, service". In origin, it signified
414-405: A group: "Let there be no failure of prayers in the hours of night — no idle and reckless waste of the occasions of prayer"( nulla sint horis nocturnis precum damna, nulla orationum pigra et ignava dispendia ). The Apostolic Tradition speaks of prayer at midnight and again at cockcrow, but seemingly as private, not communal, prayer. Prayer at midnight and at cockcrow was associated with passages in
483-449: A religious service, be it a sacramental service or a service of public prayer ; usually the former is the referent. In the ancient tradition, sacramental liturgy especially is the participation of the people in the work of God, which is primarily the saving work of Jesus Christ; in this liturgy, Christ continues the work of redemption. The term "liturgy" in Greek literally means to "work for
552-537: A single group and followed by only three readings. It was planned to proceed also to a revision of the readings at matins in view of the excessive abbreviation of the scriptural readings and the inclusion of unhistorical content in the accounts of the saints. This revision was not in fact carried out until after the Second Vatican Council , but concrete work on it had already begun under Pope Pius XII . The 1960 Code of Rubrics of Pope John XXIII specified what celebrations had three nocturns: The Code of Rubrics removed
621-617: Is a liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgical rites ), Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , and Lutheran liturgies. The word for this prayer time comes from the Latin vesper , meaning "evening". Vespers typically follows a set order that focuses on the performance of psalms and other biblical canticles . Eastern Orthodox liturgies recognised as vespers ( εσπερινός , esperinós ) often conclude with compline , especially
690-615: Is a formalized service of veneration and worship performed within a Buddhist Sangha in nearly every traditional denomination and sect in the Buddhist world. It is often done one or more times a day and can vary among the Theravada , Mahayana , and Vajrayana sects. The liturgy mainly consists of chanting or reciting a sutra or passages from a sutras , a mantra (especially in Vajrayana), and several gathas . Depending on what practice
759-791: Is as follows: The rite of Vespers Raising of Incense in the Coptic Orthodox Church is as follows: In the Indian Orthodox Church , Vespers (Ramsho) is one of the canonical hours given in the Shehimo . Following the Reformation , the form of Vespers in the Lutheran Church remained largely unchanged. First Vespers and Second Vespers of Sundays and major feasts continued to be sung in Latin in many places, while some cathedrals and larger city churches continued singing Vespers in Latin on
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#1732844334768828-507: Is not impure. Those who have bathed have no need to wash again, for they are pure. By catching your breath in your hand and signing yourself with the moisture of your breath, your body is purified, even to the feet. For the gift of the Spirit and the outpouring of the baptism, proceeding from the heart of the believer as though from a fountain, purifies the one who has believed. Thus it is necessary to pray at this hour. For those elders who handed down
897-806: Is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our Father..." Psalm 55 :16 "I cried unto God, and he heard me in the evening...( Es ar Astouats kardats`i... )"; Psalm 55:17 "I waited for my God...( Spasēy Astoutsoy imoy... )"; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "And again in peace..."; "Blessing and glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "Peace to all." Psalm 86; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "Glory to you, O God, glory to you. For all things, Lord, glory to you."; "And again in peace..."; "Blessing and glory...Now and always...Amen."; "Peace to all." Psalm 140 "Rescue me...( Aprets`o zis ...)"; Psalm 141 "Lord I called unto you...( Tēr kardats`i ar k`ez ...)"; Psalm 142 "With my voice I called out unto
966-514: Is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our Father..." In the Coptic Orthodox Church, Vespers refers to a series of liturgies: Vespers, as a whole, is an introduction and preparation for the Eucharistic Liturgy, consisting of a collection of prayers, praises and Thanksgiving prayers which request the Lord's blessings upon the sacramental liturgy. The rite of Vespers Praises in the Coptic Orthodox Church
1035-765: Is similarly combined with Vespers, with the first half of Vespers (up to and including the Old Testament readings) making up a significant portion of the liturgy. Vespers are known by the Aramaic or Syriac term Ramsha in the East Syriac liturgy which was used historically in the Church of the East and remains in use in Churches descended from it, namely the Assyrian Church of the East ,
1104-655: Is the practice of physical and compulsory prayer in Islam as opposed to dua , which is the Arabic word for supplication . Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Islam . Salat is preceded by ritual ablution and usually performed five times a day. It consists of the repetition of a unit called a rakʿah (pl. rakaʿāt ) consisting of prescribed actions and words. The number of obligatory ( fard ) rakaʿāt varies from two to four according to
1173-458: Is used on Sundays and major feast days (those when the Polyeleos is prescribed at matins ) when it may be celebrated alone or as part of an All-Night Vigil , as well as on a handful of special days e.g. , Good Friday and Pascha afternoon; on certain days of strict fasting when, in theory, fasting before communion should be day-long, vespers also commences the divine liturgy and always commences
1242-573: The siddur , the traditional Jewish prayer book. In general, Jewish men are obligated to pray three times a day within specific time ranges ( zmanim ) . while, according most modern Orthodox authorities, women are only required to pray once daily, as they are generally exempted from obligations that are time dependent. All communal prayer requires a minyan , a quorum of 10 adults, to be present. Traditionally, three prayer services are recited daily: Additional prayers: Vespers Vespers (from Latin vesper 'evening' )
1311-785: The Ancient Church of the East , the Chaldean Catholic Church , and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church . The office of vespers Old Armenian : Երեգոյին Ժամ , romanized: Eregoyin Zham commemorates the hour when "the Son of God descended from the Cross, and was wrapped in the winding sheet, and laid in the tomb." Vespers is the only liturgy in the Armenian daily office other than
1380-482: The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark . On the basis of the Gospel of Luke too, prayer at any time of the night was also seen as having eschatological significance. The quotation above from Tertullian refers to the all-night vigil service held at Easter. A similar service came to be held in the night that led to any Sunday. It corresponded in a way to the later early-night vespers , midnight vigil and dawn lauds and
1449-526: The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts . Daily vespers is otherwise used. Small vespers, which is seldom used except in monasteries, is a very abbreviated form used only on the afternoon before a vigil and is redundant to the subsequent great vespers, being a placeholder between the ninth hour and compline . Since the liturgical day begins at sunset, vespers is a day's first liturgy and its hymns introduce
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#17328443347681518-683: The Mar Thoma Syrian Church (an Oriental Protestant denomination), Nocturns is known as Lilio and is prayed at 12 am using the Shehimo breviary. It contains three watches in which the Quamo prayer is devoutly recited. In the Coptic Orthodox Church , an Oriental Orthodox denomination, the Midnight Praise is prayed at 12 am using the Agpeya breviary. Liturgy Liturgy is
1587-630: The New Testament and a reading by the abbot from the Gospels. Within the Carolingian Empire (800–888), a form of the liturgy of the hours , described by Amalarius , was imposed that can be called the "Roman-Benedictine Office". In this form, the first nocturn of the Sunday vigil or matins had twelve psalms sung in three groups of four psalms, each group treated as a single psalm with a single doxology at
1656-658: The Office of Readings and to it were assigned two substantial readings, one from Scripture, the second from the Fathers of the Church or other writers, and only three psalms or portions of psalms. This contrasted strongly with the arrangement to which the Rule of Saint Benedict gave witness: twelve complete psalms, to which on Sundays three canticles were added. In the Benedictine system, the psalms and
1725-423: The all-night vigil . Performing these liturgies together without break was also a common practice in medieval Europe, especially outside of monastic and religious communities. Old English speakers translated the Latin word vesperas as æfensang , which became evensong in modern English. The term is now usually applied to the Anglican variant of the liturgy that combines vespers with compline, following
1794-466: The seven fixed prayer times . Vespers, also called Evening Prayer, takes place as dusk begins to fall. Evening Prayer gives thanks for the day just past and makes an evening sacrifice of praise to God ( Psalm 141 :1). The general structure of the Roman Rite Catholic liturgy of vespers is as follows: Sundays and solemnities have two Vespers. The church worship day begins in the evening with
1863-428: The Father...Now and always...Amen."; Exhortation; Proclamation; Prayer; "Remember your ministers...( Yishea Tēr zpashtawneays k`o ...)"; "Merciful and compassionate God ( Barerar ev bazoumoghorm Astouats ...)" On Sundays (Saturday Evenings) and during the 50 days of Easter: Psalm 134 : "Now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord...( Ast awrhnets`ēk` ...)"; Psalm 138; Psalm 54; Psalm 86:16-17; "Glory to
1932-540: The Father...Now and always...Amen."; Proclamation: "Let us entreat...( Khndrests`ouk` ...)" On Sundays: Prayer: "King of peace...( T`agawor khaghaghout`ean ...)" On Sundays during Eastertide: Prayer: "By your all-powerful and joyous resurrection...( K`oum amenazawr ev hrashali ...)" On Feasts of the Cross: Proclamation: "By the holy cross...( Sourb khach`iws ...)"; Prayer: "Defend us...( Pahpanea zmez ...)" All liturgies conclude with: "Blessed
2001-631: The Latin "ministerium") is a duty for Christians as a priestly people by their baptism into Christ and participation in His high priestly ministry. It is also God's ministry or service to the worshippers. It is a reciprocal service. Historically, there was a Christian thought that stresses the idea of the entire liturgy being needed to transform the bread and wine into Eucharistic elements (see Eucharist ). This may have been prevalent especially in Egypt. Usually, many Christian churches designate one person who participates in
2070-517: The Latin-Church Liturgy of the Hours, involving among other things distribution of the psalms over a period of four weeks instead of the previous arrangement whereby they were said within a single week. In line with the decision of the Second Vatican Council that matins, while retaining its character of nocturnal praise should become a prayer for any hour of the day, that canonical hour was renamed
2139-514: The Liturgy of the Hours. It fell to Pope Pius V to put into effect the Council's desire. In the Roman Breviary as arranged by Pope Pius V in 1568, Sunday matins has three nocturns, the first with 12 independent psalms, the second and third with 3 psalms each, and each nocturn has 3 readings. Feasts of double or semidouble rank have 3 nocturns, each with 3 psalms and 3 readings. On a feast of simple rank,
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2208-690: The Lord will hearken to the voice of our entreaty...( Vasn lsel linelov ...)"; "Blessing and Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "Peace to all." Psalm 121 "I lifted my eyes...( Hambardzi zach`s im ...)"; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen." Hymn After Psalm 121 (varies); Proclamation: "For the peace of the whole world...( Vasn khaghaghout`ean amenayn ashkharhi ...)"; Prayer: "Father compassionate...( Hayr gt`ats ...)" On fasting days: Exhortation: "Almighty Lord...( Tēr amenakal ...)"; Proclamation; Prayer On fasting days and lenten days which are not Sundays (Saturday evenings), continue here: The Prayer of Manasseh; "Glory to
2277-564: The Lord...( Dzayniw imov ar Tēr kardats`i ...)"; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen." At Sunday Vespers (Saturday Evening): "Alleluia, Alleluia. Gladsome light...( Loys zouart` ...)"; Exhortation for the blessing of candles: "Blessed Lord who dwells in the heights...( Awrhneal Tēr ...)"; Proclamation: "Having assembled...( Hasealk`s ...)"; Exhortation: "Having assembled...( Hasealk`s ...)" Vespers Hymn (varies) At Sunday Vespers (Saturday Night): Proclamation: "Let us all say...( Asasts`owk` ...)"; Exhortation: "We have
2346-469: The Morning Service which has hymns proper to the commemoration, feast, or tone assigned to it: a vespers hymn after Psalm 142 (or after Gladsome Light if it is appointed for the day) and the "Lifting-up Hymn" after Psalm 121. Vespers undergoes a wide range of changes depending on the liturgical season. The following outline contains only some of these variations. Outline of Armenian Vespers "Blessed
2415-731: The Te Deum as an alternative to the Magnificat. Daily office books that conform to the historic structure of Vespers have also been published by the Pilgrim Press ( The New Century Psalter ) and Westminster John Knox Press (Book of Common Worship Daily Prayer). Both publishing houses are affiliated with churches in the Reformed tradition . From its traditional usage, the term vespers has come to be used more broadly for various evening services of other churches, some of which model their evening services on
2484-483: The bridegroom is coming! Arise to meet him!'" And he adds, saying, "Watch, therefore, for you do not know when the hour is coming." The early-Christian custom of praying at night is mentioned by Tertullian (c. 155 – c. 240), who speaks of their "nocturnal convocations" and their "absence all the night long at the paschal solemnities" ( nocturnae convocationes , sollemnibus Paschae abnoctantes ) Cyprian (c. 200 – 258) also speaks of praying at night, but not of doing so as
2553-506: The conception of early sixteenth-century worshippers that conceived these as a single unit. The term can also apply to the pre-Reformation form of vespers or forms of evening prayer from other denominations. Vespers is usually prayed around sunset. In Oriental Orthodox Christianity , the office is known as Ramsho in the Indian and Syriac traditions; it is prayed facing the east by all members in these churches, both clergy and laity, being one of
2622-534: The course of the 3rd century AD, as a form of taxation. The holder of a Hellenic leitourgia was not taxed a specific sum, but was assigned to subsidise a particular ritual, which could be performed with greater or lesser generosity or magnificence. The chief sphere remained that of civic religion, embodied in the festivals: M.I. Finley notes "in Demosthenes ' day there were at least 97 liturgical appointments in Athens for
2691-475: The customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise , thanksgiving, remembrance, supplication , or repentance . It forms a basis for establishing a relationship with God . Technically speaking, liturgy forms a subset of ritual . The word liturgy , sometimes equated in English as " service ", refers to
2760-562: The day's themes. The general structure of the liturgy is as follows (psalm numbers are according to the Septuagint ): On strict fast days when food and drink are prohibited before vespers, e.g. , Christmas Eve , the Annunciation when it falls on a weekday of great lent, or Holy Saturday , Vespers is joined to the Divine Liturgy , functioning in place of the typica as the framework of
2829-487: The end of lauds and which may have given that hour the name of "lauds", were each said only once in the week and no longer together. The longer psalms were divided into portions, which in many cases were assigned to different hours and days. In his completely new arrangement, matins always had nine psalms or portions of psalms, whether distributed in groups of three among three nocturns, each nocturn of which had three readings, or, on liturgically less important days, recited as
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2898-466: The end. This was followed by three readings, each with a responsory. In each of the other two nocturns the readings and responsories were also three, but each nocturn had only three individual psalms instead of three groups of four. The ferial vigil had only one nocturn, composed of six groups of two psalms, followed by three readings with their responsories. On the basis of the practice of the Roman Curia
2967-666: The festivals, rising to 118 in a (quadrennial) Panathenaic year ." Groups of rich citizens were assigned to subsidise civic amenities and even warships. Eventually, under the Roman Empire , such obligations, known to Romans as munera , devolved into a competitive and ruinously expensive burden that was avoided when possible. Munera included a wide range of expenses having to do with civic infrastructure and amenities; festivals and games ( ludi ) and imperial obligations such as highway, bridge and aqueduct repair, supply of various raw materials, and feeding troops in transit. Buddhist liturgy
3036-414: The first nocturn were replaced by an Old Testament passage recited by heart. On Sundays, the monks rose earlier. The first nocturn had four readings instead of three, and the second nocturn also had four readings instead of recitation by heart of a passage of Saint Paul. Then followed a third nocturn, which instead of six psalms had three Old Testament canticles . These were followed by four readings from
3105-731: The hymns of the Liturgy of the Catechumens . After the readings from the Old Testament , the Trisagion is chanted, followed by the Epistle and Gospel , and the Divine Liturgy proceeds normally from that point. On these occasions, as at other times when the Gospel is read at vespers, the Little Entrance is made with the Gospel Book instead of the censer. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts always
3174-452: The intercessions...( Barekhaws ounimk` ...)" During Fasts: Proclamation: "Let us beseech almighty God...(Aghach`ests`ouk` zamenakaln Astouats...)" Otherwise continue here: Prayer: "Hear our voices...( Lour dzaynits` merots` ...)"; "Holy God...(varies)"; "Glorified and praised ever-virgin...( P`araworeal ev awrhneal misht Astouatsatsin ...)"; Exhortation: "Save us...( P`rkea zmez ...)"; Proclamation: "And again in peace...That
3243-408: The monks were to devote themselves to study or meditation) but having to be curtailed in summer in order to celebrate lauds at daybreak. In the writings of John Cassian (c. 360–435) is found the earliest mention of dividing the vigil service into three parts, thus breaking the monotony of the long night prayer. The Peregrinatio ad loca sancta of about 380 still gave no evidence of any division of
3312-438: The multiplicity of nocturns from matins of Sundays, apart from those that were I class feasts (Easter and Pentecost). This required a reduction in the number of readings. The three former scriptural readings were combined into two, and the first part of the homily in the previous third nocturn became the new third reading. With his apostolic constitution Laudis canticum of 1 November 1970, Pope Paul VI announced his revision of
3381-399: The night), nocturna tempora (nocturnal times), which are not necessarily connected with religion and are unrelated to the subject of this article. The phrase hora nocturna (night hour) may refer to the canonical hour of vigils or matins, but not to the individual nocturns into which vigils or matins may be divided. In Oriental Orthodox Christianity and Oriental Protestant Christianity ,
3450-544: The office is prayed at 12 am, being known as Lilio in the Syriac and Indian traditions; it is prayed facing the eastward direction of prayer by all members in these denominations, both clergy and laity, being one of the seven fixed prayer times . From the time of the early Church , the practice of seven fixed prayer times have been taught; in Apostolic Tradition , Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times
3519-615: The office of vigils whether on Sundays or on weekdays. Saint Benedict of Nursia (480 – c. 543 or 547) gives a detailed description of the division of vigils into two parts (for which he does not use the name "nocturns") on ordinary days, and three on Sundays and feast-days. The term nocturnus (nocturnal) appears nine times in his Rule . As an adjective four times (chapters 9, 10, 16 and 43) qualifying vigiliae (vigils), once (chapter 9) qualifying psalmi (psalms), once (chapter 10) qualifying laus (praise), and once (chapter 42) qualifying hora (hour). It appears twice (chapters 15 and 17) in
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#17328443347683588-548: The often expensive offerings wealthy Greeks made in service to the people, and thus to the polis and the state. Through the leitourgia , the rich carried a financial burden and were correspondingly rewarded with honours and prestige. Specific leitourgia were assigned by the polis , the State, and during Rome's domination, the Roman Imperial authorities as "gifts" to the state and the people. Their performance became obligatory in
3657-420: The people", but a better translation is "public service" or "public work", as made clear from the origin of the term as described above. The early Christians adopted the word to describe their principal act of worship, the Sunday service (referred to by various terms, including Holy Eucharist, Holy Communion, Mass or Divine Liturgy), which they considered to be a sacrifice . This service, liturgy, or ministry (from
3726-418: The plural form, nocturni , with no express mention of a qualified noun, and thus practically as itself a noun equivalent to vigiliae . Psalmi (psalms) may be the masculine plural noun that it was originally understood as qualifying. In chapter 17, the phrase used is nocturni vel matutini , mentioned in relation to the psalms of the two hours that were later called matins and lauds, as a prelude to speaking of
3795-606: The practitioner wishes to undertake, it can be done at a temple or at home. The liturgy is almost always performed in front of an object or objects of veneration and accompanied by offerings of light, incense, water, and food. Frequently in Christianity , a distinction is made between "liturgical" and "non-liturgical" churches based on how elaborate or formal the worship; in this usage, churches whose services are unscripted or improvised are called "non-liturgical". Others object to this distinction, arguing that this terminology obscures
3864-566: The psalms in the six other canonical hours. Leonard J. Doyle's English version of the Rule of St Benedict translates horis nocturnis in chapter 42 as "the hours of the night", but elsewhere uses "the Night Office" to represent the entirety of each phrase in the Rule consisting of one of the nouns vigiliae , laus , hora , qualified by nocturnus ; to render an isolated nocturnus in chapters 15 and 17; and to translate vigiliae wherever it appears unaccompanied by nocturnus . Nowhere does it use
3933-506: The publication in 1535, and the widespread printing of the drastically modified breviary of Cardinal Francisco de Quiñones , which restored generally the weekly recitation of the whole psalter and the reading of the major part of the Bible in a year, but which provoked a reaction that led to the determination of the Council of Trent to restore a somewhat purified form of the previously existing form of
4002-550: The readings were distributed among two or three nocturns. Between Benedict and Paul VI the two-nocturns arrangement had been done away with, and on days when matins was not divided into three nocturns it was spoken of as being of a single "nocturn". With the reform of Paul VI, the term "nocturns", whether in the singular or the plural form, ceased to be used. In the Syriac Orthodox Church and Indian Orthodox Church (both of which are Oriental Orthodox Churches ), as well as
4071-515: The setting of the sun or at sunset. This practice follows the tradition of the Old Testament which says in the story of creation: "Evening came, and morning followed – the first day." (Gen1:5). The solemnity begins with First Vespers prayed around sunset on the day before the observance, with Second Vespers held around sunset on the day itself. The Byzantine Rite has three basic types of vespers: great, daily, and small. Great vespers
4140-517: The texts and rubrics of the various books used for the celebration of the liturgy of the hours were combined at the beginning of the thirteenth century into the Breviarium secundum usum Romanae Curiae . A revision of this under Pope Honorius III was adopted by the Franciscans and by them popularized throughout Europe. It introduced many hymns but also led to celebration being spoken rather than sung. It
4209-404: The time of day or other circumstances (such as Friday congregational worship, which has two rakats). Prayer is obligatory for all Muslims except those who are prepubescent , menstruating , or in puerperium stage after childbirth. Jewish liturgy is the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism . These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in
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#17328443347684278-436: The tradition to us taught us that in this hour every creature hushes for a brief moment to praise the Lord. Stars and trees and waters stand still for an instant. All the host of angels serving him, together with the souls of the righteous, praise God. This is why it is important that all those who believe make certain to pray at that hour. Testifying to this, the Lord says thus, "Behold, a cry was made at midnight, saying, 'Behold
4347-479: The traditional Latin Catholic form. Presbyterians and Methodists , as well as congregationalist religious bodies such as Unitarian Universalism , often include congregational singing, readings, and a period of silent meditation, contemplation, or prayer. Some regular community vespers services are completely areligious (or at least are not sponsored by any church) and serve simply as a time for quiet contemplation in
4416-425: The universality of public worship as a religious phenomenon. Thus, even the open or waiting worship of Quakers is liturgical, since the waiting itself until the Holy Spirit moves individuals to speak is a prescribed form of Quaker worship, sometimes referred to as "the liturgy of silence". Typically in Christianity, however, the term "the liturgy" normally refers to a standardised order of events observed during
4485-419: The word "nocturns". The Rule of St Benedict laid down that on ordinary days, after the introductory psalms, there were two nocturns. The first consisted of six psalms followed by three reading, each of which was accompanied by a sung responsory . The second nocturn had another six psalms followed by a passage from Saint Paul recited by heart and by some prayers. In the shorter summer months the three readings of
4554-438: The worship service as the liturgist. The liturgist may read announcements, scriptures, and calls to worship, while the minister preaches the sermon, offers prayers, and blesses sacraments. The liturgist may be either an ordained minister or a lay person. The entire congregation participates in and offers the liturgy to God. Salāt ("prayer", Arabic : صلاة ṣalāh or gen : ṣalāt ; pl. صلوات ṣalawāt )
4623-419: Was composed of one to three nocturns. Originating in a prayer service celebrated by early Christians at night, the liturgical office of matins was originally in Latin called vigilia (vigil, watch). The plural form, vigiliae (vigils, watches), also came into use. The Latin adjective nocturnus corresponds to English "nocturnal" and is attached to many different nouns, such as nocturnae horae (the hours of
4692-478: Was sometimes referred to as three vigils or watches ( vigiliae ), as by Methodius of Olympus and Jerome . By the fourth century this Sunday vigil had become a daily observance, but no longer lasted throughout the night. What had been an all-night vigil became a service only from cockcrow to before dawn. Saint Benedict wrote about it as beginning at about 2 in the morning ("the eighth hour of the night") and ending in winter well before dawn (leaving an interval in which
4761-435: Was the main basis of Pope Pius V 's Roman Breviary of 1568, the contents of which became much more the private prayer of the clergy than the communal prayer of the Christian people, and the canonical hours became disassociated from particular times of the day. This tendency of viewing the Liturgy of the Hours as edification and spiritual nourishment of individual clergy rather than a form of worship had been strengthened by
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