“he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock”
The landowner goes out five times; 6am; 9am; Noon; 3pm; 5pm. These times can represent the years of a person’s life and the different periods in our life in which God calls us into the vineyard. The times can also represent a 24 hours day. There are eight 3 hours periods in a day. In the Benedictine tradition, work and prayer were interspersed throughout their day. The monks would stop their work or even interrupt their sleep to pray throughout the day.
The Church has the tradition of praying the Liturgy of the Hours as a way to work in the vineyard throughout the day in prayer. Many times we think of work as something physical such as painting a house, practicing a sport, etc. Saint Benedict called prayer the “Work of God.” To pray liturgically throughout the day is to answer the call to “work” in the vineyard.
What is Liturgy of the Hours? This is the prayer of the Church or the voice of the Church and it sanctifies or makes the day holy. If we compare the Mass to the sun than Liturgy of the Hours would be the rays coming from the sun. Liturgy of the Hours consists of psalms, hymns, spiritual readings, intercessions, etc. and can be prayed seven times during the day. “From ancient times the Church has had the custom of celebrating each day the liturgy of the hours. In this way the Church fulfills the Lord’s precept to pray without ceasing, at once offering its praise to God the Father and interceding for the salvation of the world. The Second Vatican Council showed the importance of the traditional discipline and desired to renew that discipline. It was, therefore, very concerned to bring about a suitable restoration of this liturgy of prayer so that priests and other members of the Church in today’s circumstances might celebrate it better and more effectively.” [1]
When is Liturgy of the Hours prayed? There are currently seven prayers or times of day in which the faithful can pray. The Office of Readings and Morning Prayer are prayed at Matins and Lauds (5-9am), Daytime Prayer is prayed at Terce, Sext and Noon (9am to 3pm), Evening Prayer is prayed at Vespers (6pm) and Night Prayer is prayed at Compline (9pm to Midnight). The Office of Readings, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are major hours and the priority of most priests, religious and lay people. The Liturgy of Hours is of such importance to the Church and to the individual soul that the clergy and religious are required to pray it and the lay faithful are highly encouraged to pray it.
“In fulfillment of the priestly office of Christ, the Church celebrates the liturgy of the hours, wherein it listens to God speaking to his people and recalls the mystery of salvation. In this way, the Church praises God without ceasing, in song and prayer, and it intercedes with him for the salvation of the whole world. Clerics are obliged to recite the liturgy of the hours, in accordance with Can. 276, §2, n. 3; members of institutes of consecrated life and of societies of apostolic life are obliged in accordance with their constitutions. Others also of Christ's faithful are earnestly invited, according to circumstances, to take part in the liturgy of the hours as an action of the Church. In carrying out the liturgy of the hours, each particular hour is, as far as possible, to be recited at the time assigned to it.” [2]
Why is it important to pray at set times? Jesus said to pray without ceasing. However, in our daily lives, we tend to cease often. It is beneficial for us to set certain times to pray so we can form the habit of praying continually. When we stop our day to pray, we are giving our time and attention to God. This is the tradition of the followers of Christ. How did the apostles prayer? In Luke’s Gospel it says, “they were continually in the temple praising God.” (Luke 24:53) In Acts of the Apostles it indicates that the prayer at the temple was even planed at set hours, “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer.” (Acts 3:1) Set times for prayer was a tradition of the Jewish people and continues as we pray, “As for me, I will cry to God and the Lord will save me. Evening, morning and at noon I will cry and lament.” [3] In a document called the Didache, which dates back to the first century it is recommended that the Our Father be prayed three times a day. [4] The Angelus prayer, which is over 700 years old, is another tradition of the Church in which the day is separated by prayer. The bell of the Church is rung at 6am, Noon and 6pm to remember the mystery of the Incarnation. When the faithful heard the bell, they stopped their physically work and began the work of God (prayer). In our modern culture when we may no longer ring the Church bell, have Church bells or even be able to hear the Church bells because of our noisy surroundings, we can set our cell phone alarms as a reminder to keep time and keep our day sacred and dedicated to Our Lord.
The Link to Liturgy prayer cards also encourage set prayer at set times. It is suggested that between the hours of 6 and 9am a person makes a Morning Offering to God. It is best to go to Mass daily if we are able, for to attend Mass is by far the best and most profitable of all devotions. If we are unable to go to daily Mass, we can at least pray the daily readings and meditation on their meaning. The Link to Liturgy daily lessons provides a lesson and reflection for the readings and can be read online or sent to your inbox. If we are unable to physically receive Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament we can make an Act of Spiritual Communion anytime in the day. The Gospel Canticle, taken from Luke 2:29-32 can be prayed at night before bed between 9pm and Midnight.
How do we live liturgically? All of these prayers show us that the Church prays liturgically. The liturgy connects us to the Life of Christ. The Life of Christ is lived not just when we want to or every once and a while, it is lived hourly, daily and yearly. The Life of Christ is lived hourly through the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, which is going on every hour of every day. Because of the time zones, there is a Mass going on at all times. This fulfills the prophecy of Malachi which says, “For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations, and everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering: for great is my name among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 1:11) We must take this hourly offering (Mass) seriously, we cannot pollute it or dilute it for the prophet warns, “But you behave profanely toward me by thinking the Lord’s table and its offering may be polluted and it food slighted. You also say, ‘What a burden!’ and you scorn it, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 1:12-13) How do we personally pollute or dilute the Mass? Do we think Mass is a burden? How do we see Mass scorned?
The Life of Christ is lived out daily through the Liturgy of the Hours. Through the Liturgy of the Hours the day is broken up into times in which a commitment to prayer is made. The Life of Christ is lived out yearly through the Liturgical Year. We live the Life of Christ each year beginning in Advent by awaiting our Savior and preparing to receive Him, Christmas by marveling at the mystery of the Incarnation and the humility of the Nativity, Ordinary Time by staying at the feet of the Good Teacher and Shepherd learning and being led by Him, Lent by learning to have a penitent heart and join in the passion and death of Our Lord. Easter by being a people of hope, living and proclaiming the Resurrection of Our Lord and Pentecost by fulfilling the mission of Christ as part of the Church. We also celebrate yearly the great feasts of Our Lady and the Saints and Angels who all by their heroic life of virtue point us to Christ.
[1] Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, number 84
[2] Code of Cannon Law 1173-1175
[3] Liturgy of the Hours; Wednesday, Daytime Prayer, Week II (Psalm 55)
[4] The Didache, Chapter 8