RB Reflection: 20 June 2008

Chapter 16. The Celebration of the Divine Office During the Day

The prophet says: Seven times a day have I praised you (Ps. 118[119]:164). We will fulfill this sacred number of seven if we satisfy our obligations of service at Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline, for it was of these hours during the day that he said: Seven times a day have I praised you. Concerning Vigils, the same Prophet says: At midnight I arose to give you praise (Ps. 118[119]:62). Therefore we should praise our Creator for his just judgments at these times: Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; and let us arise at night to give him praise (Ps 118[119]:164, 62).

While it would be a lot of fun for me to get into all the details of these offices, and the history of Prime from its purpose of keeping the monks awake, all the way to the suppression of Prime by Vatican II, that is not the point of this blessedly short chapter.

Benedict goes to a great deal of trouble here to make it plain that the entire day, and part of the night itself, is holy to the Lord. We are never to be so busy that God is forgotten for the sake of writing an email, returning that phone call, or running the kids to soccer practice. There's nothing wrong with any of those things, so long as they are not excuses for why we do not pray.

We've talked before in these reflections that working people cannot afford to stop everything, say three psalms and an Our Father, and then go back to work. In fact, doing that might get you fired. We have also discussed that nothing stops you from at least turning your mind to God, as often as you can during the day. As helps to remember: tie your shoe or some other common task, at 9am, noon, and 3pm, take those moments to recall God, to turn your heart to God.

As Lay Cistercian's we have takent this Rule of Benedict as our own, to live according to our lay state of life. That means we are bound to pray at least Lauds and Vespers. Personally, I like Office of Readings and Vespers. I don't think God cares much which we use for what time, so long as the praying gets done.

Another lesson there might be that we not get so caught up in our rules and regulations in the coming months and years, as the Lay Cistercian movement grows into maturity, that we forget just why we started this in the first place.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.