How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours—also called the Divine Office—is the Catholic Church's official cycle of daily prayer, prayed by priests, religious, and a growing number of lay Catholics around the world. Learning how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours means learning to mark the day itself with prayer: rather than one long prayer time, it's spread across several shorter "hours," each built mainly from the Psalms, a scripture reading, canticles, and intercessions. The practice traces back to Jewish traditions of praying at fixed times and to the early Church's habit of continual prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Praying even one or two hours a day—most commonly Morning and Evening Prayer—connects your day to the wider prayer of the whole Church, since Catholics around the world are praying largely the same texts at the same hours. Here's how the cycle works and how to begin.
The Rhythm of the Day: What Are the 'Hours'?
The Liturgy of the Hours divides the day into several prayer times, traditionally including the Office of Readings (a longer hour of Scripture and Church writings, prayable at any time), Morning Prayer (Lauds), one or more periods of Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer (Vespers), and Night Prayer (Compline), prayed just before rest. Each hour follows a consistent pattern of psalms, a short scripture reading, a canticle, and intercessions, changing daily and seasonally according to the Church's calendar.
Morning Prayer (Lauds) and Evening Prayer (Vespers)
Lauds and Vespers are considered the two 'hinge hours' of the day and are the most widely prayed, even among people who can't pray the full cycle. Morning Prayer looks toward the day ahead and gives thanks for a new day of life; Evening Prayer looks back over the day and offers thanksgiving as light fades. If you're new to the practice, starting with just one of these two hours is a reasonable and traditional way to begin.
Night Prayer (Compline) and the Office of Readings
Night Prayer is short and simple, usually just one or two psalms and a closing prayer, meant to settle the heart in trust before sleep. The Office of Readings is longer and more contemplative, pairing a psalm with an extended reading from Scripture and a second reading from a saint, Church document, or early Christian writer—it can be prayed at any hour of the day, despite its traditional association with nighttime or early morning prayer.
Getting Started as a Beginner
You don't need to be a priest or religious to pray the Liturgy of the Hours—many parishes offer printed breviaries, and free apps and websites provide the correct texts for each day so you don't have to navigate ribbon markers on your own at first. Some Catholics pray it entirely alone; others join a parish or religious community that prays Morning or Evening Prayer together, which is also a good way to learn the rhythm from people already familiar with it. Start with a single hour, at a consistent time, and let the habit grow from there.
A Short Prayer to Begin the Hours
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. As I begin to pray with Your Church today, quiet my mind and open my heart to the psalms and words I am about to pray, that they might become truly my own. Amen.
Scripture to pray
Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.— Psalm 119:164
pray without ceasing— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Frequently asked questions
What is the Liturgy of the Hours?
The Liturgy of the Hours is the Catholic Church's official daily prayer cycle, built mainly around the Psalms and Scripture readings and prayed at set times throughout the day, from Morning Prayer to Night Prayer.
Do I need special books to pray the Liturgy of the Hours?
A printed breviary (often in four volumes, or a single-volume 'Christian Prayer' edition) is traditional, but free apps and websites now provide the correct daily texts, making it easy to begin without purchasing anything.
Can laypeople pray the Liturgy of the Hours, or is it only for priests and religious?
Laypeople are warmly encouraged to pray the Liturgy of the Hours; while priests and many religious are obligated to pray it, the Church considers it a gift for the whole People of God.
What's the difference between the Liturgy of the Hours and the Rosary?
The Rosary is a devotional prayer centered on repeated Hail Marys and meditation on the mysteries of Christ's life, while the Liturgy of the Hours is the Church's official liturgical prayer, centered on the Psalms and structured around the hours of the day.