What is the Daily Office?

Yesterday, in my post about my plans for Lent this year, I mentioned that I was going to be using a book called Eastertide which is a prayer book put together by Phyllis Tickle. I promised to write more today about what is called The Daily Office, a pattern of praying at certain hours of the day, which provides the framework for Eastertide.

I actually wrote a bit about the Daily Office several years ago in preparation for Lent. Here is some of what I shared in that post dated February 13th, 2008.

Throughout the Judeo-Christian story, both Christians and Jews have participated in certain practices that have taken place at certain times of the day. Going back to the days of the Jerusalem temple, there were certain sacrifices, prayers, and liturgy that were specific to the hour of the day. The Psalmist writes, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances.” [Psalm 119:164]

In the New Testament, we read several references to the hour of the day and the significant things that happen in this life of Jesus and his disciples at these specific times of prayer. The most notable is Peter’s vision in Acts 10 which happens when, “About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.” [Acts 10:9] What was Peter doing? The same thing he did everyday at noon… Praying!

The best way to describe the Daily Office is that it is fixed hour prayer book [also called The Canonical Hours]. Working with a prayer book, you set aside time during certain times of the day to work through some readings and prayers. The book that I use has four prayer times during the day; The Morning Office to be observed between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., The Midday Office to be observed between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the Vespers Office to be observed between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Compline which is observed before retiring before bed.

Each of the Office times take about 10-15 minutes and include prayers, scripture reading, and other portions of sacred writings from all parts of Christian history. Sometimes this is a thought from a 13th century theologian. Sometimes it’s the words to a hymn written in the 19th century. Each office incorporates the Lord’s Prayer and the Gloria which those who attend one of our traditional services would know. [Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and forever, AMEN.]

If you have never worked with a prayer book like this before, I will warn you that it will feel a bit strange at first. It has a set pattern, and you basically read through all the sections for that particular time. We tend to overvalue spontaneity in our prayer life and so reading through a prayer book might feel a little dry. If you do try it out, I encourage you to do a couple of things.

• Don’t give up too quickly. Try it out for a few weeks. It may not fit you, but since it is so different from what many of us are used to, it may just take some time to adjust.
• Read out loud. I have found that in doing this, it makes me slow down the pace of my reading and really focus in on what I’m saying.
• When you are finished, record your reflections in a journal. As I said, each office only takes you 10-15 minutes. Take 5 minutes to check in with yourself in your journal.

If you’re interested in learning more about using The Daily Office in your prayer time or have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me.

Categories: Message Resources, Prayers