The lauds (“praise” in Latin) in the morning, at the moment the sun rises and the vespers (“evening” in Latin), at the moment that it sets and when the lamp for the night is lit, are the principal times and most symbolic moments.
According to the Roman division of the hours of the day and their denomination, we again find terce, sext and nones, the hours of the middle of the day, corresponding to the third, sixth and ninth hour of the day, that is to say 9 AM, 12 noon and 3 PM according to our way of counting.
Reading the office is like a continuous meditation on the Scriptures and on the treasure of tradition, related to the liturgical time in progress. It may take place at any moment of the day or night. In the monastic and canonical tradition, one speaks of vigils when it is night and of matins when it takes place in the morning.
Compline, which completes or finishes off the day, is the prayer before going to bed.
There are thus seven moments of prayer, called hours because they return every day at fixed times, marking the progress of the day and echoing the words of the psalm “Seven times, every day shall I praise thee”.
The Liturgy of the Hours is the jewel case of the Eucharist: it prepares for it and allows it to shine throughout the canonical day. It binds the community which assembles in the stalls of the church to sing it: it constitutes the community’s principal task and is entrusted to it as a priestly mission. We must give voice to the praise which must ascend from the entire world and from all the beings peopling it to unite with that of the angels and reach up to God who shall be glorified while sanctifying us.
[updated on the 28.11.05]
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Beer
In co-operation with the Father Abbot Nys, Albert Lootvoet decides in 1952 to revive the brewing tradition of the Abbey of Leffe by adopting the traditional brewing processes. (read more)
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