Terce, Sext and None (or “The Little Hours”)

The names Terce, Sext and None mean, respectively, “the third hour”, “the sixth hour” and “the ninth hour”.  In antiquity, time was measured by dividing day and night into twelve “hours”, the length of which varied from summer to winter.  It has been Christian tradition from the earliest centuries to pause for prayer at the third hour of the day (mid-morning), at the sixth hour (midday), and at the ninth hour (mid-afternoon).

Themes of these Hours
The Office of Terce is particularly associated with the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost which, according to Acts 2:15, took place “at the third hour”.  We ask for a renewed outpouring of the Spirit upon us, that our hearts be inflamed with the fire of divine love, and that we may witness to the gospel as did the disciples after Pentecost.   On weekdays we also ask God’s blessing on the work of the day that is about to begin, and pray that through it we may serve God and one another.

Sext is sung when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.  Its great heat and light inspire a number of the prayers for this Hour.  At this time too the course of the day is half done: we begin the Office by taking a few minutes in silence to bring to awareness the graces we have received, for which we are grateful, and the areas in which we may have sinned and need to ask forgiveness.  Furthermore, at this hour we take a break from work and share the midday meal, and for these we give thanks.

At None, we ask for the grace of patient endurance and perseverance in our daily Christian journey, and for God’s blessing on the work we are about to resume.  Already too the day is moving towards evening, and some themes of closure and fulfilment can be heard at this hour.

On Fridays the Church is particularly mindful of the Lord’s passion.  At Terce, Sext and None, episodes from the Gospel accounts, which assign particular times to these events, are commemorated.
“They crucified him, and divided his clothes among them… It was the third hour when they crucified him” (Mk 15:24-25).
“From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land, until the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice… and yielded up his spirit” (Mt 27:45-46, 50).

Structure of the Hours
Terce, Sext and None follow the same structure.  After the opening verse and its response, we sing a hymn appropriate to the Hour or to the liturgical season.  Some psalms follow, then a short reading from Scripture, and a silent pause in which we allow this Word to resonate in our hearts.  An antiphon in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary is included in all the Hours.  A short litany asks God’s mercy on all who suffer, on any of our sisters who are absent from this Hour, and on all who have died.  A collect concludes the Office, and the invitation and response “Let us bless the Lord / Thanks be to God.”

The psalms at the Little Hours
On weekdays at Terce and on Sundays at Sext we sing some sections of the longest psalm in the Bible, psalm 118, which praises God’s law.  In its biblical sense, “law” means not just a set of rules or prescriptions, but the very way of salvation, the path of life revealed by God.  As we sing this psalm in a Christian context, we praise the law of life, the Gospel, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, and re-commit ourselves to walking in this path.

Psalms 119-131 are sung at other Little Hours in the course of the week.  Known as the “pilgrim psalms”, these were sung by the Jews going up to Jerusalem on pilgrimage.  We sing them conscious that we too are on pilgrimage, through life and through each day, and we entrust ourselves to God’s protection on this journey.

Every second Friday, psalm 21 is sung at Sext.  Its opening words were cried by Jesus on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  United with him, we offer this prayer for all who suffer, and move from lament to praise as the psalm ends on a note of trust and joy: the Lord “has never despised the poor, but heard them when they cried… My soul shall live for him.” 

Lauds and Vespers

Lauds and Vespers, or Morning Praise and Evening Praise, mark key moments in the day, and are of the highest importance.

Morning Praise: Lauds
Lauds is the Hour of sunrise.  The new light of the sun, which puts to flight the darkness of night, is for believers a symbol of the resurrection of Christ, the true light of the world.  There is, therefore, a strong note of joy and praise in Lauds, including praise for creation.  This morning prayer also consecrates the day to God and orients our hearts and minds to God before we begin our daily tasks.

Evening Praise: Vespers
Vespers is celebrated as the sun goes down and the day draws to a close.  At this Hour we give thanks for the things that have been given us during the day, and for what we have accomplished.  We turn our eyes to Christ, the Sun which never sets, and see in him, in his self-offering on the cross and in the mystery of the Eucharist, the fulfilment of the “evening sacrifice” of the Old Covenant.

Elements of Lauds and Vespers
These two Hours follow the same pattern.

After the opening versicle, a hymn which expresses the themes of the Hour, the season, or the feast, unites us as a worshipping assembly and draws us into the celebration.

Psalms and canticles follow: at Lauds, the first psalm usually has a “morning” theme; this is followed by a canticle from the Old Testament, and another psalm, usually with a theme of praise.  At Vespers there are three psalms, followed by a canticle from the New Testament.  Each psalm and canticle has its own antiphon, a short sentence taken from the psalm itself or from elsewhere in Scripture, sung before and after the psalm.  The antiphons help to illustrate the character of the psalm; they draw our attention to phrases which we might otherwise miss; and they can enable us to approach the psalm more prayerfully.

A short Scripture reading follows, a true proclamation of the Word of God.  We ponder it in silence for a few moments, and then respond to it by singing a short responsory.

Next comes a canticle from the Gospels.  At Lauds it is the Benedictus, which was sung by Zachary, father of John the Baptist, praising the fulfilment of God’s promises in Christ, “who visits us like the dawn from on high”.  At Vespers we sing the Magnificat, the song of the Virigin Mary, glorifying and thanking “the Almighty” who “works marvels” for her, and rejoicing in the mighty acts of God.

After this, some intercessions bring the needs of the world before God, and we venerate the Virgin Mary by an antiphon in her honour. 

The Lord’s Prayer follows: St Benedict told his monks to pay special attention to the words “forgive us as we forgive”, because each day there are failures in community living which need to be forgiven.

A concluding prayer sums up and completes the Hour; the abbess pronounces a blessing; and the dismissal is sung.

It’s been too long!

Sorry about the silence! It has been too long since I updated here.
Let’s get back on track now, picking up with some more posts about the different Hours of the liturgy and their meaning.