The Liturgy of the Hours includes hymns, Psalms, readings from the New Testament, and Canticles taken from Scripture. In this video, Bishop Slattery kneels before the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance. He closes the service with Benediction, a solemn blessing of all with the Eucharist.
In monasteries, the monks stop their work several times a day to gather as a community and worship God by chanting these prayers. Parish priests take a few moments away from their desks to recite the Liturgy of the Hours. Deacons put their work aside for this prayer, often with their wives or families. Lay persons may pray the Liturgy of the Hours too, either by themselves or with friends or families. The faithful of the Diocese of Tulsa are fortunate to be able to pray Vespers with Bishop Slattery on the last Sunday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Cathedral.
Vespers comes from a Latin word meaning "evening," referring to the time of day in which this prayer is said. Other prayer times include a nocturnal Office, Matins, Lauds, Prime, Sext, None, and Compline (with Vespers falling before Compline). Books containing the prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours are available at any Catholic bookstore; however, programs are distributed for free at Vespers at the Cathedral.
