The Horologion or Book of the Hours

The Horologion

or Book of the Hours

of the Latin Orthodox Benedictine Fathers

Order of the Amalfians

serving Saint Finian Orthodox Abbey

Copyright

Copyright © 2018 by St Finian Orthodox Abbey, El Paso Texas

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2018

ISBN 978-1-387-55537-6

St. Finian Orthodox Abbey

11984 Kings Guard Dr. El Paso, TX 79936

http://www.stfinian.com

Thank You

This is simply a thank you from the Monks of St. Finian Orthodox Abbey out in sunny El Paso, TX and a reminder to those of you who purchase this e-book that the purchase price isn’t really a purchase for us. It’s actually a donation to our abbey to help us out with repairs to the abbey, medical costs for the Monks and the Service Dog Maxx, food and other various expenses. If you are interested in making further donations to our monastery, please see our Monastery Needs page on our website.

Introduction

This is the basic form of the Divine Offices or Prayers of the Hours. Traditionally, the Offices are celebrated at the following times:

Vespers - 6 PM

Compline - 9 PM

Matins - 12 AM (Midnight)

Lauds - 3 AM

Prime - 6 AM

Terce - 9 AM

Sext - 12 PM (Noon)

None - 3 PM

This schedule can be modified to fit the requirements of the surrounding schedule. At our abbey, the schedule is as follows:

Terce - 7:45 AM

Sext - 12:30 PM

None - 3:30 PM

Vespers - 6 PM

Compline - 9 PM

As you can see, the schedule is not set in stone. Once in a while, we even double up on some of our prayers, again, depending on what the surrounding schedule is like. Also, if you are a lay person who wishes to follow the Horologion, you can modify the schedule even further to fit into your schedule. For example, you could double up Lauds and Prime before work and then after work, somewhere around 6 PM, you could celebrate Vespers and then Compline before bedtime.

Simply put, just follow the prayer rule to the best of your abilities and as your schedule permits.

As a note of interest: traditionally, Vespers signifies the beginning of the new Liturgical Day. It’s like midnight in the secular world, just when everything starts over for the day.

There are a few notes of importance about actually using this copy of the Horologion, primarily the color coding. This book was designed around the Amazon Kindle Paper White, which is a monochrome e-reader and as such there are pieces of text in this copy that are grey, or in the case of a color e-reader, red. The grey/red text is intended to help you to know where you should bow or prostrate facing a cross and if none is available, then facing the east.

The Horologion is also divided into parts, i.e.: who says what and when they say their parts. You have your Abbot (the leader of the household), the Reader (the wife or next most senior child), the Monks (the children) and All (everyone present, even non-monastic or non-family).

Some of the Psalms are split in a unique way, lines that begin with 1) and 2). The 1) line is what the Abbot says and the 2) line is what the reader says. It’s intended to mimic a setting where there are two groups of Cantors, each taking the opposing line of the Psalm.

Whenever you see a Cross, this means that you should make a cross over yourself.

Office of Vespers

Abbot: O God † be attentive unto helping me.

Monks: O Lord, make haste to help me.

Reader: Glory be to the Father † and to the Son † and to the Holy † Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Glory to You our God, glory to You.

O Heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who is in all places and fills all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of Life; come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

Monks: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Reader: Glory be to the Father † and to the Son † and to the Holy † Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father…

All: In heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, † but deliver us from the evil one.

Abbot: For Yours is truly the kingdom, and the power, and the glory: of the Father † and of the Son † and of the Holy † Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages…

Reader: Amen.

Monks: Lord, have mercy.

myReader: O come, let us worship God our King.

O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and our God.

O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.

THE GREAT LITANY

Abbot: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For the peace of God and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For this holy house and for those who enter with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For my unworthy self, the episcopate of the Orthodox Christian Church: (insert the names of the upper clergy… Our Bishop(s), Priest(s) and Monastic); the honorable Presbyters, the Deacons in the service of Christ, and all the clergy and people here present, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For the suffering lands and their Orthodox people both in the homeland and in the diaspora, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For this land, its authorities and armed forces, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: That He may deliver His people from enemies visible and invisible, and confirm in us oneness of mind, brotherly love, and piety, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For this city and (holy monastery, sanctuary or home), every city and country, and the faithful that dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For favourable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and temperate seasons, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For travelers by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: † Help us, save us, have mercy upon us, and keep us, O God, by Your Grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Abbot: Remembering our most holy, most pure, most blessed, and glorious Lady Theotokos, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

Monks: To You, O Lord.

Abbot: For to You is due all glory, honour, and worship: to the Father † and to the Son † and to the Holy † Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

The Kathisma is recited by the Abbot here.

Reader: Blessed is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly.

Monks: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Reader: For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Monks: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Reader: Let us serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling.

Monks: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Reader: Blessed are all that have put their