Divine Service (Eastern Orthodoxy) - Services

Services

The liturgical celebrations that make up the divine services of the Orthodox Church are:

• Vespers—Evening worship, the beginning of the liturgical day
• Compline—Final service before retiring to sleep
• Midnight Office—Celebrated in the middle of the night, or at least before Matins
• Matins—The morning office, served so as to end at dawn with the chanting of the Lauds
• First Hour—Chanted in the first hour of daylight (approx. 6:00 am)
• Third Hour—Chanted in the third hour of daylight (approx. 9:00 am)
• Sixth Hour—Chanted at midday (approx. 12:00 pm)
• Ninth Hour—Chanted in the ninth hour of daylight (approx. 3:00 pm)

All of these services are traditionally celebrated by all members of the church (with the exception of the Midnight Office, which is a specifically monastic office). However, today the full cycle of divine services are usually only celebrated in cathedrals and large monasteries.

The seven services (excluding Midnight Office) developed in part from the daily services in the Temple in Jerusalem, partly from the Jewish services in the Synagogue, and partly from the cultural influences of the various areas wherein the services developed. (most notably the Holy Land, Egypt and Constantinople). The number seven is derived from Psalm 119:164 "Seven times a day will I praise Thee for Thy righteous judgements." However, another psalm says, "Evening, morning and noonday will I praise Thee." (Psalm 55:17). For this reason, the tradition developed of grouping the seven services into three aggregates. Thus, there are three major times of prayer during the day. Though the particular services which make up the three aggregates will differ based on the feast day being celebrated, and the season of the liturgical year, the most common aggregation is as follows:

• Evening—Ninth Hour, Vespers, Compline
• Morning—(Midnight Office), Matins, First Hour
• Noonday—Third Hour, Sixth Hour, Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is not technically a part of the daily cycle of services, since theologically, the celebration of the Eucharist takes place in eternity. It is also not served daily in most parishes and smaller monasteries. However, when it is served, it is usually scheduled into the noonday aggregate.