Liturgy of The Hours - Canonical Hours - Liturgy of The Hours of Paul VI - Minor Hours

Minor Hours

The daytime hours follow a simpler format, like a very compact form of the Office of Readings:

• opening versicle
• a hymn
• three short psalms, or, three pieces of longer psalms; in the daytime hours when only one is said it follows a variable psalmody which usually opens with part of the longest psalm, psalm 118/119, when all three are said this psalmody is used at one of the hours, while the other two follow the complementary psalmody which consists of 119/120-121/122 at Terce, 122/123-124/125 at Sext and 125/126-127/128 at None
• a very short passage of scripture, followed by a responsorial verse
• the concluding prayer
• a short concluding verse (V. Benedicamus Domino R. Deo gratias)

Night prayer has the character of preparing the soul for its passage to eternal life:

• opening versicle
• an examination of conscience
• a hymn
• a psalm, or two short psalms; The psalms of Sunday - Psalm 90/91 or 4 & 133/134 - may always be used as an alternative to the psalm(s) appointed on weekdays
• a short reading from scripture
• the responsory In manus tuas, Domine (Into Your Hands, Lord)
• the Canticle of Simeon, Nunc dimittis, from the Gospel of Luke, framed by the antiphon Salva nos (Save us Lord)
• a concluding prayer
• a short blessing (noctem quietam et finem perfectum concedat nobis dominus omnipotens. Amen.)
• Marian antiphon without versicle and concluding prayer; either one of the four traditional seasonal antiphons, or Sub Tuum, or another antiphon approved by the local episcopal conference; the Regina Caeli is always used in Eastertide.