The Divine Office

Nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God. (RB 43.3)

The monks of Worth Abbey gather to praise God five times a day, from Matins early in the morning to Compline at the end of the day. These ‘hours’ are not just convenient ways of dividing the day; they reflect ‘sacred time’ – an encounter with “the now that does not pass away” (as St Augustine described it). They are the inner structure which helps monks live consciously and responsively throughout the day, becoming more and more open to the ‘present moment’.

In praying together five times a day we consecrate the day to God, and act as a channel of God’s grace to all who come and join us.

As well as the Liturgy of the Hours, the monks meet each day to celebrate the Conventual Mass. All that the monk seeks to do and to offer finds its source in all that Christ did and offered in the Paschal Mystery – and united to Him is drawn by the Spirit into the koinonia of the Blessed Trinity.

The current times of liturgy are available here.

The cycle of psalms prayed at the Divine Office is known as the Psalm Cursus.

Current Psalm Cursus

Week 1

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Invitiary
Ps 95	Ps 29	Ps 100		Ps 100	Ps 67	Ps 46
Vigils (Saturday eve) or Matins (Mo-Sa)
Ps 1 Ps 2 Ps 23 Ps 76 Ps 103a Ps 103b OT Canticles	Ps 3 Ps 9 Ps 10 Ps 31a Ps 31b Ps 31c	Ps 40 Ps 44a Ps 44b Ps 59a Ps 59b Ps 60	Ps 17 Ps 25a Ps 25b Ps 105a Ps 105b Ps 105c	Ps 6 Ps 7a Ps 7b Ps 18a Ps 18b Ps 18c	Ps 22a Ps 22b Ps 22c Ps 69a Ps 69b Ps 69c	Ps 68a Ps 68b Ps 68c Ps 89a Ps 89b Ps 89c
Lauds
Ps 63 Cant of Daniel Ps 93 Ps 149	Ps 5 Ps 19a Ps 19b	Ps 42 Ps 43 Ps 30	Ps 36 Ps 47 Ps 48	Ps 57 Ps 80 Ps 81	Ps 51 Ps 146 Ps 117	Ps 65a Ps 65b Ps 8
Midday
Ps 119 Ps 120 (vv 1-8) Ps 121 (vv9-16) Ps 123 (vv 17-24)	Ps 119 Ps 26 (vv5-32) Ps 28 (vv33-40) Ps 39 (vv 41-48)	Ps 119 Ps 38a (vv 49-56) Ps 38b (vv 57-64) Ps 53 (vv 65-72)	Ps 119 Ps 54 (vv 73-80) Ps 55a (vv 81-88) Ps 55b (vv 89-96)	Ps 119 Ps 58 (vv 97-104) Ps 61 (vv 113-120) Ps 64 (vv 121-128)	Ps 119 Ps 70 (vv 129-136) Ps 75 (vv 137-144) Ps 82 (vv 145-52)	Ps 119 Ps 86a (vv 153-160) Ps 86b (vv 161-168) Ps 88 (vv 169-176)
Vespers
Ps 110 Ps 111 Ps 112 Cant from Revelation	Ps 11 Ps 15 Ps 20 Ps 21	Ps 27a Ps 27b Ps 33a Ps 33b	Ps 32 Ps 45a Ps 45b Ps 62	Ps 49a Ps 49b Ps 72a Ps 72b	Ps 41 Ps 124 Ps 129 Ps 130	Ps 141 Ps 142 Ps 119 (vv105-112) Cant of Philippians
Compline
Ps 91	Ps 4 Ps 134	Ps 91	Ps 4 Ps 134	Ps 91	Ps 4 Ps 134	Ps 4 Ps 134

Week 2

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Invitiary
Ps 95	Ps 29	Ps 100	Ps 24	Ps 100	Ps 67	Ps 46
Vigils (Saturday eve) or Matins (Mo-Sa)
Ps 34 Ps 66a Ps 66b Ps 104a Ps 104b Ps 104c OT Canticles	Ps 37a Ps 37b Ps 37c Ps 52 Ps 71a Ps 71b	Ps 100 Ps 74a Ps 74b Ps 79 Ps 83 Ps 102a Ps 102b	Ps 50 Ps 73a Ps 73b Ps 106a Ps 106b Ps 106c	Ps 12 Ps 13 Ps 14 Ps 78a Ps 78b Ps 78c Ps 78d	Ps 35a Ps 35b Ps 35c Ps 107a Ps 107b Ps 107c	Ps 56 Ps 94a Ps 94b Ps 109a Ps 109b Ps 140
Lauds
Ps 118 Cant of Daniel Ps 148 Ps 150	Ps 77 Ps 87 Ps 96	Ps 84 Ps 85 Ps 97	Ps 90 Ps 98 Ps 99	Ps 101 Ps 143 Ps 147a	Ps 51 Ps 108 Ps 147b	Ps 92 Ps 135a Ps 135b
Midday
Ps 119 Ps 120 (vv 1-8) Ps 121 (vv9-16) Ps 123 (vv 17-24)	Ps 119 Ps 26 (vv5-32) Ps 28 (vv33-40) Ps 39 (vv 41-48)	Ps 119 Ps 38a (vv 49-56) Ps 38b (vv 57-64) Ps 53 (vv 65-72)	Ps 119 Ps 54 (vv 73-80) Ps 55a (vv 81-88) Ps 55b (vv 89-96)	Ps 119 Ps 58 (vv 97-104) Ps 61 (vv 113-120) Ps 64 (vv 121-128)	Ps 119 Ps 70 (vv 129-136) Ps 75 (vv 137-144) Ps 82 (vv 145-52)	Ps 119 Ps 86a (vv 153-160) Ps 86b (vv 161-168) Ps 88 (vv 169-176)
Vespers
Ps 110 Ps 113 Ps 114 Cant from Revelation	Ps 116b Ps125 Ps 126 Ps 12	Ps 128 Ps 131 Ps 132 Ps 133	Ps 136a Ps 136b Ps 137 Ps 138	Ps 144a Ps 144b Ps 145a Ps 145b	Ps 115 Ps 116a Ps 139a Ps 139b	Ps 141 Ps 122 Ps 16 Cant of Philippians
Compline
Ps 91	Ps 4 Ps 134	Ps 91	Ps 4 Ps 134	Ps 91	Ps 4 Ps 134	Ps 4 Ps 134