Canonical Hours of Prayer

Indian Malankara Orthodox Syrian church has mainly focused in serving our Christ with dedication and humility. Also, with a belief of surrendering to our Lord in prayers with a good mind, soul and heart. This involves discipline and unadulterated faith. In doing so we have beautiful traditions made by our early church fathers. Traditions which signifies life, death and the second coming of Christ. Traditions which are the sole essence and backbone of our church.

Today, I am sharing one such religious tradition which holds a beautiful meaning to it. The canonical hours of our prayers. Something which might look so unadorned at one simple glance but is really very symbolic. You wonder, Why? Let’s not waste anymore time and get straight into it.

In Indian Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, we have 7 canonical hours of prayers. Roman Catholic Churches also practices similar canonical hours of prayer but our prayers are different from theirs. We all should pray incessantly; as talking to God or doing good deeds is also accounted as a part of prayer to God. St. Paul teaches us to pray incessantly (1Thessalonians 5:17).

The seven canonical hours of prayers are:

1. Matnis/Prime (morning prayer, 6am)

2. Terce (third hr, 9 am)

3. Sext (sixth hr, 12 noon)

4. Nones (ninth hr, 3 pm)

5. Vespers (evening prayer, 6pm)

6. Compline (soothara, 9 pm)

7. Nocturn (night prayer, 12 midnight)

In ancient India, time was measured using units of twenty four minutes known as “Naazhika”. One day was divided into sixty “Naazhikas”. the present day measurement of time using ‘hours’ was nor prevalent then. One hour was equivalent to two and a half “Naazhika”. A time unit consisting of seven and a half “Naazhika” was called a canonical hour (i.e 3 hours interval).

Prayers of canonical hours are related to the Passion of our Christ. Jews prayed three times a day. But King David used to pray seven times a day. (Psalm 119:164)

Nocturn – Jesus Christ is taken captive (St. John 18:12)

Matnis/prime – The trial of Jesus (St. John 18:28)

Terce – Pontius Pilate sentences Jesus Christ to be crucified. (Three hours after dawn; St. Mathew 27: 2-26)

Sext – Crucifixion of Christ (St. Mathew 27:45)

None – Christ dies (Three hours after noon; st. Mathew 27:46)

Vespers – Jesus Christ is taken from cross (st. Mathew 27: 57)

Compline – Jesus Christ is entombed (compline means guard; St. Luke 23:54)

In monasteries and convents, canonical prayers are said in specific hours on those seven respected canonical hour. Usually, in an orthodox christian home, prayers are to be done in their morning and evening worship. It is a customary practice amongst us that all the members of the family pray together during evening worship. During Three days and Great Lent fast, the prayers of canonical hours are done in three sets – Morning, noon and evening worship. the prayers for the canonical hours of Terce, Sext and None are included in noon worship. At the end of noon worship forty prostrations are done during these lenten days. Those who won’t be be able pray during working hours should do this worship along with morning prayers.

Sometimes for lay person it might be difficult to keep up the prayers with respect to time. Sometimes the prayers are skipped because of several genuine reasons. Many a times churches can reschedule the time for convenience of people or for the sake respecting the law of the country. So one might ask if prayers can’t be held on time so what’s the purpose of the organized timetable. I remember a joke, once a man wanted to board a bus but the bus was very late and behind it’s schedule. He approached authority and angrily complained, “if buses are so late, what’s the purpose of the time table? The authority calmly replies,”if you didn’t have such schedule then how would you know that the buses are running late.”

Law and order are made to avoid chaos. It also makes things easy and gives control to a blissful life, so does timely prayers with good heart.

“Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.”

Plato

Pharisees and Sadducee prayed to display. John, the baptist and our Christ referred them as vipers or hypocrites for their heart was not right in the eyes of God. For God said their action would be rewarded as in punished.

The parable of pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) by our Lord Christ teaches that pharisee who paid his tithes in time, was arrogant. He considered himself superior than the tax collector and was full of pride. Meanwhile the tax collector, who stood little far and dared not to lift his eyes towards heaven, prayed to God to forgive him cause he is a sinner. Christ assures that God heard the prayers of the tax collector rather than the phony pharisee, this parable teaches that a prayer with a good humble heart is heard while the haughty hearts are judged even if they follow all the rituals. Also, let’s be honest in this time and day of pandemic, earnest prayer is really required.

A prayer to God at specific time also symbolizes the conversations that used to happen in Eden Garden with Humans and God.(Genesis chapter 3:8) When Adam and Eve talked with God, before the grave sin they committed. God along with His creation, made in His image, walked in the garden together and shared everything. We pray hoping to walk with God in this world and in His new Heaven. I conclude this blog by praying that may we all be blessed and our sins be forgiven, so that we be reunited with God.

~ J George Thomas aka A R T

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