Wednesday Evening Prayer The Jews, Greeks, and Romans divided the hours between sunrise and sunset into 12 parts, and the Jews devoted certain of those intervals to prayer. These Old Testament time divisions developed into the Church’s “canonical hours” or “offices” at which prayers [psalms, canticles, antiphons, scripture, etc.], and are known, together with the Holy Mass, as “The Divine Office” [Officium Divinum] or “The Liturgy of the Hours”: namely, Lauds, [Morning Prayer] Prime, Tierce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Complin [or Night Prayer]. These prayers of the Divine Office are most often said by religious and clergy [in fact, they are obligated], but because they are liturgical in nature, i.e., they are “the work of the people,” they should be offered publicly [especially Lauds and Vespers]. Come join the Youngstown Ursulines, every Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. to pray with us what is traditionally known in the Church as “Vespers.” Prayer lasts for about ½ hour and uses psalms, Scripture, intercessions, music and quiet reflection time. Everyone is welcome, so come join us in prayer at the end of your day on Wednesday whenever you can.
Advent Evening Prayer The word Advent is derived from the Latin phrase: Adventus Domini, meaning “the coming of the Lord.” Often, this is understood to refer to the first coming of Jesus. Rather, Adventus Domini refers to the Coming of the Lord in the past, today, and especially at the end of time. The season of Advent, therefore, is a season filled with anticipation, not just for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus — the First Coming of the Lord — but also anticipation of current, future and final manifestations. The Ursuline Sisters invite you to join them for Evening Prayer with Silent Reflection on the Wednesdays of Advent: Dec 1,8,15 and 22, 2010 at 6:30 pm in the Ursuline Sisters Motherhouse chapel 4250 Shields Rd. Canfield OH, to celebrate the “Coming of the Lord” within our lives. For more information contact Sr Therese Rich 330.792.7636