This course will provide an introduction to one of the oldest traditions in the Roman Catholic Church – the Liturgy of the Hours, and to its scriptural significance, and how to pray.

This online independent study course will examine the history of the Liturgy of the Hours, tracing its origins from the Desert Fathers and early Christian communities through the institution of the modern Divine Office. Furthermore, this course will address both the structure of the Divine Office, and how it is currently prayed and recited everyday by Roman Catholic religious and lay people around the world. Students who complete this course should understand how the prayers of the early Church evolved into the modern Divine Office, describe and be able to pray the basic forms of the Divine Office, and identify how the Liturgy of the Hours and the Divine Office fits within the overall liturgical prayer life of the Church.