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Prime, or the First Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the traditional Divine Office, said at 6 a.m. Previously, it was a part of almost all traditional Christian liturgies. In the Roman Catholic Church, however, it was suppressed for normative use after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.^[1] This office, however, is by no means obsolete, since it is observed by Traditional Catholic and some Western monastic communities. The Eastern Churches all continue to say the office to this day. The office is one of the Little Hours, and consists primarily of psalms.

Contents 1 Name 2 Origin 3 Western Office 3.1 Contents 3.2 Office of the Chapter 4 Eastern Christian Office 5 Notes 6 See also

Its name comes from Latin and refers to the first hour of daylight (i.e., dawn). At first Prime was termed matitutina (hora), "morning hour"; later, in order to distinguish it from the nocturnal hours of Matins and Lauds, and to include it among hours of the day, it was called prima. The name is first met with in the Rule of St. Benedict. In the Antiphonary of Bangor it is called secunda.

This short office is one of those whose origin is best known. Saint John Cassian, speaking of Prime, says expressly "sciendum . . . hanc matitutinam canonicam functionem [i.e. Prime] nostro tempore in nostro quoque monasterio primitus institutam." ("it is to be known . . . this morning canonical function was first instituted in our time and in our monastery."^[2]

As the chronology of Cassian's works has recently been established fairly accurately, the institution of Prime must be placed towards 382.^[3] Apropos of this monastery, of which Cassian speaks as the cradle of Prime, it has now been proved that it was not St. Jerome's monastery at Bethlehem, but another, perhaps one established beyond the Tower of Ader (or of the Flock) beyond the village of the Shepherds, and consequently beyond the modern Beth-saour; it has been identified either with Deïr-er-Raouat (convent of the shepherds) or with Seiar-er-Ganhem (enclosure of the sheep).

We learn further from Cassian the reason that led to the institution of this office. The office of the night, comprising Matins and Lauds, ended then at sunrise, so that Lauds corresponded to the dawn. After the night offices at Bethlehem, as in the other Palestinian monasteries, the monks might retire to rest. As no other office called them together before Terce, those who were lazy seized the opportunity of prolonging their sleep till nine in the morning, instead of applying themselves to manual work or spiritual reading. To end this abuse, it was decided, in the above monastery, to continue the custom of reposing after the night office, but, to prevent an undue prolongation of sleep, the monks were recalled to choir at the hour of Prime, and after the recital of a few psalms they were to work until Terce^[4] All this is established by authentic texts. The only difficulty is that some contemporaries of Cassian or even his predecessors, as Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Jerome, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, speak of an office recited at sunrise, and which therefore would seem to be identical with Prime. But it must be noted that they are speaking of Lauds, which in some communities was recited later, and so was identified with the hour but not with the subject matter of Prime.

The matter composing the new hour was drawn from the office of Lauds; or rather Prime, as an office, was a repetition of part of Lauds, and added nothing to the ensemble of the psalmody, only Psalms 1, 57 (58), and 89 (90), which were formerly part of Lauds, were recited at this hour. Such at least was the original composition of Prime; but the monasteries which gradually adopted it in the East and in the West changed its constitution as they liked. It is impossible to describe here all the variations this office underwent in the different liturgies. We need only remark that one of the most characteristic features of Prime is the recitation of the famous symbol "Quicumque vult salvus esse", called the Athanasian Creed, which has recently been the subject of much controversy in the Anglican Church. St. Benedict orders to be recited at Prime on Sundays four groups of eight verses of Ps. 143 (144); on week-days, three psalms, beginning with the first and continuing to Ps. 19 (20), taking three psalms each day (Ps. 9 (10) and 17 (18) being divided into two). In that way Prime is symmetrical, like the other Little Hours of the day. It resembles these also in composition, the psalmody being accompanied by a hymn, an antiphon, capitulum, versicle, and prayer. In the Roman Liturgy the office of Prime is not composed so symmetrically. Usually it consists of Ps. 53 (54), 107 (108), the first four groups of eight verses of Ps. 118 (119), and during the week Pss. 53 (54), 23 (24), 25 (26), 24 (25), 22 (23), and 21 (22). The capitulum and other elements are after the model of the Little Hours (cf. None).

So far we have spoken only of the office of Prime properly so called, which ends like the other Little Hours. It is followed by some prayers which are called the office of the chapter, and are composed in the Roman Liturgy of the reading of the martyrology, of a prayer, "Sancta Maria et omnes sancti" ("May holy Mary and all the Saints..."), a prayer concerning work, "Respice in servos tuos . . . Dirigere et sanctificare" ("Look upon thy servants... Direct and sanctify"), and a blessing. This addition to Prime is a legacy bequeathed by the monks to the secular clergy. As has been said above, originally after Prime the monks had to betake themselves to manual work or reading. The office therefore ended with a prayer for their work "... et opera manuum nostrarum dirige super nos et opus manuum nostrarum dirige" ("...and direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct."), and the prayer "Dirigere". Later the reading of the martyrology, the necrology, the rule, and a prayer for the dead were added.^[5]

In view of its origin and constitution, Prime is to be considered as the prayer of the beginning of the day, whereas Lauds is devoted to recalling with the dawn the memory of Christ's Resurrection, Prime is the morning hour which consecrates all the work of the day. Its institution has made the liturgical day more regular and symmetrical. Prime, until then without an office, received its psalmody like Terce, Sext, None, Vespers. With Compline and Lauds, the liturgical day reached the sacred septenary, "septies in die laudem dixi tibi" ("seven times a day I have given praise to thee)", while for the night office there was the text: "media nocte surgebam ad confitendum tibi" ("I rose at midnight to give praise to thee").

Further information: Little Hours — Eastern Christian Practice

In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches the office of the First Hour is normally read by a single Reader and has very little variation in it. Three fixed psalms are read at the First Hour: Psalms 5, 89, and 100 (LXX). The only variable portions for most of the year are the Troparia (either one or two) and Kontakion of the Day. Whereas the other Little Hours are normally followed by other services, the First Hour is normally read immediately after Matins and so it is concluded by a dismissal by the priest.

During Great Lent a number of changes in the office take place. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, after the three fixed psalms, the Reader says a kathisma from the Psalter. During the 5th week of Great Lent, there is a kathisma only on Tuesday and Wednesday.^[6] The Troparion of the Day is replaced by special Lenten hymns that are chanted with prostrations. Then the psalm verses that follow the Theotokion, which are normally read, are instead sung by the choir. The Kontakion is also replaced by special Lenten hymns which are sung. Near the end of the Hour, the Prayer of St. Ephraim is said, with prostrations.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the Fourth Week of Great Lent, the Veneration of the Cross takes place at the First Hour.

During Holy Week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the services are similar to those during Great Lent except there is no reading of Kathismata, and instead of the normal Lenten hymns which replace the Kontakion, the Kontakion of the day (i.e., that day of Holy Week) is chanted. On Great Thursday and Saturday, the Little Hours are more like normal, except that a Troparion of the Prophesy, prokeimena, and a reading from Jeremiah are chanted at the First Hour on Great Thursday. On Great Friday, the Royal Hours are chanted.

During the Lesser Lenten seasons (Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast and Dormition Fast) the Little Hours undergo changes similar to those during Great Lent, except the hymns are usually read instead of chanted, and there are no kathismata on weekdays. In addition, on weekdays of the Lesser Fasts, the Inter-Hour (Greek: Mesorion) may be read immediately after the First Hour (at least on the first day of the Fast).^[7] The Inter-Hours follow the same general outline as the Little Hours, except they are shorter. When the Inter-Hour follows the First Hour, the dismissal is said at the end of the Inter-Hour rather than at the end of the First Hour.

• Canonical Hours

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. , s.v., Prime

Traditional Liturgical Hours of the Catholic Church
Matins	Lauds	Prime	Terce	Sext	None	Vespers	Compline