ry was called the Office
(_officium_), that is, the duty, the function, the office; because
it is, _par excellence_, the duty, function and office of persons
consecrated to God. This is the oldest and most universal name for the
Breviary and its recitation. It was called, too, the Divine Office
(_officium divinum_), because it has God for its principal object
and is recited by persons consecrated to God. It is called the
ecclesiastical office (_officium ecclesiasticum_), because it was
instituted by the Church. Other names were, _Opus Dei; Agenda; Pensum
servitutis; Horae; Horae Canonicae_.

Which books were employed in olden times in reciting the Office?

Before the eleventh century the prayers of the Divine Office were not
all contained in one book, as they are now in the Breviary, which is an
abridgment or compendium of several books. The recitation of the Office
required the Psaltery, the Lectionary, the Book of Homilies, the
Legendary, the Antiphonarium, the Hymnal, the Book of Collects, the
Martyrology, the Rubrics. The Psaltery contained the psalms; the
Lectionary (thirteenth century) contained the lessons of the first and
second nocturn; the Book of Homilies, the homilies of the Fathers; the
Legendary (before the thirteenth century), the lives of the saints read
on their feast days. The Hymnal contained hymns; the Book of Collects,
prayers, collects and chapters; the Martyrology contained the names with
brief lives of the martyrs; the Rubrics, the rules to be followed in the
recitation of the Office. To-day, we have traces of this ancient custom
in our different choir books, the Psalter, the Gradual, the
Antiphonarium. There were not standard editions of these old books, and
great diversities of use and text were in existence.

_Divisions of the Divine Office_.--How is the daily Office divided?
The Office is divided into the night Office and the day Office. The
night Office is so called because it was originally recited at night.
It embraces three nocturns and Lauds. The day Office embraces Prime,
Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline.

_Parts or Hours of the Office_.--How many parts or hours go to make
up the Office? Rome counts seven, and seven only; and this is the number
commonly counted by liturgists and theologians. They reckon Matins and
Lauds as one hour.

The old writers on liturgy ask the question: "Why has the Church
reckoned seven hours only?" Their replies are summarised well by
Newman: "In