What is the Church Fathers’ understanding of praying the Psalms (the prayers of the canonical hours of the Agpeya)?

First: St. Hippolytus of Rome (second century).

He says, “If indeed you are at home pray at the third hour and praise God; but if you are elsewhere and that time comes, pray in your heart to God.”¹³⁶ We notice two things in this quote:

• a. The prayers of the canonical hours are not a matter for show before others. They may be prayed at home or in the heart during work without anyone else noticing.

• b. The phrase, “praise God” indicates an understanding of prayer as an act of praise, especially when using the psalms and hymns of the Church. It is a joyful act of the heart and not an obligation performed without the spirit of joy.

St. Hippolytus of Rome also speaks about the thoughts that should occupy the mind when praying the canonical hours. In his view, the third hour is for contemplation of the saving sufferings of Christ, since at this time, the process of crucifixion began in earnest.¹³⁷ He also refers to the showbread that was served at the third hour and the offering of the lamb at that time. At the sixth hour, the Lord was hung on the wood of the cross and the light of day was diminished, and it became dark (Matt. 27:45). Thus we pray with the spirit of triumph and victory over the power of darkness.¹³⁸ At the ninth hour the Lord was pierced in His side, blood and water flowed out (John 16:34), the darkness was dissipated, and there was light until evening. This was the dawn of a new day for us, for by falling asleep [dying] on the cross, He brought us into His resurrection.¹³⁹ As for the midnight prayer, he says, “And at

135 St. Jerome, Letters 109.3 (NPNF II/6:213).

136 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.2: pp. 62–62 amended.

137 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.3: p. 63.

138 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.4: p. 64.

139 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.5 p. 65.

midnight rise and wash your hands with water and pray. And if you have a wife, pray together.”¹⁴⁰ Of this, he provides two interpretations:

• a. The Natural Interpretation : “And truly those men of holy memory (literally elders ) who handed on the Tradition to us taught us thus: because in this hour every creature hushes for a brief moment to praise the Lord: stars and plants and waters stand still in that instant; all the hosts of the angels ministering ( leitourgia ) unto him together with the souls of the righteous praise God.”¹⁴¹

• b. The Eschatological Interpretation : “Wherefore it is right for all them that believe to be careful to pray at that hour. And testifying to this the Lord says thus, ‘Behold a cry was made at midnight of them that said, Behold the Bridegroom has come; arise, [go forth] to meet Him’ [Matt. 25:6]; and He adds, saying, ‘Watch therefore, for you know not in what hour He comes’ [Matt. 25:13].”¹⁴²

Second: St. Cyprian of Carthage (second century).

St. Cyprian presents us with a vivid portrait of what should occupy the believer during prayer.¹⁴³ At the third hour he should remember the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:15). At the sixth hour he should raise his heart toward heaven with Peter the Apostle who climbed up to the roof to pray and learned from a vision that God loves all humanity, and that none of them is unclean or impure (Acts 10:9). At the ninth hour, he should recall how the Lord washed away our sins with His blood on the cross and announced the fulfillment of His victory through His sufferings. At sunset, we should recollect our yearning for the presence of our sun Christ within us, and that He can never be hidden from us. And in the Matins prayer we remember the power of His resurrection.

Third: St. Athanasius the Apostolic (fourth century).

In De Virginitate (On Virginity), attributed to St. Athanasius the Apostolic, the author explains the observance of these prayers. We pray at the third hour, because at this hour they came to Him with the cross for Him to carry; at the sixth He was crucified for us; at the ninth hour He gave up the spirit. At the twelfth hour, our prayer before sleeping, the Lord

140 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.8: p. 65 amended.

141 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.12: pp. 66–67.

142 St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr , trans., Gregory Dix and Henry Chadwick (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1968) 36.13: p. 67 amended.

143 St. Cyprian of Carthage, Treatise 4: On the Lord’s Prayer (ANF 5:447–457).

descended to the world of those who have slept; so we join them in rejoicing in His salvation. At midnight, we remember His resurrection from the dead.¹⁴⁴

Fourth: St. Basil the Great (fourth century).

St. Basil emphasizes the importance of these prayers for our spiritual growth, saying, “None of these hours for prayer should be unobserved by those who have chosen a life devoted to the glory of God and His Christ.”¹⁴⁵ He explains their significance as follows:

1. First Hour Prayer: “Prayers are recited early in the morning so that the first movements of the soul and the mind may be consecrated to God and that we may take up no other consideration before we have been cheered and heartened by the thought of God, as it is written: ‘I remembered God and was delighted’ (Ps. 76:4 LXX) … ‘in the morning you shall hear my voice. In the Morning I will stand before you and you will see’ (Ps. 5:4 LXX).”¹⁴⁶

2. Third Hour Prayer: We remember the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, and we ask Him to work in our lives: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 50 LXX).

3. Sixth Hour Prayer: We fight against the demon of noon-day (i.e., drowsiness and lethargy) and pray for deliverance from him (Ps. 90).

4. Ninth Hour Prayer: This prayer is an apostolic tradition, received from the apostles Peter and John who at this hour went up into the temple to pray (Acts 3:1).

5. Eleventh Hour Prayer: “thanksgiving should be offered for what has been granted us or for what we have done rightly therein and confession made of our omissions, whether voluntary or involuntary, or of a secret fault, if we chance to have committed any in words or deeds, or in the heart itself.”¹⁴⁷

6. Twelfth Hour Prayer: As night falls upon us, we pray that we may have rest without disturbance or illusions.

7. Midnight Prayer: We learn the need for this prayer from the apostles Paul and Silas when they were in prison: “And at midnight Paul and Silas praised God” (Acts 16:25). And the Psalmist says, “I rose at midnight to give praise to You for the judgments of Your justifications’ (Ps. 118:62 LXX).”

In common with some of the other Fathers of the Church, St. Basil the Great emphasizes the role of the Psalms in our spiritual life along the following principles:

144 St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Enchiridion Ascet. 221.

145 St. Basil of Caesarea, The Long Rules Q. 37 (FOTC 9:311).

146 St. Basil of Caesarea, The Long Rules Q. 37 (FOTC 9:309).

147 St. Basil of Caesarea, The Long Rules Q. 37 (FOTC 9:310).

First: The psalms provide sweetness on the narrow path of virtue. St. Basil says, “When, indeed, the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that, because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? He devised for us these harmonious melodies of the psalms, that they who are children in age, or even those who are youthful in disposition, might to all appearances chant, but in reality, become trained in soul. For, never has any one of the many indifferent persons gone away easily holding in mind either an apostolic or prophetic message, but they do chant the words of the psalms, even in the home, and they spread them around in the market place, and, if perchance, someone becomes exceedingly wrathful, when he begins to be soothed by the psalm, he departs with the wrath immediately lulled to sleep by means of the melody.

“A psalm implies serenity of soul; it is the author of peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. For, it softens the wrath of the soul, and what is unbridled it chastens. A psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, conciliates those at enmity. Who, indeed, can still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God? So that psalmody, bringing about choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and joining people into a harmonious union of one choir, produces also the greatest of blessings, charity … It is the elementary exposition of beginners, the improvement of those advancing, the solid support of the perfect, the voice of the Church. It brightens feast days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with God. For, a psalm calls forth a tear even from a heart of stone.”¹⁴⁸

Second : The psalms imbue the soul with inner peace. St. Basil says, “A psalm implies serenity of soul; it is the author of peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. This book is the book of love … It is a weapon against the devil … It is a cause of rest after the tiredness of the day … It brightens feast days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with God … It is the voice of the Church. A psalm is the work of angels, a heavenly institution, the spiritual incense.”¹⁴⁹

Third : The psalms provide each person with the medicine of the soul that is appropriate for him. St. Basil says, “‘All scripture is inspired by God, and is useful’ (2 Tim. 3:16), composed by the Spirit for this reason, namely, that we men, each and all of us, as if in a general hospital for souls, may select the remedy for his own condition. For, it says, ‘care will make the greatest sin to cease’ (Eccles. 10:4). Now, the prophets teach one thing, historians another, the law some- thing else, and the form of advice found in the proverbs something different still. But, the Book of Psalms has taken over what is profitable from all. It foretells coming events; it recalls history; it frames laws for life; it suggests what must be done; and, in general, it is the common treasury of good doctrine, carefully finding what is suitable for each one. The old wounds of souls it cures completely, and to the recently wounded it brings speedy improvement; the diseased it treats, and the unharmed it preserves.

148 St. Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms 10.1–2 On Psalm 1 (FOTC 46:152–153).

149 St. Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms 10.1–2 On Psalm 1 (FOTC 46:152–153).

On the whole, it effaces, as far as is possible, the passions, which subtly exercise dominion over souls during the lifetime of man, and it does this with a certain orderly persuasion and sweetness which produces sound thoughts.”¹⁵⁰

“A psalm is a city of refuge from the demons; a means of inducing help from the angels, a weapon in fears by night, a rest from toils by day, a safeguard for infants, an adornment for those at the height of their vigor, a consolation for the elders, a most fitting ornament for women. It is the elementary exposition of beginners, the improvement of those advancing, the solid support of the perfect, the voice of the Church. It brightens the feast days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with God. For, a psalm calls forth a tear even from a heart of stone. A psalm is the work of angels, a heavenly institution, the spiritual incense.

“Oh! the wise invention of the teacher who contrived that while we were singing we should at the same time learn something useful; by this means, too, the teachings are in a certain way impressed more deeply on our minds. Even a forceful lesson does not always endure, but what enters the mind with joy and pleasure somehow becomes more firmly impressed upon it. What, in fact, can you not learn from the psalms? Can you not learn the grandeur of courage? The exactness of justice? The nobility of self-control? The perfection of prudence? A manner of penance? The measure of patience? And whatever other good things you might mention? There in is perfect theology, a prediction of the coming of Christ in the flesh, a threat of judgment, a hope of resurrection, a fear of punishment, promises of glory, an unveiling of mysteries; all things, as if in some great public treasury, are stored up in the Book of Psalms.”¹⁵¹

Fourth : The psalms are one of the arrows with which we pierce and destroy demons. St. Isaac the Syrian says, “The service of psalmody, the Lord’s Prayer to our heavenly Father, and the personal prayer that a person improvises asking for mercy, help, and salvation — these three are like three arrows by which demons are pierced and killed.”¹⁵²

Fifth : The psalms support the believer in avoiding distraction of thought. St. Evagrius says, “To pray without distraction is a considerable achievement, but greater still is the ability to practise psalmody also without distraction.”¹⁵³