Nones (liturgy)

Origin

According to an Ancient Greek and Roman custom, the day was, like the night, divided into four parts, each consisting of three hours. Among the ancients the hour of Nones was regarded as the close of the day's business and the time for the baths and supper. This division of the day was in vogue also among the Jews, from whom the Church borrowed it. In addition to Morning and Evening Prayer to accompany the sacrifices, there was prayer at the Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours of the day.

Early Church

The Apostles continued to frequent the Temple at the customary hours of prayer (Acts 3:1): "Now Peter and John went up into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer."^[1]

At an early date, mystical reasons for the division of the day were sought. St. Cyprian sees in the hours of Terce, Sext and Nones, which come after a lapse of three hours, an allusion to the Trinity. He adds that these hours already consecrated to prayer under the Old Dispensation have been sanctified in the New Testament by great mysteries: Terce by the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles; Sext by the prayers of St. Peter, the reception of the Gentiles into the Church, or yet again by the crucifixion of Christ; Nones by the death of Christ. St. Basil merely recalls that it was at the ninth hour that the Apostles Peter and John were wont to go to the Temple to pray. St. John Cassian, who adopts the Cyprian interpretation for Terce and Sext, sees in the Hour of Nones the descent of Christ into hell. But, as a rule, it is the death of Christ that is commemorated at the Hour of Nones.^[2]

The most ancient testimony refers to this custom of Terce, Sext, and Nones, for instance Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, the Canons of Hippolytus, and even the Didache ("Teaching of the Apostles"). The Didache prescribed prayer thrice each day, without, however, fixing the hours. Clement of Alexandria and likewise Tertullian, as early as the end of the 2nd century, expressly mention the Canonical Hours of Terce, Sext, and Nones, as specially set apart for prayer. Tertullian argues for constant prayer with no prescribed time, but adds: "As regards the time, there should be no lax observation of certain hours—I mean of those common hours which have long marked the divisions of the day, the third, the sixth, and the ninth, and which we may observe in Scripture to be more solemn than the rest."^[3][2]

Clement and Tertullian in these passages refer only to private prayer at these hours. The Canons of Hippolytus also speak of Terce, Sext, and Nones, as suitable hours for private prayer; however, on the two station days, Wednesday and Friday, when the faithful assembled in the church, and perhaps on Sundays, these hours were recited successively in public. In the 4th century there is evidence to show that the practice had become obligatory, at least for the monks.^[2]

The eighteenth canon of the Council of Laodicea (between 343 and 381) orders that the same prayers be always said at Nones and Vespers. It is likely that reference is made to some litanies, in which prayer was offered for the catechumens, sinners, the faithful, and generally for all the wants of the Church. John Cassian states that the most common practice was to recite three psalms at each of the Hours of Terce, Sext, and None.^[2]

Since the 7th century

Practices varied from monastery to monastery. At first some tried to do the entire Psalter (150 Psalms) each day, but eventually that was abandoned for a weekly cycle built around certain hours of the day. In the Rule of St. Benedict the four Little Hours of the day (Prime, Terce, Sext and Nones) were conceived on the same plan, the formulae alone varying. The Divine Office began with the Invitatory, like all the Canonical Hours; then follows a hymn, special to Nones; three psalms, which do not change (Psalm 125, 126, 127), except on Sundays and Mondays when they are replaced by three groups of eight verses from Psalm 118; then the capitulum, a versicle, the Kyrie, the Lord's Prayer, the oratio, and the concluding prayers.^[2]

Medieval writers attribute various mystical characteristics to the Hour of Nones. Amalarius of Metz opines that the human spirit sinks at Nones alongside the setting sun, opening the soul to diabolical temptation. Other medievals claim ancient associations between the number nine and imperfection and mourning. One folk belief holds that Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden at the ninth hour.

Nones was also the hour of fasting. At first, the hour of fasting was prolonged to Vespers, that is to say, food was taken only in the evening or at the end of the day. Mitigation of this rigorous practice was soon introduced. Tertullian's work De jejunio adversus psychicos ("On fasting, against the materialistic") rails at length against the Psychicos (i.e. the Orthodox Christians) who end their fast on station days at the Hour of Nones, while he, Tertullian, claims that he is faithful to the ancient custom. The practice of breaking the fast at Nones caused that hour to be selected for Mass and Communion, which were the signs of the close of the day. The distinction between the rigorous fast, which was prolonged to Vespers, and the mitigated fast, ending at Nones, is met with in a large number of ancient documents.^[2]

In the Roman Rite the office of Nones is likewise constructed after the model of the Little Hours of the day; it is composed of the same elements as in the Rule of St. Benedict, with this difference: that instead of the three psalms (125-127), the three groups of eight verses from Psalm 118 are always recited. There is nothing else characteristic of this office in this liturgy. The hymn, which was added later, is the one already in use in the Benedictine Office—Rerum Deus tenax vigor. In the monastic rules prior to the 10th century certain variations are found. Thus in the Rule of Lerins, as in that of St. Caesarius, six psalms are recited at Nones, as at Terce and Sext, with antiphon, hymn and capitulum.^[2]

St. Aurelian follows the same tradition in his Rule Ad virgines, but he imposes twelve psalms at each hour on the monks. St. Columbanus, St. Fructuosus, and St. Isidore adopt the system of three psalms. Like St. Benedict, most of these authors include hymns, the capitulum or short lesson, a versicle, and an oratio. In the 9th and 10th centuries we find some additions made to the Office of Nones, in particular litanies, collects, etc.^[2]

Roman Rite

With the reforms of the Second Vatican Council the traditional one-week Psalter cycle became a four-week cycle.^[1] Furthermore, it is only mandatory to pray one of the Little Hours (Terce, Sext, and None). In the liturgy of the hours of some religious orders Sext and None are combined to form a "midday hour". However, bishops, priests and others, "who have received from the Church the mandate to celebrate the liturgy of the hours" are still expected to recite the full sequence of hours, as closely as possible to the traditional time of day.^[4]

Antiochene Rites

Alexandrian Rite

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, and Coptic Catholic Church, the Compline is prayed at 3 pm using the Agpeya breviary before retiring.^[7]

East Syriac Rite

The equivalent of the Nones in the East Syriac Rite, employed by the Chaldean Catholic Church, Syro-Malabar Church, Assyrian Church of the East and Ancient Church of the East is D-Bathsha Shayin.^[8]