Seven Times in the Day,' Says the Prophet
St. Benedict emphasizes the importance of praising God through structured daily prayers at specific times.
St. Benedict of Nursia emphasizes the importance of praising God throughout the day by performing the Offices of service at specific times, fulfilling the sacred number of seven mentioned in Psalms. He encourages offering praise to our Creator for His justice by observing the Morning Office, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. Additionally, he highlights the significance of rising in the middle of the night to glorify God, as mentioned by the Prophet.
Text
"Seven times in the day," says the Prophet, "I have rendered praise to You" (Ps. 118[119]:164). Now that sacred number of seven will be fulfilled by us if we perform the Offices of our service at the time of the Morning Office, of Prime, of Terce, of Sext, of None, of Vespers and of Compline, since it was of these day Hours that he said, "Seven times in the day I have rendered praise to You" (Ps. 118[119]:164). For as to the Night Office the same Prophet says, "In the middle of the night I arose to glorify You" (Ps. 118[119]:62). Let us therefore bring our tribute of praise to our Creator "for the judgments of His justice" at these times: the Morning Office, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; and in the night let us arise to glorify Him (Ps. 118[119]:164,62).
Sermon Outline
-
I
- Introduction to the concept of praising God
- Significance of the number seven in worship
- Scriptural basis from Psalms
-
II
- Explanation of the seven daily Offices
- Morning Office and its importance
- Evening and Night Offices
-
III
- Encouragement to maintain a rhythm of prayer
- The role of community in worship
- Personal commitment to praise
-
IV
- Reflection on God's justice
- The impact of regular worship on spiritual life
- Call to action for the congregation
Key Quotes
“Seven times in the day, I have rendered praise to You.” — St. Benedict of Nursia
“Let us therefore bring our tribute of praise to our Creator.” — St. Benedict of Nursia
“In the middle of the night I arose to glorify You.” — St. Benedict of Nursia
Application Points
- Establish a daily routine of prayer to enhance your spiritual life.
- Engage with your community in worship to strengthen your faith.
- Reflect on God's justice and incorporate it into your daily praises.