Dictionary
A modern dictionary of Catholic terms, both common and obscure. Find accurate definitions of words and phrases.
LITTLE HOURS
The shorter hours of the Divine Office, before the revision of the Breviary since the Second Vatican Council. They were Prime, Terce, Sext, and None. In the revised office, Prime has been suppressed, while Terce, Sext, and None have become the Middle Hour (Hora Media), with a different closing biblical reading and prayer that is still called Terce, Sext, and None, for different times of the day, i.e., before noon, noon to three, and after three in the afternoon. Only one of the three hours is read each day, depending on the time of day it is said, i.e., midmorning, midday, or midafternoon.
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
