In ancient times,
especially in monasteries, all the offices of the daily divine service were performed
separately, at the hours appointed for them. At the present time they are
combined so as to fit into three services: the evening service, consisting of
the offices of Ninth Hour, Vespers, and Compline; — the morning service,
consisting of the Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour; — and the midday
service, consisting of the offices of Third and Sixth Hours, and the Liturgy
(celebration of the Holy Eucharist). On days preceding Sundays or great
feast-days, the evening and morning services are joined into one, which is
called a Vigil (i.e., “keeping awake”), and consists of Vespers, Matins and
First Hour. As in some monasteries this service, beginning after sunset, lasts
till daybreak, and always contains the prayers for both evening and morning, it
is called All-Night Vigil.
If a feast-day on which the Liturgy must be performed falls on one
of the days in Lent on which there is normally no Liturgy, the following
alteration is made in the distribution of the services: The morning service
consists of the Midnight Office, Matins, and First Hour; the midday service, of
Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, Typica, Vespers, and the Liturgy; and the
evening service, of Compline.