Combinations of Services.

        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.