Page "Lauds" Paragraph 22

The word Lauds ( i. e. praises ) explains the particular character of this office, the end of which is to praise God.

All the Canonical Hours have, of course, the same object, but Lauds may be said to have this characteristic par excellence.

The name is certainly derived from the three last psalms in the office ( 148, 149, 150 ), in all of which the word laudate is repeated frequently, and to such an extent that originally the word Lauds designated not, as it does nowadays, the whole office, but only the end, that is to say, these three psalms with the conclusion.

The title Ainoi ( praises ) has been retained in Greek.

St. Benedict also employs this term to designate the last three psalms ; post haec the canticle sequantur Laudes ( Regula, cap.

xiii ).

In the 5th century and 6th century the Office of the Lauds was called Matutinum, which has now become the special name of another office, the Night Office or Vigils, a term no longer used ( see MATINS ).

Little by little the title Lauds was applied to the whole office, and supplanted the name of Matins.

In the ancient authors, however, from the 4th century to the 6th or 7th century, the names Matutinum, Laudes matutinae, or Matutini hymni, are used to designate the office of daybreak or dawn, the Office of Matins retaining its name of Vigils.

The reason of this confusion of names is, perhaps, that originally Matins and Lauds formed but a single office, the Night Office terminating only at dawn.