Canonical hours

Imagine a clock that is very special and tells time in a different way than we normally do. This clock is called the "canonical hours clock". It tells time by dividing the day into parts and assigning prayers to be said at different times of the day.

This clock has seven parts or "hours" in a day, and each hour has a special name. They are called Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers. Can you say those names with me?

Matins is super early in the morning, before the sun rises. Lauds is when the sun comes up and it's time to wake up and start the day. Prime is about mid-morning and it's time to pray again. Then, a few hours later, comes Terce, which is around lunchtime. After that, we have Sext, which is in the middle of the afternoon. Then comes None, which is in the late afternoon. Finally, we have Vespers, which is when the sun is setting and it's almost time for bed.

Each of these hours has a special prayer that is said during that time. These prayers are called the "Divine Office" or "Liturgy of the Hours". People used to use these prayers to remind themselves to think about God and be thankful throughout the day.

So, the canonical hours clock is a special clock that helps us remember to pray at different times of the day. It's like a special clock that tells us when it's time to talk to God.