Chapter 71

1Let the people always take care at early dawn to rise, wash their hands, and pray immediately. Then let each one go to the work they choose. Let all take care to pray at the third hour with mourning and labor, either in the church or at home if they cannot go to the church. For this is the hour when the Only-Begotten was fastened to the cross. At the sixth hour, likewise, let there be prayer with sorrow, for then daylight was divided by darkness. Let there then be a voice like that of the prophets and of creation in mourning. At the ninth hour also let prayer be prolonged, with a hymn of praise like that of the souls who praise the God who does not lie, who remembered his saints and sent his Word and Wisdom to enlighten them. For at that hour life was opened to the faithful, and blood and water were shed from the side of our Lord. But in the evening, at the beginning of another day, showing an image of the resurrection, he caused us to give praise. At midnight let them arise, praising and lauding because of the resurrection. But at dawn … praising with psalms, because after he rose, he glorified the Father while they were singing psalms. If anyone has a consort or wife … faithful, let the faithful husband go and pray at these times without fail. Let those who are chaste not lessen …. For the adornments of heaven give praise: the lights, the sun, the moon, the stars, the lightning, the thunder, the clouds, the angels, the archangels, the glories, the dominions, the whole … army, the depths, the sea, the rivers, the wells, fire, dew, and all nature that produces rain. All the saints also give praise, and all the souls of the righteous. Those who pray, then, are numbered together in the remembrance of God.