Definition

Noun: 1. A fixed time of day designated for prayer in the Christian liturgy, especially in the Roman Catholic Church: One of the seven traditional daily periods set aside for the recitation of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours.

Usage

The term "canonical hour" is used primarily in a religious, historical, or liturgical context to refer to the specific, scheduled times for communal or individual prayer that structure the monastic and clerical day.

Examples

• The monks gathered in the chapel for the canonical hour of Vespers as the sun began to set.
• Her daily discipline included observing each canonical hour with prayer and scripture reading.
• The schedule listed the seven canonical hours, from Matins to Compline.

Advanced Usage

• "To keep the canonical hours": To observe or pray at the appointed times of the Divine Office.
  • As a member of the religious order, she was committed to keeping the canonical hours.

Variants and Related Words

• Hour (n): In this specific context, it refers to a liturgical office, not a 60-minute period.
• Divine Office (n): The entire cycle of daily prayers recited at the canonical hours.
• Liturgy of the Hours (n): The modern term for the Divine Office.

Synonyms

• Office
• Liturgical hour
• Prayer time (in this specific context)

Different Meanings

The word "canonical" has other meanings outside this specific phrase (e.g., conforming to a general rule or accepted as authoritative), and "hour" typically means a 60-minute period. However, the compound term "canonical hour" has the specific liturgical meaning defined above.

Noun

1. (Roman Catholic Church) one of seven specified times for prayer