Niamh: Created page with "Drawing on ancient customs far predating Dav, Davite tradition promotes the daily practice of meditations on hours of the day. In this practice..."

2018-12-30T14:37:40Z

Created page with "Drawing on ancient customs far predating Dav, Davite tradition promotes the daily practice of meditations on hours of the day. In this practice..."

New page

Drawing on ancient customs far predating Dav, [[The Holy Order of King Dav|Davite]] tradition promotes
the daily practice of meditations on hours of the day. In this practice,
the ebb and flow of daily life becomes deeply symbolic, a metaphor for the
phases of the spiritual life and an occasion to meditate on the
fundamental teachings and mysteries of the Davite faith.

While practice of the Hours is not mandatory for any Davite, observation of
at least a couple is highly recommended to the devout. Members of the
clergy, especially those living in communal rectories, and acolytes
training for membership in the Order commonly practice most or all of the
hours, usually in group ritual settings.

Church bells intone the time of each hour publicly.

== 3 am - Matina ==
Early morning prayers. Marks the official end of the Vigil (see below);
the bells ring one time as a "victory note" that the darkest part of the
day has passed. Prayer focuses on the Law of the Inquisition, the importance of
the Order in the fight against witchcraft and the necessity of obedience to
the church to support their efforts.

== 6 am - Lauds ==
Sunrise prayer. The bells ring 7 times, beginning the countdown of the
days' symbolic struggle against evil. Prayer focuses on celebrating the
Lord of the Springs and contemplating Dav's Law of the Spring, and an
individual's oath to live a life that results in their eventual Uplifting.

== 9 am - Prime ==
Midmorning prayer. This is a meditative time, focused on reflection and
contemplating the nature of faith.

== 12 pm - Terce ==
Noontime prayer. This focuses on the Law of Giving and the importance of
good citizenship, and is often when priests assign tasks to volunteers who
seek more active forms of charity than tithes alone.

== 3 pm - Sext ==
Afternoon prayer. This focuses on the Law of Charity and usually, the
confessionals are at their busiest between now and the next bells. This is
also the time when priests share progress reports on current charitable
projects, and can be seen out in the streets en masse giving alms, speaking
with the people and encouraging citizenry to bring their concerns to the
church to be discussed at the next major mass.

== 6 pm - Vesperam ==
Sunset prayer. Though mass may be held at any time and can be assumed to
be held several times a day, this evening mass tends to draw the largest
crowds as more of the people have finished their day's labor. Prayer
focuses on the List of Duties and community concerns, and the larger crowd
generally leads to a more involved Dialogue.

== 9 pm - Complina ==
Night prayer. It focuses on the Law of Observance and, since nearly everyone
has finished work for the day, this is often when local nobility and
high-ranked priests alike can be seen out in the taverns, spending time
with the common laity. By ending the day in the company of one's
neighbors, it is believed that the people are bolstered against the
corruptive influence of deepest night.

== 12 am - Vigil ==
Darkness is symbolic and midnight marks the darkest hour. No bells ring to
mark the hour but all candles burn blue. Depending on who you talk to,
this either marks when witches are at their most powerful or that the Order
has succeeded in turning the tides of battle in favor of their
faithful again. Either way, those who are awake at this time observe a
moment of silence, honoring those who have fallen in defense of the
faithful and in support of the Lord and his servants who are "keeping
vigil" in churches and watchtowers throughout the realm.

[[Category:Religion]]

Davite Hours - Revision history

Niamh: Created page with "Drawing on ancient customs far predating Dav, Davite tradition promotes the daily practice of meditations on hours of the day. In this practice..."