The Midnight Office (Greek: Μεσονυκτικόν, Mesonyktikon; Slavonic: Полу́нощница, Polúnoshchnitsa) is one of the Canonical Hours that compose the daily cycle of worship in Eastern Christianity, including the Byzantine Rite, West Syriac Rite, East Syriac Rite, and Alexandrian Rite. It is also sometimes referred to as Nocturns, though this term is used differently in Western liturgical traditions.
Origins and Purpose
The office originated as a monastic devotion inspired by Psalm 118:62 (Septuagint numbering): "At midnight I arose to give thanks unto Thee for the judgments of Thy righteousness," and by the Gospel Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). Monks historically rose in the middle of the night to sing praises to God. The general tone of the office is penitential, tempered by hopeful expectation of Christ's Second Coming.
Structure
The Midnight Office can be divided into four parts:
- Opening — The usual beginning prayers that open most Orthodox offices: a blessing by the priest, the Trisagion, and the Lord's Prayer, ending with the call to worship ("O come, let us worship God our King...").
- First Part — Psalm 50, a Kathisma from the Psalter (varying by day of the week), the Nicene Creed, the Trisagion and Lord's Prayer, followed by Troparia and prayers.
- Second Part — "O come, let us worship..." and Psalms 120 and 133, followed by the Trisagion, Troparia of Repentance, an intercession, and a blessing.
- Conclusion — A mutual asking of forgiveness between the priest and the congregation, a litany during which "Lord, have mercy" is chanted, and a final blessing.
Forms by Day
The Midnight Office takes different forms depending on the day:
- Weekdays — Features the reading of the Seventeenth Kathisma (Psalm 118) and the Troparia of the Bridegroom ("Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight...").
- Saturday — The Ninth Kathisma (Psalms 64–69) replaces Psalm 118, and a special Prayer of Saint Eustratius is read.
- Sunday — Shortened; Psalm 118 is replaced by a Canon to the Holy Trinity. The Nicene Creed and the entire Second Part are omitted.
- Holy Saturday — A unique form celebrated as part of the Paschal Vigil, often the only time the Midnight Office is read in parishes. The service is read around the epitaphios (burial shroud), which is carried into the sanctuary during the last Ode of the Canon. All lights are extinguished, and the congregation waits in silence for the proclamation of the Resurrection at midnight.
Liturgical Context
In the Byzantine Rite, the Midnight Office is part of the Daily Cycle of services, typically placed between Compline and Matins. It is omitted on days when an All-Night Vigil is celebrated. In the Russian tradition, it is often combined with Matins and the First Hour. In Greek prayer books, a modified form of the Midnight Office is used for morning prayers by laypeople.
In Syriac Christianity, the office is prayed at 12:00 AM and is known as Lilio (West Syriac) or Leliya (East Syriac). In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Midnight Praise is prayed at 12:00 AM using the Agpeya breviary.
