They're not always read this way. I know the 3rd and 6th hours are to be read prior to the Liturgy, which is usually done in the morning - although in Ethiopia they do the Liturgy in the afternoon - but I might be wrong. And, as PrincessMary pointed out, prime is usually done when you wake up rather than exactly at sunrise.
With regards to discipline, this is very much a personal issue. I would not, if I were you, try to do all 7 hours every day straight away. Speak to your FOC and ask him how many of the hours he thinks you should do, and how you should do them - he will know what is best suited to you.
People we have to keep in mind one thing, God isn't sitting in heaven holding a watch and saying we prayed at 8 o'clock instead of 6. All God wants is your heart to be with him. When you pray all that matters is that you pray from your heart, nothing else. These prayers are spiritual, not secular. There is no such thing as time in God's eyes. When you pray, this doesn't matter. How you pray is what matters.
Why then, do we have certain times to pray? Because our amazing church likes to have us live in the middle of Christ's life and his apostles. For example, the third hour commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, and the sixth the cruxifiction of Christ. The ninth commemorates the death of Christ, and so on. It would be very nice if we could pray these hours in their supposed times. But, due to the world we live in, that would be very hard.
Comments
prime-6am
3rd hour-9am
6th hour-12 noon
9th hour-3pm
11th hour verpers-5pm
12th hour-6pm
midnight-midnight
doesnt necessarily mean u have to pray them on time, people usually pray the 1st hour when they wake up not at 6am.....
Compline (9pm)
Midnight
1st Hour (6am)
3rd Hour (9am)
6th Hour (12noon)
9th Hour (3pm)
They're not always read this way. I know the 3rd and 6th hours are to be read prior to the Liturgy, which is usually done in the morning - although in Ethiopia they do the Liturgy in the afternoon - but I might be wrong. And, as PrincessMary pointed out, prime is usually done when you wake up rather than exactly at sunrise.
With regards to discipline, this is very much a personal issue. I would not, if I were you, try to do all 7 hours every day straight away. Speak to your FOC and ask him how many of the hours he thinks you should do, and how you should do them - he will know what is best suited to you.
Why then, do we have certain times to pray? Because our amazing church likes to have us live in the middle of Christ's life and his apostles. For example, the third hour commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, and the sixth the cruxifiction of Christ. The ninth commemorates the death of Christ, and so on. It would be very nice if we could pray these hours in their supposed times. But, due to the world we live in, that would be very hard.