The Liturgy of the Hours is the official Prayer of the Church and has been prayed by monks, nuns and priests for centuries. More recently, lay men and women have been praying the Liturgy of the Hours, especially Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer. The Night Prayer of the Church is the final and shortest ‘hour’ before retiring for sleep. It begins with a short examination of conscience for the day just past, followed by a hymn, a psalm, a very short Scripture reading, a short responsory and the prayer of Simeon from the gospel of Luke. It concludes with a short prayer and an antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It takes about five minutes in all. The whole tone of Night Prayer is well expressed by the short responsory, which are the words Jesus says to his Father from the Cross: “Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.” At Night Prayer we entrust ourselves to the Lord, asking him to protect us, as we retire after our day.