The old writers on liturgy loved to dwell on pious congruities and parallelisms.  They ask the questions, why did the early Christians pray at dawn and why is the practice continued?  They answer at great length, I will try to summarise their holy themes.  The early Christians prayed at dawn, 1. that in the New Law the figures of the Old may be fulfilled; 2. to honour the risen Saviour and to remind us of our resurrection; 3. to glorify Jesus typified by the physical light.  “I am the Light of the world” (St. John, viii. 12); 4. because at dawn, after rest, body and soul are refreshed and ready to devote all their powers to God, free from distractions and noise.  Each dawn, revealing God’s wondrous work, should hear God’s praises in the most sublime words ever uttered, the Psalms (e.g., Dominus regnavit, Jubilate Deo, etc., etc.); 5. because God seems more disposed to hear prayers made at that hour.  For, He has said, “Yet if thou wilt arise early to God and wilt beseech the Almighty...  He will presently awake unto thee and make the dwelling of thy justice peaceable” (Job, viii. 5-6).  “I love them that love me; and they that in the morning early watch for me shall find me” (Proverbs viii. 17).

Structure.  If Lauds succeeds Matins immediately, Pater Noster and Ave Maria are omitted, and the Hour begins with Deus in adjutorium.  At these words it is a practice but not an obligation to make the sign of the cross from head to breast (see Vespers, infra).  Then the Gloria Patri, Sicut erat, Amen, Alleluia are said before the antiphons and psalms.  But if a notable delay—­say, of ten minutes’ duration—­be made between the end of Matins and the start of Lauds, the Pater Noster and Ave Maria begin Lauds.  After the psalms, comes the Capitulum, the Hymn, Versicle and Response, antiphon to Benedictus, Canticle Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, Gloria Patri, Sicut erat, Antiphon to Benedictus repeated, Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spiritu tuo, Oremus, collect, commemorations preceded by versicle, response and Oremus before each.  Then Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spiritu tuo, Benedicamus Domino, Deo Gratias, Fidelium animae, Amen.  If another Hour do not succeed immediately, Pater Noster (said silently), Dominus det nobis (with a sign of the cross) suam pacem, Et vitam aeternam. Amen.  Then is said the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin, Alma Redemptoris or Ave Regina, or Regina Coeli, or Salve Regina, according to the part of the ecclesiastical year for which each is assigned, with versicle, response, oremus, collect, Divinum auxilium....  Amen.

Rubrics.  In the paragraphs dealing with the structure of this hour is given the rule for saying Pater Noster and Ave, The Psalms for Lauds in the new Breviary follow these rules:—­

General Rule:  Psalms of the current day.