St. Francis of Assisi, working at a piece of furniture before saying Terce, was, during the saying of that hour disturbed by the thought of his manual work. When he re-entered his cell he took the bit of work and threw it in the fire saying, “I wish to sacrifice to the Lord the thing which hindered my prayer to Him.”
Quigley, Edward J. (2012-05-17). The Divine Office (p. 91). Kindle Edition.
Terce is the father of Midmorning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. Prayer interrupts work just as people do. The three Divine Persons have a right to our attention. One of the chief functions of prudence is to direct human activity so that we do not live according to our passion or, what is sometimes equivalent, according to the demands placed upon us by our work. We are creatures of reason, created by the Logos and in His image. Reason enlightened by faith demands the interruption of work for prayer, and this engenders an ordered life under God.
