Abdisho bar Brikha (+ 1318)By the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ I write a brief collection of synodical canons.Section 5. On what those matters are which are established canonically for the whole community ofChristians.Chapter 1 On how many prayers there are which are appointed for each of the ranks of Christians, and whatthey are.The Good and Merciful One, Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, knowing the weakness of our nature andits infirmities, ordered 7 times of prayer for us through the Prophets in his Godhead, and through theApostles in his manhood and Godhead together, according to our weakness. The Ecumenical Fathers,because they too journeyed in this pathway, ordered these 7 times for Solitaries, Cenobites, and Novices.Their successors appointed that the service at each hour should be completed with 3 Hulalas, with chastePriests in the world and steadfast faithful who possess a love of prayer also observing and being guided bythis order. Consequently, the fathers who came after these, when they saw that not all lay people were equalin the love of worship, and again sometimes their work affairs did not afford them opportunity to fulfill theirservice as ordained, moderated [the requirement], and taking into account [everyday] entanglements, as wellas [human] weakness, they commanded that laymen are not allowed to absent themselves from 4 services:these are Evening [Prayer], Compline, Night [Prayer], and Morning [Prayer]. These they defined with therule of the Word of our Lord.Chapter 2 On whether there are various regulations for these 4 services of laymen.The order for the service of evening and morning is canonical and cannot be shortened or lengthened. Thatfor compline and the night is according to the monastic order: 1 hulala is chanted [for] compline and ananthem, a short canticle, a hymn of praise, and a litany. However, by reason of the entanglements of laymenin the world, these 4 prayers were ordered for them at night, which they were also allowed ...