Which Fathers talk about the Midnight Praise?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The practice of rising at night to pray and praise God is one of the most ancient traditions of the Church, deeply rooted in the lives of the Desert Fathers and the great teachers of the School of Alexandria.

Several Church Fathers discuss the importance of midnight and nocturnal prayer:

1. St. Clement of Alexandria

One of the earliest references comes from St. Clement of Alexandria (late 2nd century). In his work The Paedagogus (The Instructor), he emphasizes that a Christian's life should be a continuous prayer. He specifically instructs believers to rise during the night for prayer:

"We must rise often during the night and praise God. Happy are they who watch for Him, for they make themselves like the angels, whom we call 'watchers.'"

2. St. Anthony the Great

The father of all monks, St. Anthony, was well known for his night vigils. The "Life of St. Anthony" by St. Athanasius the Apostolic describes how Anthony would spend the entire night in prayer. He famously lamented when the sun rose, saying, "O sun, why do you rise and take me away from the true Light?" This tradition of the night vigil became the foundation for the Midnight Psalmody in Coptic monasticism.

3. St. John Chrysostom

While not an Egyptian Father, St. John Chrysostom’s teachings are highly revered in the Coptic Church. He spoke extensively on the spiritual power of praying when the world is silent:

"Rise up and contemplate the choir of stars... the silence is profound, the quiet is great. At that hour the soul is purer, lighter, and more subtle... Wake up and sing hymns!"

4. St. Basil the Great

In his Longer Rules and his letters, St. Basil describes the order of prayer for monks, which included rising in the middle of the night to pray. He taught that this was necessary to fulfill the words of the Prophet David: "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You" (Psalm 119:62).

5. The Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum)

The collection of sayings from the Egyptian Desert Fathers frequently mentions the "nocturnal office." For the monks of Scetis (Wadi el-Natrun) and Nitria, the night was the primary time for work and prayer. They viewed the night as a time to battle thoughts and offer a "sacrifice of praise" while the rest of the world slept.

Theological Reasoning Provided by the Fathers

The Fathers taught that midnight prayer is essential because:

• The Silence of Nature: With the absence of worldly noise, the mind can focus entirely on God.
• Spiritual Warfare: The night is often when temptations are strongest; therefore, the believer must be a "watcher."
• Imitating the Angels: Since the angels never sleep and praise God eternally, midnight prayer is the closest a human can get to the angelic life.

In the Coptic tradition, these teachings were eventually codified into the formal Midnight Psalmody that we pray today, ensuring that the entire Church—not just the monks—participates in this apostolic and patristic heritage.