Paragraph 28. Sacred ministers have the liturgy of the hours entrusted to them in such a particular way that even when the faithful are not present they are to pray it themselves with the adaptations necessary under these circumstances. The Church commissions them to celebrate the liturgy of the hours so as to ensure at least in their persons the regular carrying out of the duty of the whole community and the unceasing continuance of Christ's prayer in the Church.

The bishop represents Christ in an eminent and conspicuous way and is the high priest of his flock; the life in Christ of his faithful people may be said in a sense to derive from him and depend on him. He should, then, be the first of all the members of his Church in offering prayer. His prayer in the recitation of the liturgy of the hours is always made in the name of the Church and on behalf of the Church entrusted to him.

United as they are with the bishop and the whole presbyterium, priests are themselves representative in a special way of Christ the Priest and so share the same responsibility of praying to God for the people entrusted to them and indeed for the whole world.

All these ministers fulfill the ministry of the Good Shepherd who prays for his sheep that they may have life and so be brought into perfect unity. In the liturgy of the hours that the Church sets before them they are not only to find a source of devotion and a strengthening of personal prayer, but must also nourish and foster pastoral missionary activity as the fruit of their contemplation to gladden the whole Church of God.