all of the secret prayers are said near the beginning, while psalms are being read. At Vespers there are six Lamplighting Prayers which the priest says with uncovered head, standing in front of the Holy Doors (or, in the Greek practice, in front of the icon of Christ on the iconostasis), while the reader says Psalm 103 (Septuagint numbering). At Matins there are twelve Morning Prayers which the priest says with uncovered head while the reader says the Six Psalms (Psalms 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142). The priest says the first half of these prayers in front of the Holy Table (altar), and then after the third psalm, comes out to read the rest in front of the Holy Doors (or icon of Christ). Many of the Sacred Mysteries (sacraments) and other services in the Euchologion (priest's service book) also have secret prayers in them. Textually, the secret prayers are obviously intended to be said silently, often professing personal unworthiness on the part of the priest, and—though they are often written in the plural—they often contain references to the laity as distinct from the speaker(s), who are the clergy. The rubrics in the service books also will also specify that a prayer is to be said silently. Despite this fact, it has become common in recent years for many priests to recite these prayers out loud. Oriental Rites In the Oriental Orthodox Churches and those Eastern Catholic churches which follow the Oriental Rites, the use of secret prayers occurs with great diversity according to each rite. References Order of Mass Eastern Christian liturgy Liturgy of the Hours Catholic liturgy