The Monastic Day of Prayer

The Abbey Church as seen from entering the Monastery Main Gates.

As I went to bed last night I quickly figured that I was in the abbey church for almost eight hours of community prayer (which was not including my own personal prayers and readings).  That's a third of the day!  Now I understand not every day is Palm Sunday, but there is still a lot of time spent in church and I must say it's a wonderful blessing.  The words of St. Benedict ring true here: ora et labora (prayer and work).  So here is a peek at my monastic weekday.  Sundays have some changes with more prayer time.

All of the prayer times are associated with the chanting of the 150 psalms from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).  The prayers that I say at home along with the other priests, deacons and our sisters are similar to praying the psalms here at Solesmes.  They just do it in common.  And they sing more psalms and at fixed points throughout the day.  It's also called the The Liturgy of the Hours and I know some lay folk who do part of it each day.  When the monks chant the psalms its like being rocked in a boat back and forth or even breathing in and out.

4:45AM  I wake up at about 4:45AM.  Yep it's pitch black out but that is not as bad as the chill in my room and the common bathroom on my floor of the Retreat House.  It never gets warm.  That's for sure.
I take time to wash up and head over to the abbey church which is about five minutes from my room.

5:30AM   The first prayers offered by the Benedictines are called Vigils.  Done in the darkness before sunrise they have readings accompanying them.  It is the longest of the offices (prayer times) lasting over an hour.  This office sets the theme for the rest of the day depending on the liturgical season or feast.

6:30-8:45AM  Breakfast is available in the Guest Dinning Room.  (I will do another post about meals later.)  A bowl of cafe au lait, bread, butter and jam can work wonders on a chilly morning.

7:30AM  After breakfast I return to church for Lauds or morning prayers.  The psalms used here have more to do with the day at hand which is God's gift to us so we can praise Him.  Lauds lasts about 45 minutes on a weekday.  Lauds in the morning and Vespers in the evening are the two hinges on which the Monastic Day swings.

8:15AM  After morning prayers I return to my room.  I tidy it up some and then I have been working on my blog at this time.  I also pray over the readings (in English!) that will be proclaimed at Mass.

10AM  The Community Mass is at 10AM.  It begins with more psalms and the praying of the minor office of Terce.  Terce gets its name from the third hour after sunrise.  Benedict and the monks and nuns that followed him withdrew from the world so that they could praise God without ceasing or in this case periodically throughout the day.  Mass lasts about an hour on weekdays and is entirely sung.  The monks don't use popular hymns, but rather, they would chant a line from the psalms in beautiful and elaborate gregorian chant.  This is my favorite part of the day without a doubt.

11:15AM  After Mass would be free time and a great time to get out for some walking, maybe help with some of the monks chores (I've done that before here) but the weather has been a little to harsh to go out for a walk or to work in the gardens.  I also finish up my blog.

Monks processing to prayer.

1PM  The monks gather in the church for the second of the minor offices called Sext or prayers at the sixth hour of daylight.  This short twenty minute office concludes with the monks and retretants chanting as we head into the Grand Refectory for the main meal.    The meal which lasts about a half hour is taken without talking while a brother reads from either "the Roman Calendar" (whose saints' day it is today), the Rule of St. Benedict or from a book the abbot has chosen.  He could be reading the sports scores with the amount of French I know!  After the meal we head back to church chanting psalm 51 asking God's Mercy.

2PM  The minor office of None (ninth hour) concludes the "Lunch Cycle."

2:15PM  Is free time for me; work for the monks.  I have been getting to church around 4PM for my personal Holy Hour and prayers.

The empty Sanctuary and Choir while I make my private prayers.

5PM  The second major hour of Vespers or evening prayer begins at 5PM.  I always love vespers because it culminates with Mary's hymn of praise the Magnificat.  Vespers lasts little less than an hour.  After Vespers I always stop by the little graveyard near the church to say a prayer for those who have entered the fullness of life.  Some I know by name, other I recall that their faces are missing from the choir or refectory.

6PM  Another free hour comes my way after vespers before dinner.

7:20PM  Supper is a lighter meal here than in the States.  Depending on what's going on we either eat with the monks in their refectory or in the guests' refectory.

8:30PM  Compline or night prayer is also a beautiful way to end the day.  These short prayers (twenty-five minutes, if even) done mostly in the dark and with few visitors to the abbey church always end with a hymn to our Mother and the blessing of the abbot who sprinkles each one present with Holy Water.

Father Abbot

8:55PM  While there is not much talking or noise around here.  After Compline begins the Grand Silence which will not be broken till Vigils when the abbot intones,  "Lord, open my lips" and the monks reply "And my mouth will declare Your praises."