HORARIUM (see below timeframe)
Rising earlier than the sun at the sound of sister angel with her clacker going down the cloisters chanting "praised be Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary his mother, come to prayer sisters, come to praise the Lord", in ten minutes we are ready to line up along the chapel cloister, waiting for the final bell to announce the beginning of Lauds. As we enter the chapel two by two, genuflect then take our places on long wood benches, our day begins.
Throughout the day our horarium consists of Holy Mass, private individual study time, lectio divina (spiritual reading), individual works, contemplative prayer times after Lauds and Vespers, and in community taking our meals in silence three times a day with a tea time of ten minutes each late afternoon. We gather in community seven times a day in our chapel (choir) to chant the monastic prayers in english and often with latin as well, called the Divine Office which both inspires us and speaks to all aspects of our thoughts and activities.
Private sung rosary and daily community recreation (one hour twice a day after main meals) round out our long day of prayer, work and study with a shared desire to be in His Holy Presence in all aspects of our lives of accompanied solitude. As the last liturgical prayers of the day, Compline and Matins are chanted, we retire to our cells where in short time our Mother Abbess comes to each doorway to bestow her blessing.
Rising earlier than the sun at the sound of sister angel with her clacker going down the cloisters chanting "praised be Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary his mother, come to prayer sisters, come to praise the Lord", in ten minutes we are ready to line up along the chapel cloister, waiting for the final bell to announce the beginning of Lauds. As we enter the chapel two by two, genuflect then take our places on long wood benches, our day begins.
Throughout the day our horarium consists of Holy Mass, private individual study time, lectio divina (spiritual reading), individual works, contemplative prayer times after Lauds and Vespers, and in community taking our meals in silence three times a day with a tea time of ten minutes each late afternoon. We gather in community seven times a day in our chapel (choir) to chant the monastic prayers in english and often with latin as well, called the Divine Office which both inspires us and speaks to all aspects of our thoughts and activities.
Private sung rosary and daily community recreation (one hour twice a day after main meals) round out our long day of prayer, work and study with a shared desire to be in His Holy Presence in all aspects of our lives of accompanied solitude. As the last liturgical prayers of the day, Compline and Matins are chanted, we retire to our cells where in short time our Mother Abbess comes to each doorway to bestow her blessing.
6am RISE AND PRIVATE SUNG ROSARY (outside or in one's cell, any language)
6:30 LAUDS (chanted) and CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER (silent in community chapel)
8:00 HOLY MASS and MIDMORNING PRAYER (TERCE)
8:45 BREAKFAST
9:00 PRIVATE STUDY AND WORK
12:45 EXAMEN and MIDDAY PRAYER (SEXTA)
1pm MIDDAY MEAL in silence(each meal time has spiritual, secular, academic readings by lector)
1:30 COMMUNITY RECREATION
2:30 SIESTA
3:00 MIDAFTERNOON PRAYER (NONA)
3:15 LECTIO DIVINA AND WORK
4:30 TEA TIME (high tea on solemnity feastdays and Ordinary Sundays; not during Lent/Advent)
6:45 VESPERS (chanted) and CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER (silent in community chapel)
8:00 COLLATION (supper, three fast days per week, larger meals on Sundays/Feastdays)
8:30 COMMUNITY RECREATION (often indoors and outdoors in all weather)
9:45 COMPLINE (chanted night prayer) and Abbess's spiritual lecture)
10:15 MATINS (mid-night prayer/vigils)
11pm RETIRE AND ABBESS'S BLESSING
6:30 LAUDS (chanted) and CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER (silent in community chapel)
8:00 HOLY MASS and MIDMORNING PRAYER (TERCE)
8:45 BREAKFAST
9:00 PRIVATE STUDY AND WORK
12:45 EXAMEN and MIDDAY PRAYER (SEXTA)
1pm MIDDAY MEAL in silence(each meal time has spiritual, secular, academic readings by lector)
1:30 COMMUNITY RECREATION
2:30 SIESTA
3:00 MIDAFTERNOON PRAYER (NONA)
3:15 LECTIO DIVINA AND WORK
4:30 TEA TIME (high tea on solemnity feastdays and Ordinary Sundays; not during Lent/Advent)
6:45 VESPERS (chanted) and CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER (silent in community chapel)
8:00 COLLATION (supper, three fast days per week, larger meals on Sundays/Feastdays)
8:30 COMMUNITY RECREATION (often indoors and outdoors in all weather)
9:45 COMPLINE (chanted night prayer) and Abbess's spiritual lecture)
10:15 MATINS (mid-night prayer/vigils)
11pm RETIRE AND ABBESS'S BLESSING