A Day Centered In Prayer

At nearly every hour of the day, there is at least one sister awake and in prayer. Most of us rise well before dawn and begin praying in the dark, silent hours of the night. We devote the time before Morning Prayer to personal prayer, lectio divina, spiritual reading, and scripture study. Sisters may also take breakfast and exercise during this period.

8:00 am: Morning Prayer
This is our first communal gathering of the day. We dedicate ourselves and the new day to God’s service and glory, and we give thanks for God’s gift of light: our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

8:20 am: Eucharistic Adoration
We spend this time before the Blessed Sacrament or in private prayer, in preparation for the Eucharistic Celebration.

9:00 am: Eucharistic Celebration
The Mass is the pinnacle of our daily prayer. We celebrate, together with friends and visitors, the saving life of Jesus Christ in the Word and in the breaking of the bread.
Note: on days when a priest is not available, we have a private Communion Service at this time.

10:00 am: Morning Work
We put on our aprons and begin the daily “work of our hands.”
Whether we are chopping vegetables for dinner, packing altar breads for parishes, cleaning, or working in the yard, we continue our conversation with God; our work becomes part of our prayer.

12:00 pm: Office of Readings
We pray the Angelus and then the Office of Readings. In our community, the Office of Readings includes an extended period of silence for personal prayer, reflection, and reading.

Followed by Dinner together
Dinner is our main meal, and we gather together to give thanks and to enjoy each other’s company in conversation and lots of laughter.

1:30 pm: Midday Prayer
After doing the dinner dishes together, we gather for Midday Prayer. Following Midday Prayer, we have a quiet time for rest and relaxation.

2:30 pm: Mid-Afternoon Prayer
Before entering into our second work period, we gather together for Mid-Afternoon Prayer. Then it is off to our various tasks for the afternoon.

2:40 pm: Afternoon Work

4:30 pm: Eucharistic Adoration
When the afternoon work period ends, we have a half hour of prayer either before the Blessed Sacrament or in private.

5:00 pm: Evening Prayer
Our day begins to wind down with Evening Prayer, when we give thanks for all God’s gifts and continue our prayer for the needs of the world.
Following Evening Prayer, sisters can pick up supper, catch up on the news of the day, or prepare for bed.

6:15 pm: Night Prayer
Night Prayer is our last communal gathering for the day, followed by the Grand Silence. Our day ends early but for most of us, it also begins early!