A Day in the Life of a Benedictine Sister of St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island, Illinois
See how God's love shows us the way of life. Rule of Benedict
As in any family, we all have different schedules and jobs. What distinguishes us is our balanced life of prayer and work, leisure and rest.
Prayer is primary.
The Sisters of St. Benedict come together daily — as our ministries allow — to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, the official prayer of the Church. Rooted in and expressive of the various times or hours of the day, we pray Lauds (morning prayer), Noonday Prayer and Vespers (evening prayer) on weekdays, as well as Compline (night prayer) on Sundays.
Recognizing the primary importance of prayer in our lives, St. Benedict called our common prayer the Opus Dei, or the “Work of God,” a term still used by Benedictines to name this most important work. In addition to the community prayer schedule below, we spend part of our day in Lectio Divina, a prayerful and meditative reading of Scripture; in Centering Prayer, an ancient form of silent prayer that leads to contemplation; and in other forms of private prayer.
Our Daily Benedictine Schedule:
Monday-Saturday |
|
| 7:15 a.m. | Lauds (morning prayer)* |
| 8:00 a.m. | Eucharist** |
| 9:00 a.m. | Ministry |
| 11:45 a.m. | Noonday Prayer |
| Noon | Lunch |
| 1:00 | Ministry |
| 5:00 p.m. | Vespers (evening prayer) |
| 5:30 p.m. | Dinner and Leisure |
*On Saturday, Lauds begins at 9:00 a.m. |
|
Sunday |
|
| 9:30 a.m. | Lauds |
| 10:30 a.m. | Eucharist |
| Noon | Brunch |
| 5:00 p.m. | Vespers |
| 7:00 p.m. | Compline (night prayer) |