Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey is part of a long tradition of Christian monasticism, with most of our customs and practices born during centuries of monastic experience in a variety of cultures. The basic elements of prayer, work, and reading weave together through each day creating a sustainable balance for each sister. There is time for everything that needs doing, and space to breathe in between the monastic activities.
A Weekday in the Monastery
3:30am
Rise
The sisters’ hour of rising is so determined that Vigils maintains its nocturnal character.
OCSO Constitutions St.23.A
3:45am
Vigils
4:30am
Interval: Great Silence. The sisters pray, do lectio, eat breakfast, and do spiritual reading.
7:15am
Lauds, integrated with Mass on Tuesday-Saturday
8:20am
Chapter, where the Abbess shares community news, and a portion of the Rule of St. Benedict is read.
8:30am
First Morning Work
9:45am
Terce, prayed at the workplace
10:00am
Second Morning Work
11:30am
Interval, time to change out of work clothes, go on a short walk, re-center for the middle of the day.
12:00pm
Sext
12:15pm
Dinner: the sisters eat a simple vegetarian meal together while listening to a spiritual or educational book. Dishes are washed afterward by the whole community
1:00pm
Meridian: time to nap, read, go on a walk, work on art, pray quietly.
2:00pm
None
2:15pm
Afternoon Work
3:45pm
Interval, often used for study or a walk
5:00pm
Vespers, integrated with Mass on Mondays
5:30pm
Mental prayer together in church for 15 minutes
5:45pm
Small pick-up supper
6:00pm
Interval, often used for reading or quiet prayer
7:00pm
Compline
8:00pm
Retire
A Sunday in the Monastery
3:30am
Rise
3:45am
Vigils, with a third nocturn in honor of the Resurrection
4:45am
Interval, for quiet prayer, lectio divina, breakfast, and spiritual reading
6:45am
Lauds
Sunday is dedicated to the mystery of the Resurrection. It is a day of joy and freedom from work so that the sisters may come together to share the Eucharist more fully and intensely, and zealously apply themselves to lectio divina and prayer.
OCSO Constitutions 17.3
7:15am
Chapter Talk by the Abbess on a spiritual topic, usually related to the Gospel of the Day or a verse from the Rule of St. Benedict
7:45am
Interval
8:30am
Sunday Mass, takes the place of Terce.
11:30am
Sext
11:45am
Dinner, music is played while the sisters eat. None is prayed together in the refectory after the meal. Dishwashing follows.
