Prayer

The monk is continually called. Whatever he is busy with, he is reminded on fixed times that he is not in the monastery to be absolutely absorbed in his daily work, but in order to devote himself to God. He is expected in church seven times:

3.30: vigils
7.00: lauds
8.30: tierce and mass(*)
12.15: sext
14.15: none
17.15: vespers(*)
19.30: compline

This may seem a hard program for an outsider, but this fixed pattern is an aid for the monk in his search for God.

(*): These hours apply to ordinary days. On sundays and holidays, the tierce and mass take place at 9.00 and the vespers at 16.00u.

"Seven times in the day," says the prophet, "I have rendered praise to You." (Ps. 119;164) Now that sacred number of seven will be fulfilled by us if we perform the offices of our service at the time of the morning office, of prime, of tierce, of sect, of none, of vespers and of compline. For as to the night office the same prophet says: "In the middle of the night I arose to glorify You." (Ps. 119;62) Let us therefore bring our tribute of praise to our Creator "for the judgments of His justice" (Ps. 119;164) at these times: the morning office, prime, tierce, sext, none, vespers and compline; and in the night let us arise to glorify Him. (RB 16)

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