24 Hour Service
Very occasionally, at the Blessing of the Labour in the chapter room after Morning Prayer, dear Mother will conclude with the announcement, “Everything will be ‘as usual’, dear sisters!” This is greeted by cries of surprise and wonder. Life is for living, not for scheduling. Usually we take one day at a time, but sometimes several days seem to attack us at once!
So what is a ‘usual’ day?
One of the most distinctive features of our day is that we go to bed twice every night, which has the slightly distressing corollary that we get up twice too. Why, one wonders when morning appears with such impressive regularity does it always take one by surprise....? The extra getting-up exercise is to enable us to sing Matins, the Church’s Office of Readings, with the rosary and possibly Adoration, between 23.00 hours and 1.45. We rise again, before the sun, for a day which will include, the Angelus, Adoration, Mass, Morning Prayer and the rest of the Liturgy of the Hours, cooking, washing clothes, hearing the news of the Church and the world, thanking God, answering the many letters for prayer we receive, washing dishes, making music, sharing things that interest others and letting them share things that interest you, working in the garden, learning something new every day, reading the Word of God, being glad to be alive and going to bed until Matins once more recurs.
This is in fact a poem written in sweat, tears and laughter called: become what you are, it is learning to live in eternity whilst still growing in time. It is becoming forged into the Body of Christ, like bread that is kneaded; like bread that is baked and broken to feed the world.
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5.45 Rising Bell
the Sisters start the day in the Portiuncula Shrine of our Lady.
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6.25 Veni Sancte Spiritus,
Angelus. Procession to choir reciting St Francis Office of Passion
Adoration of the Living Presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament until
7.15 Morning Prayer (Lauds).
8.15 Holy Mass
Followed by 15 minutes of thanksgiving,
Terce of the Office of the Passion
with the recommendation of prayer intentions for the day.
Chapter: the distribution of the day’s work.
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Light refection appropriate to perpetual Lenten fast proposed by St Clare.
Common Work
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11.45 Prayer in preparation for Divine Office
12.00 Midday Prayer of Divine Office (Sext)
Adoration of the Living Presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament until 13.00
Lunch (silent, with reading), succeeded
by half an hour of recreational time.
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Common Work
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16.00 Prayer in preparation for Divine Office
16.30. Evening Prayer (Vespers) followed by
17.15 None of the Office for the Dead (in accord with the tradition of St Colette)
followed by Collation (A light refection taken in silence with reading).
Procession to choir reciting Litany of Mary
prayer and meditation until
19.00 Chapter of reconciliation
and, when required, announcement of important news, urgent
prayer recommendations or community discussion
21.15 (Approximately) Compline of Divine Office, procession
to our Lady’s Shrine reciting Office of Passion, Offering of
the day to Mary, free prayer of intercession for the priesthood,
Blessing.
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The sisters should be in bed by 21.00 at latest.
They sleep in their habits, so as to be ready for the call of the Bridegroom.
23.00 Rising Bell for Matins,
Rosary,
Matins of Divine Office,
Prayer of St Colette,
Prayer for the World
Praises of God of St Francis [prostrate], ending 00.20 approx.
Optional night meditation (with Exposition) ending not later than
00.45 Bed
As it says at the bottom of the Music sheet for the Liturgy on a big feast: All subject to Divine intervention, human error and alteration without prior notice!
May the Lord be with you always and may you be with him always and in every place