“She has chosen the better part…”
Daily Life in the Monastery
Although our contemplative sisters live a simple and hidden life in the cloister, they are the heart of the Church and the heart of our Institute.
They are “the vanguard of all the apostolic works of the Institute, since with their prayer life and penance they obtain from the Lord the necessary graces for salvation of many souls” (SSVM Directory of Spirituality, 93).
In the day-to-day life within the cloister, the contemplative principally dedicates herself to prayer, following Our Lord’s command “to pray always without becoming weary” (Lk 18:1). She seeks God in every moment of the day as “the one thing necessary” (Lk 10:42).
The daily nourishment of the Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration, the liturgy, lectio divina, Marian devotion, asceticism and work, the exercise of fraternal charity and the experience of solitude and of silence are essential factors of the contemplative life (cf. Monastic Rule, 147).
Daily Schedule at St. Edith Stein Monastery
(Brooklyn, NY)
5:15 am Wake up
5:45 am Lectio Divina
6:25 am EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
7:25 am Angelus & Morning Prayer (Lauds)
8:00 am HOLY MASS
Breakfast
9:20 am Midmorning Prayer (Terce)
9:30 am Work time
11:40 am End Work
11:50 am Holy Rosary
12:10 pm Midday Prayer (Sext)
Lunch – Reading
12:40 pm Recreation
1:40 pm End Recreation
2:00 pm Rest
3:15 pm Midafternoon Prayer (None)
3:30 pm Canto Sacro/Sports/Garden (rotates daily)
4:10 pm Snack – Free Time
4:45 pm CELL (Study/Spiritual Reading)
6:15 pm EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
7:15 pm Evening Prayer (Vespers)
7:45 pm Reposition & Good Nights
Dinner – Reading
8:00 pm Recreation
9:00 pm End Recreation
9:10 pm Night Prayer (Compline)
Office of Readings (Matins)
10:10 pm GRAND SILENCE
Understanding the Schedule
The nun, by her vocation, lives in the heart of the Church; therefore, she should, at every moment, be united with Christ and his Spouse [the Church], which is a mystery of intimate fecundity.
— SSVM Monastic Rule, 29
LECTIO DIVINA
Lectio Divina is the reading and meditation of Sacred Scripture. It “leads to an encounter with Christ,...forms in us ‘the mind of Christ’ and prompts the conversion of one’s own life." — SSVM Monastic Rule, 77
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
The contemplative nun seeks to imitate Our Lord, who is silent and hidden in the Most Holy Sacrament, and she will aim at fulfilling the specific objective of our Religious Family through Eucharistic Adoration. cf. SSVM Monastic Rule, 39-40
LITURGY
OF THE HOURS
This is the official prayer of the Church. It is primarily the praying of the Psalms, with readings and other elements at intervals through the day. The hours are lauds, terce, sext, none, vespers, compline and matins. It is the praise of Christ himself, High Priest, offered to God through the Church.
THE HOLY MASS
Daily participation in Holy Mass will be the first obligation of the contemplative.
— SSVM Monastic Rule, 31
It is the main act of worship, the sacrifice of praise that gives infinite glory to God.
— SSVM Constitutions, 137
WORK
Each sister is entrusted certain responsibilities in the monastery. Handiworks and liturgical items are also made as a means of supporting the community.
HOLY ROSARY
We pray the Holy Rosary daily as a sign of our Fourth Vow of consecration to Our Lady. By it “we meditate on the work of Redemption consummated by Jesus to which He associated his Mother.”
— SSVM Constitutions, 140
THE REFECTORY
“The Dining Room"
Meals are taken in community and in silence, listening to edifying readings. Thus, while the body is nourished, the spirit will also be fed.
— SSVM Monastic Rule, 110
RECREATION
Twice each day silence is broken and time is spent in community, always in a spirit of joy and charity. Recreations are “rest for the soul as well as an opportunity to practice virtue, to gain merit and to foster community life.”
— SSVM Monastic Rule, 117
CANTO SACRO
This time is dedicated to practicing the singing of the sacred music used in the Liturgy, especially for the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.
THE CELL
The cell is the contemplative's personal room, where she is in solitude and intimacy with the Lord. This time is dedicated primarily to lectio divina, spiritual reading and study.
— SSVM Monsastic Rule, 73
STUDY
Each sister pursues studies in Sacred Scripture, Philosophy or Theology. Seeking the truth “nourishes and orders contemplation and brings one to develop a great love for Christ and for his Church.”
— SSVM Monastic Rule, 163
GOOD NIGHTS
This is a brief point of reflection at the end of the day. We take this from a tradition of St. John Bosco to leave his boys each night with a good thought to reflect on.
GRAND SILENCE
A time of interior and exterior silence from the last hymn to Our Lady after Compline until the Holy Mass the next day. It is primarily a time of interior preparation for the participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the reception of the Holy Eucharist.
COMMUNITY LIFE
Community life is “life in common as a true family, living in such a way that each nun will find in the others the necessary help required to give themselves entirely to God.”
— SSVM Monastic Rule, 81
MARIAN DEVOTION
We seek to “Marianize” our life. Consecrated to her by the method of St. Louis de Montfort and our fourth vow of Marian slavery, we desire to do everything, through, with, in and for Mary. She is “the model, the guide and the form of all our actions.”
— SSVM Constitutions, 18
For women interested in discerning the contemplative life within our Institute, there is the possibility of visiting our contemplative community, sharing in moments of prayer, work, and community life with the sisters. For more information contact:
Mother Pia Mater, SSVM
Director of Contemplative Vocations
E-mail: m.piamater@servidoras.org
Tel: (347) 446-5981
