Prayer
Prayer
Divine Office
The unity of a Benedictine community is not grounded in its organisation nor in its diverse activities, but rather in its fellowship with God. The celebration of the Divine Office is a time when the monks express their communion with God and one another in praise, thanksgiving and in loving attention to the Word spoken by the Lord to the assembled community.
In our monastery the Office, which is built on the singing of the psalms and canticles of Scripture and the listening to the lectionary of God’s Word, supported by patristic commentaries, and hymns and prayers, is celebrated four times each day: at the rising of the sun, at midday, at evening and at the close of the day.
Eucharist
Our community, called by God, gathers daily around the table of the Lord for the celebration of the Eucharist in the monastery Chapel. Guests and parishioners gather with us for this celebration. Together we offer the sacrifice of Christ and share this meal so we can share in the benefits won for us by Christ
Lectio Divina
The slow, meditative, prayerful reading of scripture and the writings of the fathers and mothers of the Church is an essential part of the daily cycle of prayer for each monk. It feeds directly into all other areas of his prayer life. If faithfully done each day, lectio feeds into every aspect of daily life. It should lead in fact to a constant mindfulness and awareness of God’s active presence, so that whatever task he is engaged in, the monk may still be said to be praying constantly – an invitation Scripture makes to all Christians.
“Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God.” RB Prol 9
Address
St Benedict’s Monastery
121 Arcadia Rd, Arcadia, NSW, 2159
monks@benedictine.org.au
Phone
+61 2 9653 1159