A Life of Prayer
A Holocaust of Praise
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the heart of our monastic life. Uniting our lives with Christ we are offered to the Father in a holocaust of praise for the salvation of the world.
The Divine Office flows out from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, extending our worship of God throughout the day. While the Church recommends the prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours to all, contemplative nuns are especially appointed for the work of divine praise. Seven times a day we come together to the Choir, joining with the angels in praising God. No work is more important. Everything else we do is fitted around this great sacrificium laudis.
Flowing from our life of liturgical praise is our prayer our private prayer and lectio divina. Each day, approximately 2 hours are set aside so that, like Mary, we may sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words. While the friars, sisters and laity preach the name of Jesus throughout the world, we nuns share in the preaching mission of the Order through our prayer, seeking God, pondering His Word and calling on Him in solitude “so that the word proceeding from the mouth of God may not return to him empty, but may accomplish those things for which was sent.” (cf. Is. 55:10.)
As daughters of our Father, St. Dominic, we share in his great love for the salvation of souls. During his long nights of prayer, St. Dominic would be heard by the brethren crying out, “My God, my mercy, what will become of sinners!” This prayer becomes ours in our fidelity to a life of prayer.
The Adoring Rosary
Our monastery also has the privilege of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in so far as we are able. Currently, besides daily adoration we keep watch two nights a week. As God continues to bless us with vocations we will resume perpetual, unceasing adoration night and day.
To adoration of the Blessed Sacrament we join the prayer of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the particular apostolate of our monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary and is safeguarded by an indult from the Holy See.
This Adoring Rosary leads us ever deeper into the heart of the Triune God as we contemplate the mysteries of Salvation through the eyes of Mary. With and through the Mother of Mercy which is the special title under which we invoke her intercession every night when we sing the Salve Regina, we learn from her how to be true disciples and spouses of Christ her Son.
