The rhythm of our life draws us toward continual praise of God, regardless of the hour or place within the monastery. Still, we punctuate the day at seven particular times in church through the liturgy. This, our communal prayer, also called the Divine Office, consists of chanted psalms, canticles, and hymns together with readings from sacred scripture.
The central focus of the monk’s liturgical prayer is the psalms. The book of psalms is comprised of hymns of praise and worship, prayers for guidance and protection, pleas for forgiveness, petitions for life’s needs and struggles, and songs of thanks-giving for God’s blessings. The psalms were the prayers of Jesus and are the daily prayers of the monks here at the abbey.
The praise expressed through the Divine Office may usher forth from the depths of the monk and return to him as awareness of God's tender compassion for him. However, there are times when the monk's heart is hard and the Office will support him, despite the feeling of it as a burden, in the hope God will soften his heart.