A Liturgical Prayer Life
The word liturgy comes from the Greek meaning “the work of the people.” The liturgy and its role in the Church were so important that when the Fathers of Vatican II convened, the first document that was issued was Sacrosanctum Concilium, “The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,” issued 12/3/63.
In it Church Fathers said, “It is the liturgy through which, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, ‘the work of our redemption is accomplished’, and it is through the liturgy, especially, that the faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church...The liturgy daily builds up those who are in the Church, making of them a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling-place for God in the Spirit, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ. (par 2)...The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount (the source) from which all her powers flow.” (par 10).
Saint Benedict built on practices already established by other religious communities, but was very specific to the place of prayer in his communities which he bases on two ideas: Ora et Labora, “Worship and Work.” In addition, prayer is to take such predominance in the monastic’s life that he calls it Opus Dei, the “Work of God." We believe that the Divine presence is everywhere and that the eyes of the Lord behold good and evil in every place. Especially, however, do we without any doubt believe this to be true when we are assisting at the Work of God. (RB, 19) Let nothing be preferred to the work of God. (RB, 43)
The liturgy is just as much the source and summit of the spiritual life of the laity as it is for the clergy and religious. This was key to the Council Fathers wanting the Church’s liturgy to be examined and restored. “In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else, for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit.” (SC, par 14). “The liturgy, in its turn, moves the faithful filled with ‘the paschal sacraments’ to be ‘one in holiness;’ further it prays that ‘they hold fast in their lives to what they have grasped by their faith.”( SC par 10).
Daily Celebration of the Eucharist
The Saint John’s monastic community celebrates daily Mass as an essential part of our spiritual practice. The Eucharist places Christ’s Passion, Death, and the joy of His Resurrection before us as a central and stabilizing part of our lives. Gathered in His Name as a monastic community, both in celebration of the Mass and out, welcoming visitors and pilgrims to join us in the Sacred Meal, we trust in Christ's words, "[...] where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I [...]" (Matt. 18:20). Although the Rule does not mention daily Mass, and indeed, early monastic communities and anchorites (hermits) may not have had the opportunity to attend daily Mass, today it is a standard part of nearly every religious house and community.
Daily Mass at Saint John's Abbey is very similar to daily Mass in a parish community. Due to several factors, weekday Mass in both parishes and monastic communities is around 30 minutes. The Liturgy of the Word includes only one reading, the Psalms, and the Gospel, where Sunday Mass will include an additional reading before the proclamation of the Gospel. Additionally, the homily tends to be shorter than a Sunday homily, and music and singing are often shorter and simpler or even omitted.
The monastic celebration of both Sunday and daily Mass at Saint John’s are open to the public but are particularly monastic in style so that you may notice a few differences from most diocesan parishes. One of the more notable differences is, the slower pace we followed through our prayers, readings, and long moments of reflection.
Here at Saint John's, with permission from the Bishop and continuing the ancient Benedictine and early Church tradition, the monastic community and the visiting congregation stand during parts of the Liturgy of the Eucharist where parish communities will often kneel. Standing may strike a sour note with some people, but please be assured it is not a sign of disrespect for the Eucharist, the Church Magisterium, liturgical instruction, or the larger Catholic community. In the ancient Church, where the Benedictine tradition takes its roots, standing was the preferred sign of respect for the Eucharistic celebration. At the time, kneeling was often restricted on Sundays due to the Mass’ role as a celebration of the Resurrection—a time for joy—and kneeling is a sign of sorrow and repentance. Although that discipline is no longer widely held in the Church, the tradition of standing has preserved over 1,500 years, and the Saint John's Benedictine community has retained that part of our Christian heritage. It should also be well understood that a Benedictine monk does not perceive standing as superior to kneeling, for one reason or another. This practice is not a matter of opinion or political statement; it is a matter of continued and living Benedictine tradition. So, if a Saint John's monk attends Mass at a parish church, for instance, he will kneel as everyone else will kneel.
You will also notice the practice of concelebration during Saint John's daily Mass more frequently than you will at most parish Masses. This practice also reaches back to an ancient tradition of the Church and was encouraged by the Second Vatican Council. “Concelebration” is when multiple priests celebrate the same Mass. The concelebrants (the priests not leading the Mass) stand to the side in the monastic choir stalls, and with a barely audible voice, speak the words of consecration, and extend their hands with the presiding celebrant over the bread and wine. You will likely have seen this in your local parish, particularly when your Bishop visits and celebrates Mass with the parish priest.
Finally, you will notice that Saint John's uses thicker, heartier Eucharistic Bread at daily Mass than you see in the parish. For most people accustomed to the Eucharist Bread in the form of a wafer, this can be somewhat surprising. We ask that when receiving the Eucharistic Bread, to remember that even the crumbs are the Body of Christ, and to be attentive to consuming the smallest pieces and letting nothing fall to the floor.
The Liturgy of the Hours
It is impossible to provide, in such a short a space, a full and complete history and development of the liturgical prayer form called The Liturgy of the Hours. For those wishing more than what follows, you are referred to the excellent text: The Liturgy of the Hours in the East and West: The Origins of the Divine office and its Meaning for Today, by Robert Taft, SJ (Collegeville, The Liturgical Press, 1986).
For most Catholics, when they hear the word liturgy they automatically think Mass/the Eucharist, and that this form of the official prayer of the Church was something done by priests and religious. For the most part, this had been the experience for many centuries. We have already seen how this prayer form was , and continues to be, essential to the life of Saint Benedict and his followers. But the Council Fathers wanted the Divine office to be restored to the entire praying Church. "When this wonderful song of praise is correctly celebrated by priests and others deputed to it by the Church, or by the faithful praying together with a priest in the approved form, then it is truly the voice of the bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father." (SC par 84).
The Office is meant to dedicate the entire day to the Lord, as the Psalmist writes,"Seven times a day I have given praise to You, O Lord.” (Psalm 118). The Office consists mainly in the praying or chanting of the Psalms, along with readings from the Scriptures and other sacred writers, along with intercessory prayers. The early Christians adopted this prayer form from the Jews who prayed morning and evening, in the home, the local synagogue and the Temple. The usual practice, which is described in The Acts of the Apostles, was for the Christian Community to gather daily for prayer--usually in homes--in the morning and the evening, and for the Eucharist only on Sundays. When the Church became “legal” in 312 AD with the Peace of Constantine, the community gathered in the Church. With the Latinizing of the liturgy--both Eucharist and Office--the Liturgy of the Hours became something for the priests to pray privately with breviaries (prayer books), or religious in their monasteries and convents. Benedict has his followers gathering eight times daily for prayer (see RB Ch 16) which included during the night. This continues to be the form that most contemplative religious communities, like the Trappists or Poor Clares, follow.
Following the directives of the Council Fathers, the monastic community at Collegeville revised its practice of praying the Office, and concentrated on three “hours”: Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, and Evening Prayer, using a 4-week cycle version of the Office created by and for the community in 1990. In addition to the 4-week Psalter for Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer, there is a special set of common and proper offices for feasts and solemnities.
So it is that the monks gather to begin their day with a prayer of praise to God their Father and Creator, and then again in the Evening to give that same Father Creator thanks for the day now ending. These prayer times are longer than many other communities for they contain a longer psalmody and readings from Sacred Scripture and other sacred authors. Each takes usually around thirty-five minutes. Before they eat their noon meal, the monks gather for a briefer time, usually 12-15 minutes, taking a breather–so to speak–from daily chores, again with psalms and a reading.