SAINT JOSEPH'S MONASTERY   

BENEDICTINE MONKS + ORA ET LABORA       

Worship

Prayer is the first 'work' of the monk- it comes before all else, and shapes all else.  Our daily schedule is centered around times for formal liturgical prayer in the hours of the Divine Office and the Mass, and at other times with quiet contemplative 'prayer of the heart' where we strive to live and work in the presence of God.  Nothing is to be preferred to prayer, for without it our life would be meaningless and 'scattered' with activities that bear no fruit.

We observe five 'hours' of the Divine Office formally in Chapel:    VIGILS; LAUDS; MIDDAY PRAYER; VESPERS; and COMPLINE.  We use our own Office Books and utilize both traditional Gregorian Chant and modern chant tones.

Horarum (Daily Schedule)