Our Monastic Community live according to the teachings of St Benedict, with their focus being to live a life of prayer, which St Benedict called “the Work of God”.
You are very welcome to join the community in praying the Divine Office together and for the daily celebration of Mass. Most of their prayer is sung.
Below is a brief explanation of each of the services which take place daily in the Abbey Church and what you can expect when you join us.
‘O Lord, open our lips’ is the first prayer of the day, as the silence of the night is broken first of all by praise of God and the summoning of the monks to begin the Work of God.
This Office consists of a number of psalms and two readings, followed by general intercessions. At the end of Matins there is a period for quiet prayer.
As the name suggests, the Office of Lauds is devoted to praise of God in Morning Prayer. It consists mainly of a series of psalms and canticles, with antiphons and a hymn.
The Benedictus canticle – ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel’ – is sung and the Office ends with the singing of the Lord’s Prayer and the Concluding Prayer.
Mass takes place 09.00 Monday - Saturday and at 09.30 on Sundays.
As Pope John Paul stated: "at every Mass every priest hands over his voice to Christ, saying, 'This is my body, this is my blood' so that every generation may become healed and made holy,'" it enables us to remember the events of the Last Supper, the Passion of Christ, and receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ.
In remembrance of that ultimate act of love, we take the bread and wine.
There is a long monastic tradition of interrupting the working day between Lauds and Vespers with a short office in the afternoon.
Sext serves to remind us that, even in the midst of our busyness, our search for God in prayer is the focus of our monastic life, and they also help us to consecrate the work (and ourselves) consciously to God.
After a short opening and hymn, psalms are sung with an antiphon, and there is a short reading from a scripture and a concluding prayer.
This Office is sung in Latin, with psalms followed by a short reading, a response, hymn and antiphon.
The Magnificat canticle – ‘My soul glorifies the Lord’ – is sung before the Concluding Prayer.
In May and October there is an additional anthem to Mary, mother of Christ.
The Work of God is brought to an end by invoking God’s protection during the hours of darkness. The Office includes a short reading from the Rule of St Benedict.
You can support the Abbey in many ways, from making a donation, to volunteering.
