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Life of Prayer
The highest desire, object and hope of our monastic
life
is the honor of God, his joyful service, and the
contemplation of his mysteries.
Our entire existence
is oriented toward God and his worship:
"Devotion to God is the worship given him;
such worship is given only
by loving him."
Saint Augustine
The Eucharist
Consecrated to Christ, we have an ardent love for Jesus present in he
Blessed Sacrament.
We are profoundly grateful for the priviledge of being able to celebrate the Eucharistic
each day.
Here Christ is truly present, offers himself for us, prays for us, shares his life with us and unites
us with himself.
It is here that we offer ourselves in adoration and thanksgiving, interceding for the whole world,
the Church and our Augustinian Order.
Liturgy of the Hours
When praying the Divine Office Saint
Augustine reminds us to "think over in your hearts the
words that come from your lips".
This interior attention to the psalms and scripture etches upon our hearts the
psalms we pray, making them a living prayer throughout our day.
In speaking of the Hours we refer to six specific
times throughout each day when we will gather to offer pray and intercede on behalf of the entire Church and all
peoples.
These Hours are of varying length and are comprised of hymns, psalms, canticles,
scripture and religious readings. The hours may be recited, chanted or sung depending upon the particular liturgical celebration.
Meditation
The spousal relationship with Christ to which we are called, and to which we aspire in the depths of our heart,
calls us to give special attention to times of personal meditation and contemplation.
"Every woman religious must bear witness to the primacy of God
and must dedicate a sufficiently long period of time every day to
stand before the Lord, to tell him her love,and , above all, to let
herself be loved by him." -Pope John Paul II
For this reason we place greater emphasis on silent meditation and contemplation than on
a multiplicity of vocal prayaers.
Monastic Observances
In order to develop and nourish a contemplative heart and a spirit of prayerful attentiveness
we value the monastic customs handed on to us by the women and men who have followed the spirit of St. Augustine for centuries.
observance of silence...
meals in common...
solitude...
manual labor...
study of Sacred scripture...
caring for the needs of our Sisters in community...
Each in its own way, and all collectively, contribute to
our growth in the love of Christ and our continuing on the journey toward God.
Our Lady
Saint Augustine reminds us that the Virgin Mary who welcomed the Word of God and "in faith conceived Christ
first in her heart before she conceived him in her womb". Mary is both Mother of God and our Mother.
Mary, who was the first disciple of Christ, is the perfect model of the contemplative life. Her constant prayer,
attentiveness to the will of God and self-surrender imbue us with a very special light and wisdom.
Our Lady
of Grace is the most ancient title under which the Augustinians have venerated Mary throughout the centuries. And our
monastery is under the special protection of Our Mother of Good Counsel.
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