Liturgical Prayer

We are people of ritual. We mark important moments of our lives with ceremony, music, dance, food, prayer. Far from being simply a spectator sport, communal prayer is something we do together. It is easy to think that liturgy is something that only pastors do. Literally, however, liturgy means “the work of the people.”

Liturgy of the Hours

Sometimes called the Divine Office, the Liturgy of the Hours is the official prayer of the Church. It is the lifeblood of our Benedictine monastery. This is the fundamental way we gather as community, three times a day. Here we work together to praise God with hymns, chanted psalms, and Scripture readings. Here we share the experience of God’s presence in the Word, in song, and in silence. Over time, the psalms sink deeply into our minds and hearts.

50th Jubilee celebration

Liturgy of the Hours originally was comprised of a set of seven “hours,” or periods of prayer. As it marks distinct moments of the day as holy, this way of prayer serves to remind us that we can encounter God at any time: all time is holy.

May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting of my hands as an evening oblation.

Psalm 141:2

The psalms evoke the full range of human emotion, and music aids our expression and comprehension of them. In the different modes of Gregorian chant, a joyful psalm can be rendered with a cheerful melody, while a lament can be conveyed via a more heartrending sound. In religious communities, Liturgy of the Hours is usually prayed in two choirs, with each side chanting or reciting the alternating stanzas of each psalm. At Ferdinand, we pray the psalms using Gregorian chant, recitation, and contemporary musical settings.

The Sacraments: Eucharist

We encounter Christ as the Word in Liturgy of the Hours. We also meet Jesus when we celebrate the sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick.

“This is my body, given for you.”

Luke 22:19

The Eucharist is the sacrament of Jesus’ last meal with his friends. Here, as both the crucified and the risen Christ, he conveys his life to all believers. Here, God affirms the goodness of created matter: we are nourished not only with spiritual food, but with the taste of real physical food and drink. Alongside the Living Word of Scripture, in the Eucharistic meal of sacrifice, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus again. In the Eucharist, we become what we receive. Christian community becomes the living Body of Christ. Thus we encounter Jesus anew each time we gather. Here at the monastery, we celebrate mass after Morning Prayer each day.

For more information on the Eucharist, see: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05584a.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euchmenu.htm