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As monks of Mepkin Abbey, we
are a part of that monastic tradition of evangelical life
that found expression in the Rule for Monasteries of
Saint Benedict of Nursia (+547). Our life is wholly
ordered to contemplation. We dedicate ourselves to the
worship of God through a hidden life within the
monastery. It is a life of solitude and silence,
assiduous prayer, joyful penance, and work. Our life is cenobitic, a life in community. We seek God and follow Christ under a rule and an abbot in a stable community that is a school of charity. Since we strive to be of one heart and one mind, we hold everything in common. Bearing one another’s burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ and participate in his sufferings in the hope of building the Kingdom of God on earth and entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Mepkin Abbey is a school of the Lord’s service, where Christ is formed in the hearts of the brothers through the liturgy, the abbot’s teachings, and the fraternal way of life. Through attentiveness to God’s Word, we are trained in a discipline of heart and action to be responsive to the Holy Spirit, and so attain purity of heart and a continual mindfulness of God’s presence. Work, particularly manual work, is central to the life of Mepkin Abbey. Working provides the opportunity to share in the divine work of creation and restoration. It also is an invitation to follow in the footsteps of the Poor Christ. Through the work of their hands, monks provide a livelihood for the community, and contribute to others, especially the poor in their neighborhood. Through manual labor, monks express their solidarity with all laborers. What is more, work helps develop a sound asceticism that fosters spiritual development and maturity. It promotes health of mind and body, contributing to the unity of the brotherhood. Mepkin Abbey is an expression of the mystery of the Church, where nothing is preferred to the love of Christ for the praise of the Father’s glory. We strive to remain in harmony with all the people of God and share their desire for the unity of all Christians. By fidelity to our monastic way of life, which has its own hidden mode of apostolic fruitfulness, we perform a service for God’s people and for the whole human race. Life at Mepkin Abbey is ordered to bring us into close union with Christ, since it is only through the experience of the personal love of the Lord Jesus that the specific gifts of the Cistercian vocation can flower. |
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The Daily Horarium 3:00 AM Rise 3:20 Vigils 5:30 Lauds 7:30 Eucharist — Grand Silence Ends -- 8:30-11:30 Morning Work Period 12:00 Noon Sext (Midday Prayer) 1:00-1:40 Optional Siesta 1:45-3:30 Afternoon Work Period 5:00 Supper 6:00 Vespers 7:35 Compline — Grand Silence Begins — 8:00 Retire Sunday Schedule is the same except: 7:30 AM Terce precedes Eucharist 5:00 PM Vespers and Benediction |
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