Matins & Lauds

A Poor Clare’s day begins when she rises in the night to greet her Lord through the praises of the Church. At Midnight, the signal is given and the sisters rise to pray Matins and Lauds together in the Divine Office Choir.

Angelus and Morning Offering

At the sound of the bell, the sisters rise once again to offer their day to their Spouse. After kissing the floor, a Poor Clare hurries to choir to join her sisters in giving to God the first moments of her day through the Angelus and other morning prayers.

Prime

The sisters don their mantles and begin the recitation of Prime. This hour of the Divine Office includes the reading of the Roman-Franciscan Martyrology.

Terce & Mother Abbess’ Blessing

After a period given for spiritual reading, the sisters come to pray the Divine Office before going in procession to receive a blessing for the day’s work from Mother Abbess. The blessing of Mother gives the sisters the incomparable grace of doing all their work under holy obedience and therefore gaining graces and merit through even the smallest acts. If needed, the sisters may take a light breakfast of bread and tea at this time.

Sext, Angelus, & Dinner

The work period is finished when the bell once again summons the sisters to Office Choir to praise God through the words given to us by our Holy Mother, the Church. After Sext, the Angelus is prayed before going in procession to the refectory. During dinner, the one full meal of the day, the sisters souls are nourished by reading the lives of the saints or other trusted spiritual classics. The sisters take their food in silence, with the exception of the one appointed as reader.

Holy Hour

When the bell rings, the Poor Clare hears the voice of God calling her to spend time with Him where He is present in the Blessed Sacrament. The sisters spend at least one hour each day in the presence of our Lord during their holy hour. There is minor exposition every day where the sisters can adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

Collation

After Vespers, the Poor Clare sings in praise of our Lady through the Angelus and then goes in procession to the refectory. Once there, she will beg pardon of her sisters and God for any mortifications she has caused during the day before she sits to take a small repast of bread and tea.

Compline

At the end of recreation, the Poor Clare will once again beg her Mother Abbess for a blessing before heading off to pray Compline. Here she will wish good night to her Divine Spouse and thank Him for the day. Through the words given to her in the Divine Office, the Poor Clare begs for God’s protection during the night and asks pardon for all the faults she has committed during the day. When Compline is finished, the nuns receive a final blessing from the Abbess and can retire in peace and hope. Grand Silence (a time of strictest silence only to be broken in emergencies) begins after Compline. If they wish, the sisters are allowed to pray in choir, read, or work on any quiet projects they may have until 8:30, when they will retire, only to rise again at Midnight to begin their day anew in the presence and love of Christ.

Meditation

When the prayers of the community are finished, the Poor Clare has an hour for private meditation. As a custom, she also uses this time for praying her daily Stations of the Cross.

Holy Mass & Thanksgiving

The most important part of a Poor Clare’s day begins when she enters the Holy Mass choir immediately following Prime. Here, the Poor Clare will meet her Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar by assisting at Holy Mass. Following Mass, the sisters are given a long period to converse with their Spouse during the silent thanksgiving.

Work Period

The first period for work begins after the blessing. The sisters work in prayer and silence, always striving to remain recollected in conversation with their Divine Spouse. Some of the work done by the sisters includes gardening, sewing, cooking, handmade artwork, and other manual labor. Calling to mind the words of our Holy Mother Saint Clare, “ The sisters to whom the Lord has given the grace of working, shall labor faithfully and devotedly after the hour of Terce.”

Siesta/Free Time

Following the after dinner prayers and the hour of None in the Divine Office, the sisters are given one hour for a siesta or free time. This hour gives the sisters the opportunity to rest, go outside for a walk, work on any personal projects, or stay in the Office Choir for extra prayer.

Rosary & Vespers

After another work period, the Poor Clare is called once again to Office Choir to refresh her soul through the recitation of the Holy Rosary and Vespers. On Tuesdays, the sisters pray the Holy Face Chaplet in reparation for all the sins committed against our Lord.

Recreation

A Poor Clare knows the great blessings and benefits that are won through silence and recollection, however, after Mother Abbess has given her blessing, there is much laughter and joy to be heard at recreation. How many ways God will show Himself to His Bride throughout the day, if she only looks for Him! On feast days especially, one might catch a glimpse of a postulant or novice ready to entertain her sisters through a skit or song, usually with quite interesting outcomes!