Chapter 10: The night office in summertime
Apart from that the arrangements for winter are followed exactly so that never less than twelve psalms should be recited at Vigils, not counting the third and ninety fourth psalms. (From Ch. 10 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Starting with the night office -- the prayers the monks arise for to begin their day -- Benedict establishes a vibrant rhythm, a predictable pattern of prayer, moving like a river of praise with a well-defined course. Surely, it seems to me, this repetition, like the repetition of the mantra, is the practice of obedience, fidelity, and immersion in the Other.
Starting with the night office -- the prayers the monks arise for to begin their day -- Benedict establishes a vibrant rhythm, a predictable pattern of prayer, moving like a river of praise with a well-defined course. Surely, it seems to me, this repetition, like the repetition of the mantra, is the practice of obedience, fidelity, and immersion in the Other.
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