Chapter 8: The Divine Office at Night
It seems reasonable that during wintertime, that is from the first of November until Easter all should arise at the eighth hour of the night. By that time, having rested until a little after midnight, they may rise with their food well digested. (From Ch. 8 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Rising rested and with food well digested -- here Benedict shows me another tender, practical concern for the whole of my being, and for the necessity of integrity in body and soul as making me fit for the service of the Lord.
Rising rested and with food well digested -- here Benedict shows me another tender, practical concern for the whole of my being, and for the necessity of integrity in body and soul as making me fit for the service of the Lord.
Today the Office reminds me that it is the feast day of St. Scholastica, Benedict’s sister and abbess of a monastery for women. That makes this such an appropriate day to begin the Rule’s discussion of the Divine Office. It is also a good time to look honestly at my procrastination about learning how better to integrate the Office into my daily prayer life.
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