The Divine Office
"Nothing is to be preferred to the work of God"
RB 43:3
Br Todd Koesel took his first vows in 2007.
He is in his third year of the Juniorate.
We monks gather as one body five times daily and in smaller groups twice daily to celebrate what is known as the divine office. This form of praise is a mixture of chanted psalmody and canticles, readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Fathers of the Church. Of course, interspersed throughout are periods of silence to allow all those in attendance (monks and guests alike) to ponder the readings or simply to enjoy the silence.
The divine office is the centerpiece of a cenobitic monk’s life. In Benedictine tradition, as the time of prayer is announced, the monk is to stop whatever he is doing and proceed to the chapel. Coming from a variety of activities, we now join in “one voice,” gathering all of our joys and sorrows together in a single offering. This place of priority for prayer in common encourages the monk to carry the Word with him whether he is working or enjoying leisure. The divine office is where we most poignantly meet mercy in our day, praying alongside our brothers in fraternal care and love.
+ Br Todd