Music of Silence A Sacred Journey Through the Hours of the Day by David Stendl-Rast (check out this link
www.gratefulness.org for more of his work). I originally read this book in 2004 and it was the beginning of my awareness of the rhythms of life.
Hours of the Day: Vigils, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline
Vigils - the Night Watch
... before the day's noises begin, when it is still perfectly quiet
...in the stillness open your heart to the gift of the hour; gratefully listen to the silence
...time for learning to trust the dark
...it is the hour that call us to set aside time outside the practical demands of the day
...invited to connect with the dark, grace-filled mystery in which we are immersed in the sacred, timeless dimension of our lives
...challenges us to carry the good news through the rest of the day: light shines in the midst of darkness
...night wind is the natural voice of vigils
...calls us to a loving listening; we have so much restlessness and noise in us, we find it had to nurture and cultivate a listening attitude
...carry through the day the mystery of darkness that gives light; carry the melody of wonder and joy
Lauds - the Coming of the Light
...as this hour opens the door to a new day, give thanks for new opportunities
...takes us out of the darkness into the light
...begin with the attitude that each day is a gift, that everything in our life is a gift; appropriate response to this given world is gratefulness even in the midst of suffering and pain
...invites us to ask "what attitude should I bring to this day?"
...take time to rejoice and delight in the gift of the moment; don't sleepwalk through life
...world is reborn each morning
...awakening of the child within, combines fresh enthusiasm of the child's innocence with the wisdom that comes with experience
...our senses are so overloaded that they are dull; we can't really hear well or savor a taste
...light exposes darkness
Prime - a Deliberate Beginning
...accept tasks for today; tackle them with courage and bring blessings to all whom you serve through mindful, careful, cheerful work
...focus on a proper beginning; start the day's activities wholeheartedly and deliberately
...men work together whether they work side-by-side or apart and never see one another
...if you make a right start, aligning your actions with your best intentions, everything you do is prayer; savor work, don't hurry just to get it over
...disobedience is not so much not doing what you know you should do, as not even listening to what the situation demands and calls you to do
...starting the day off right requires stop, look, then go
Terce - the Joy of Living
...mid-morning prayer break
...grateful for the gift of life, take a breath and pray "May all beings everywhere live in peace"
...focus on the Holy Spirit that is life-breath, that joy living within us
...delight in being blessed with life
...pass a blessing onto others by a good word or smile, a kind action that goes completely unobserved or simply a good wish in silence
...as we lovingly take care of details, we grow into that attitude of caring and tenderness
...to be vital, awake, aware in all areas of our lives, is the task that is never accomplished but remains the goal: to be ablaze with the Holy Spirit
...the spirit is our strength that expresses itself in strong action and tenderness
...spread the fiery enthusiasm of the divine life within us
...remember God's presence
Sext - Commitment & Fervor
...at this hour of high noon, lift up heart and mind in a moment of grateful silence
...tend to get sleepy and our good intentions can begin to flag
...courageous resolution: "I will stay true and uphold for the rest of the day"
...high noon is the time of great silence in nature; turning point of day
...noon day bell is invitation to pray for peace and commit oneself to treat others with love
...trustful waiting is a truly fervent way of praying
...time of transition, passing into the second part of the day
None - the Shadows Lengthen
...needed boost for last hours of the work day
...as day declines towards evening be renewed in spirit and not grow tired of giving your best
...time to turn inward again, after the outward movements of the day
...look to those things which endures
...listen intently to the music that never stops, the inner music of silence
...acknowledge that each day comes to a close, each life comes to a close
...the more fully life is lived, the easier it is to let go
...we all need a place apart to face reality
...time to be forgiven for our shortcomings and be encouraged to forgive ourselves and others
...late afternoon of our lives is often a time when we are called to forgive and let go of our grievances
Vespers - Lighting the Lamps
...an evening celebration
...pause to review the harvest of today and to give thanks for what you have learned for tomorrow
...find peace of heart by reconciling contradictions within and around us
...place disappointments and regrets of the day behind us and become festive in a new way
...light the lamps of caring attention for our neighbors in this dark world
...daylight fades and the distinct silence of night descends
...become festive and receive God as a guest, stretch beyond time and embrace the now
...luxuriate in the quiet beauty of evening
...what candle can we light for others to to acknowledge and show appreciation
...we move closer together when it gets dark
Compline - Completing the Circle
...give thanks for another day
...review the day and resolve to do better tomorrow
...approach the night with trust and joyful anticipation
...trust opens our hearts to the blessing of rest
...examine conscience and ask forgiveness; making a clean transition into night and sleep
...connects the end of day with the end of life itself; reinforces the theme that the rhythm of our days parallels the rhythm of our life; the way we live each hour, each day, determine the character of our life; the paced hours teach us how to pace our life
...remind ourselves of the firm foundation on which our faith rests
...trust in the uniqueness of each person; we thrive in an atmosphere of feeling at home and safe in the world
The introduction to this book is written by Kathleen Norris, the author of many books that has been most helpful in my journey
; I will be forever grateful to the pastor who introduced me to Kathleen Norris via
The Cloister Walk. Here are a few of her comments from the introduction:
---The human perception of time has long been subject to technological revisions, and increased speed has often subtly reduced our capacity to appreciate the world around us
--- Addiction to speed, to the artificial rhythms generated by electronic media, can change our consciousness
---This book is steeped in the wisdom of disciplined prayer done according to the rhythms of day and night. As a monk, Steindl-Rast has learned that "prayer is not sending an order and expecting it to be fulfilled. Prayer is attuning yourself to the life of the world, to love, the force that moves the sun and the moon and the stars." It is the sort of thing that monks, mystics, and poets come to know very well by paying close attention to the flow of hours around them.
