Daily Life

Monastic life at its most basic is a life devoted to a single purpose—the search for God. For the monks of Mount Michael, the search for God is centered around community life and a communal schedule that gives structure to each monk’s daily life. This schedule is a balance of prayer, work, and leisure that is designed to keep God as the central driving force in the monk’s day.

Typically the monks will begin their day with morning praise in the chapel at 6:30 am. Following this office there is a brief break and then the community Eucharist is celebrated at 7:15. Following this there is time for breakfast in the abbey refectory and then the morning work period begins.

At 11:45, those whose work allows gather back in the chapel for a brief office of midday prayer. Then lunch follows in the abbey refectory. After lunch there is usually time for a brief rest before the afternoon work period begins.

The monks usually work till 4 pm and then are allowed free time for leisure and rest before the community gathers back in the chapel for Vespers at 5:15 pm. Dinner is at 6 pm with table reading and then shared community leisure afterwards. The day officially ends with night prayer in the abbey oratory at 7 pm.