Daily Prayer

At 6:00 am this morning, I rubbed my tired eyes and headed downstairs to join Pat and Dale for morning prayer. We shuffled our way quietly to the chapel. Today was our first day of doing this together as a group.

We prayed the Liturgy of the Hours, which is comprised of prayers, hymns, psalms and readings. We chanted much of it and sung a song. This practice goes back centuries, as both Christians and Jews have designated prayers for certain times of the day and year. It is a central practice of monastic orders.

While reciting prayers word-for-word may sound like a dry exercise to some, I say don't knock it until you've tried it. Chanting the psalms at 6:00 in the morning in a candle-lit chapel, joining yourself to a practice that goes back hundreds if not thousands of years, is not a small thing. However, as others join us, we may vary the prayers with more improvisation or different styles of prayer.

The Catholic Worker movement is well known for its social justice activism. This is intentional, as those acts are designed to attract attention. The Catholic Worker is also known for its unique approach to hospitality, as the homeless are considered house guests and share the same meals and living space with the workers. But it should also be remembered that the Catholic Worker is also a new way to do Christian community living. Or as Peter Maurin might have said--it is a way that is "so old that it looks like new. "

The Catholic Worker has a strong tradition of people living out their Christian vocation together in community. It is reminiscent of the early Christians. It incorporates elements of Franciscan poverty and Benedictine prayer life. As Dorothy Day said, “We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”

With this in mind, we are working to build such a Christian community, and prayer is an essential part of that. Our prayer time is open to all. Please join us Mon-Fri for morning prayer at 6:00 am and evening prayer at 5:30 pm. For the time being, we will not conduct these prayers on the weekends. You can park on Oakland Park to come through the front door or use backdoor in the parking lot. Call us if you need directions. Times may change in the future, so let us know if you have a scheduling conflict.