It is 5:30 in the morning. A strange sound comes over our intercom system, the ancient monastic alarm clock, two pieces of wood being struck together. It is hard to sleep through the “clapper” and there is no snooze button. Within minutes individual nuns leave their hermitages and make their silent way to our Prayer House (the oratory). Lauds (Morning Prayer) is chanted together. Our work of prayer has begun.

Private prayer (sometimes called mental prayer) follows either in the Prayer House, the hermitage, or in some other quiet place. This one-on-one with the Lord Jesus prepares us for Mass in the chapel at 7:15 a.m. (8:00 a.m. on weekends). A silent time of adoration and thanksgiving having followed Mass, Tierce (Mid-morning Prayer) is chanted. The Sisters take a light breakfast before taking about an hour to do some spiritual reading.

Then each Sister takes up her work for the day. This can be the usual domestic chores of any household like cooking, cleaning and gardening, but there is also computer and library work, the creation of quilts and other items to sell, and the care of Jennie, our black English Labrador. The Sisters in formation have classes with the Novice Mistress in the novitate building.

A tower bell rings at 11:45 a.m. to call the community to the Prayer House again to continue the sanctification of the day with the chanting of Sext (Midday Prayer). As both tower bells mark the Angelus or Regina Caeli at noon, the cook of the day is setting out our main meal in the kitchen. We eat together in the refectory (dining area) while one Sister reads aloud from a spiritual book.

Fortified by a good meal, it is back to work after dishes, and in the time-honored Teresian spirit, a siesta! At about 3:00 p.m. each Sister takes a few minutes to pray None (Mid-afternoon Prayer).

As the sun sets (more or less) the bell rings out again for Vespers (Evening Prayer). In addition to this Hour of the Divine Office, we anticipate tomorrow with Matins (the Office of Readings). A hour of private prayer and a half-hour of Scripture study follows. Yet another bell and another gathering together, this time for the Litany of Our Lady and prayers to our Saints at 6:20 p.m. Supper follows with reading as at noon.

After a short period of free time, at 7:30 p.m. our evening recreation begins and so does the hilarity.

Saint Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta), among others, testified that she had never laughed so much as at Carmelite recreations. What do we do at recreation? After a day of silence, we talk! Some bring sewing and craft work along, or we might fold novenas and stuff envelopes for our next mailing. On Sundays we usually watch some entertaining or educational video.

Recreation ends with a prayer and another walk to the Prayer House. It is now 9:00 p.m. We end the day chanting Compline (Night Prayer). The very last official act of the day is the seasonal antiphon of Our Lady. Carmel is all Mary’s and we place ourselves in her keeping for the night. The Grand Silence settles over the monastery. The day is ended and given back to God with hopes for eternal fruit.

A Visual Day in the Life

If you would like a deeper look into our daily life, you may order “Heaven on Earth” which is a 15 minute DVD video of a day in the life of a nun at the Carmel of Port Tobacco. It also includes testimonies and a rare view inside our papal enclosure. The DVD is available through our Gift Shop here.