From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! We chant these words each morning. It is our privilege to spend our day praying and working and doing all things that the Lord's name may be praised.
The monastery is an expression of the mystery of the Church,
where nothing is preferred to the praise
of the Father's glory. Every effort is made to ensure that the common life in
its entirety conforms to the Gospel, which is the supreme law. In this way the
community will not be lacking in any spiritual gift. The monks strive to remain
in harmony with all the people of God and share their active desire for the unity
of all Christians. By fidelity to their monastic way of life, which has its own
hidden mode of apostolic fruitfulness, monks perform a service for God's people
and the whole human race. Each community of the Order and all the monks are
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Symbol of the Church in the
order of faith, love and perfect union with Christ. The organization of the
monastery is directed to bringing the monks into close union with Christ, since
it is only through the experience of personal love for the Lord Jesus that the
specific gifts of the Cistercian vocation can flower. Only if the brothers
prefer nothing whatever to Christ will they be happy to persevere in a life
that is ordinary, obscure and laborious.
Photograph of the Abbey church at sunset by Charles O'Connor. Quotation from The Constitutions of the Monks.
