Monastic Night

Night can be the most challenging part of the monastic day.

Monastic days are organized to give monks time for their priorities. Time for reflection and prayer, time for physical work and reading. Each day includes time for meals, personal hygiene, and rest. Monastic time is intended to reduce distractions and allow monks to pay attention.

Spending time at the monastery is a way to reset our internal clocks. We return to immerse ourselves in monastic time, to remember and be restored.

The longest part of each monastic day is the night.

Following an evening service, many monasteries practice the Great Silence. People remain in their rooms, being quiet, resting. Some monasteries continue their silence through breakfast.

Monastic night is often the most challenging adjustment for me in returning to New Camaldoli. I love rocking in a chair, reading, and watching the sun slide into the ocean. As my room grows darker, it is tempting to turn on the lights and continue reading. There is so much I want to read, to write, to consider.

It takes time to realize how tired our bodies, our minds, our spirits can be.

Monastic night is the deep heart of letting go, of contemplative practice. We struggle to quiet ourselves, to stop being distracted, and listen to silence. It is often when the most hidden nuggets of pain demand our attention. We may have forgotten throughout the day. Monastic nights prompt us to remember.

It helps me to quietly step outside into the dark. The stars in the night sky, usually obscured by city lights, shine in the darkness. Opening my heart and my hands, I can almost touch them.

What challenges lie waiting for you in monastic night?

Where are the stars shining in the monastic night sky?

[Image by Chris Sorge]