Our work builds upon the overall mission of the Church Private Prayer and Reading Central to our monastic way of life is a commitment to personal prayer and spiritual reading. In prayer and in meditating on the Scriptures and writings of spiritual teachers, we open ourselves to the voice of God who calls us to Himself. In addition to private prayer and reflection, an important element of our life is the communal celebration of the Opus Dei , or the Work of God . St. Benedict teaches that we should prefer nothing to this time when we come together to sing the Lord s praises and to listen attentively to God s Word. Guests to the monastery are invited to sit in the monastic choir for the Work of God .
Silence Often guests to the monastery comment on the quiet that they experience during their visit.
Monks value silence in order to create an atmosphere of attentive listening, prayer and reflection. Work Work is an important aspect of Benedictine life. For St. Benedict, to work is to participate in God s act of Creation and to express our human dignity. For this reason, Benedictines have a strong tradition of hospitality, and try to extend every courtesy to all guests. Guests at Saint Gregory's Abbey include everyone who comes on our grounds, but especially refers to our students and employees, and those who stay at the monastery.