A day set in prayer: what to expect at the Liturgy of the Hours

Across Australia, the rhythm of the day often begins with a flat white and ends with the slow spin of a ceiling fan after sunset. Yet many travellers from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and beyond feel the pull of something older and quieter, a way of marking time that does not depend on clocks at all. For those who journey to our Olivetan community in Plaisance, Louisiana, that pull often resolves into one question: what is it actually like to be present for the Liturgy of the Hours?

The Liturgy of the Hours, sometimes called the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Catholic Church, prayed by monks, nuns and many laypeople around the world. Here at Mother of the Redeemer Monastery, the Hours shape the monks' day from before dawn until well after dark. Visitors are warmly invited to step into this rhythm, whether for an hour, an afternoon, or a longer retreat.

Some come seeking stillness after a year of relentless noise. Others arrive curious about monastic life, having read books on Benedictine spirituality in a Brisbane bookshop, or heard about us through a friend in Perth. The notes below walk through what you can expect, from the first greeting to the final blessing, so your visit feels natural and welcome.

The rhythm of the day set by the monks

The monks pray the full cycle of the Hours: Vigils, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. Together they form a tapestry that stretches roughly from 4:30 in the morning to a little after 8:00 at night. Each Hour has its own character, drawn from the psalms and scripture readings appointed across the four-week psalter.

Visitors should know that the day does not pause for you to settle in. The bell rings, the monks enter the chapel, and the singing begins within moments. If you arrive a few minutes early, you can choose a stall, follow the antiphon in the missalette provided, and let the room settle around you. Our detailed guide to Monastic timekeeping explains the symbolic meaning behind each time slot if you would like to read ahead of your trip.

Australians often compare the schedule to a surfer reading the tides. There is a right moment, and the wisdom lies in showing up for it. The Hours work the same way. They are not performances but observances, and your quiet attendance makes you part of the assembly.

Preparing yourself before you arrive

A visit feels calmer when a little practical preparation has been done. Modest clothing is appropriate: shoulders covered, hemlines modest, hats removed in the chapel. Strong fragrance can be distracting in such a prayerful space, so consider skipping perfume or aftershave on the day.

If you carry a handbag or daypack, leave it in your car. Phones should be silenced before you cross the threshold, and many visitors choose to leave them behind altogether, the way you might tuck your wallet into the glovebox before walking the Bibbulmun Track. A clear water bottle is fine, and a small pair of earplugs can help if you are sensitive to sustained chant, though most people find the singing settles quickly into the body.

It also helps to read ahead on the scripture of the day before you leave home. For families or small groups wanting to pray with scripture between visits, the Bible challenge for families is a companionable practice many have found fruitful.

Inside the chapel and the choir stalls

The monastery chapel is intimate and unadorned in the Benedictine tradition. Wooden choir stalls run along both side walls in two facing rows, with the abbot's seat and the lectern at the eastern end. Icons, a tabernacle, and simple Stations of the Cross line the walls. There is no museum-like quiet and no stadium seating; the chapel is a working room.

You will be given a kneeler rather than a seat. The monks bow together at the entrance psalm, rise for the hymn, sit for the psalms and readings, and stand for the Gospel canticle. If you do not know the gestures, simply following your neighbour is perfectly acceptable. No one will single you out, and the prior will greet you warmly after the final blessing.

The sound of the chapel is its own preparation. Australian visitors are often surprised by how the voices carry in the wooden space, the Latin and English antiphons braiding together while the psalm tones give shape to every silence between the verses.

Following the day from Lauds to Compline

Lauds, sung shortly after sunrise, is the morning prayer. Its psalms lean toward praise and thanksgiving, and it sets the tone for the working hours ahead. Terce, Sext and None are the little hours, prayed at mid-morning, noon and mid-afternoon. They are short, perhaps ten minutes each, and provide punctuation through the working day. Australians making a brief retreat often attend Terce or None because they fit neatly around lunch.

Vespers is the evening lamp-lighting prayer, sung at sunset. It is the most musical of the daytime Hours and the one most visitors fall in love with. Compline, the final prayer before rest, is quiet and tender, often sung by candlelight. If you stay for Compline, you will hear the Salve Regina or another Marian antiphon as the monks process out.

If you have only one Hour in your visit, Vespers is the most rewarding for first-timers. It gathers the widest range of voices, the longest chant passages, and a sense of the day being gathered into prayer. For those who travel often between hemispheres, the experience of praying Vespers in Louisiana while family or friends in Hobart sit down to dinner can feel like a quiet, living thread across the time zones.

Silence, singing, and shared presence

Silence is a guest at the monastery. It begins the moment you step out of your car and lasts until you leave. Speaking is reserved for the cloister parlour, the refectory, and outdoor areas. Inside the chapel, even small murmurs soften under the rule of stillness. This is not coldness; it is care for the prayer of others.

Singing is the other constant. Whether you are musical or tone-deaf, you are invited to join the psalm responses and the simpler refrains. The monks will not correct you, and your voice, however uncertain, contributes to the offering. Many visitors from Melbourne's choral scene or from school choirs in regional Queensland tell us this is the most moving part of the day.

For those who feel dry or distracted during prayer, this is entirely normal. Arid stretches are part of every spiritual life, and the monks themselves know them well. A patient reflection on when prayer feels dry can offer steady companionship on those days.

Staying connected after you go home

A visit often sparks a longer question: how can I keep praying the Hours once I have returned to my own life in Adelaide, Darwin, or a small town in the wheat belt? The monastery welcomes oblates, laypeople who formally associate themselves with the community and share in its prayer and work from a distance.

Becoming an oblate is not a vow but a promise. It involves formation, regular correspondence, and a commitment to pray certain psalms or attend Mass with the monastery's intentions in mind. Visitors who feel drawn to this path can read more about becoming an oblate through the community's formation page.

Even without formal association, anyone can subscribe to our prayer schedule, request inclusion in the monks' daily intentions, or order handmade products that support the community. A small jar of honey, a beeswax candle, or a book of Oblate prayers can keep the memory of the chapel alive on a kitchen bench in Perth or a bedside table in Geelong.

Practical guidance for your first visit

Begin planning your visit today and let the Hours carry you.