Sister Lynn Marie and Sister Madeline of the Benedictines of Cullman, Alabama, describe how prayer saturates their day -- and their souls.
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Sister Rejane
This Random Nun Clip is brought to you by A Nun's Life Ministry.
Sister Maxine
I'm Sister Maxine of A Nun's Life Ministry, and we're on a Motherhouse Road Trip here in Cullman, Alabama. And we are delighted to be joined by Sister Lynn Marie McKenzie.
Sister Lynn Marie
Hello, it's great to have you all here in Cullman.
Sister Maxine
Describe what your prayer as Benedictine nuns is like.
Sister Lynn Marie
Well, in the Rule of Benedict, he outlines for us a day of regular prayer that we come together and the hinges of that prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, are the morning prayer and the evening prayer. And then there are there's a noon prayer, a night prayer. The idea is to punctuate your day with prayer and prayer together, and it is liturgical prayer in union with the Church. Today, we prayed morning prayer at 6:30. And it's composed of psalmody, of Scripture readings, and of petitions on behalf of the whole church. And we'll do that again this evening with the evening prayer. So we're kind of punctuating our day with praise of God and thanks of God in Scripture, and that's what's so appealing to me about Benedictine life, is that it provides you with a template of how to pray and immersing yourself in prayer throughout the day. By doing it, at specified times, it kind of saturates the whole day with prayer.
Sister Madeline
You know, there are 150 Psalms. We pray those within about a month's time. And maybe from looking outside in, you think, how come you're saying the same thing over and over and over again, every day, week in and week out, year in and year out. And as sister Madeline and I were talking yesterday, you know, we realize, after years of that kind of prayer that it gets inside you. It's part of you. And sometimes you hear yourself coming out with an expression that you had just prayed that morning, and you didn't really do it consciously. It's just because it's part of you.
Sister Maxine
What does that do for you over the long run? So you go through life, and you're having good days, and I imagine some not so good days. And what does that internalizing that prayer -- how does that help you?
Sister Madeline
You know, the fact that we are praying together every day, whether I feel like it or not. You know, there are some days that I really just want to turn off the alarm clock and not go to prayers. But I'm there because I know my community of sisters, they're going to be there, and we join together. And so sometimes, you know, I'm there, I'm physically there, but not all there. You know what I mean? I may not be emotionally, spiritually, otherwise there, but because my sisters are there, they're carrying me in that prayer, and sometimes I'm carrying them. It’s what gives me the strength to live every day. That prayer. It's hard to express but it's nourishment, just like food is. Joining together in prayer is what keeps me going.
Sister Rejane
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This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.
