Daily Life
Daily Schedule
While our way of life has a daily rhythm, our schedule is flexible so that we can respond generously to the daily needs that confront us. We do this by relying on God’s grace. Here is a glimpse of what our week looks like:
MONDAY-FRIDAY
6:30 a.m. Morning Prayer followed by Mass
7:30 a.m. Breakfast and clean up
8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Work and/or study period
12:00 p.m. Lunch and clean up
1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Work and/or study period
5:00 p.m. Communal Eucharistic Holy Hour with Evening Prayer/Night Prayer
In addition to the daily Communal Holy Hour, each member makes a private Holy Hour at some point during the day whenever possible. This is part of our effort to build up to Perpetual Adoration.
6:00 p.m. Dinner
At dinner we spend extra time around the table. This is the way our community has recreation together.
7:30 p.m. Personal Time
The time after dinner and dinner clean-up is typically reserved for personal needs. This time can include spiritual reading, prayer, study, or tending to other responsibilities. Occasionally, there are apostolic or communal events scheduled in the evenings such as evening talks at a parish or a planned community formation night.
Work/Study Periods can include:
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Domestic/Manual Labor Tasks: cleaning, cooking, garden, organizing donations, working with volunteers, preparing for special events
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Apostolate: Food pantry, senior program, preparing and giving talks, teaching religion at a poor Catholic school, hosting retreat groups, preparing lessons for school
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Study: formation classes, formation meetings, reading and/or studying Franciscan history, theology, teacher preparation, taking classes at Mundelein Seminary or at a local university in the Master of Arts in Teaching program
Office of Readings, Daytime Prayer, and the Rosary are prayed privately by members of the community each day. This is one of the ways that we integrate the contemplative dimension of the Capuchin Franciscan tradition.
SATURDAY
6:30 a.m. Morning Prayer followed by Mass
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
After breakfast on Saturday, we have volunteers join us for a morning of service.
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00-5:00 p.m. Work and/or study period
5:00 p.m. Holy Hour with Evening Prayer/Night Prayer
6:00 p.m. Dinner
Saturdays are often when we host larger-scale and special events for the neighborhood. These include monthly food and clothing give-aways, Thanksgiving and Christmas parties and give-aways, summer block parties, and community lunches.
SUNDAY
7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer followed by Mass
9 a.m. Brunch
Whenever possible, the rest of Sunday is free for extra prayer, rest, and healthy recreation.
Everyone is encouraged to take the time they need to exercise, whether it be running, biking or working out at the gym. We know that part of our responsibility is to take care of the bodies which God gave us, and so we try to live a healthy, balanced life, which includes good nutrition, exercise and appropriate recreation.
