#4 Prime

In Benedictine communities, Prime, is when work assignments are passed out and tools are collected for use. This is the time of commitment to the tasks that lie ahead for the day. They pray together for the energy and ability to do their work well. They want to serve with all their hearts, as doing their work for the Lord. They also remember their connection to each other in this Hour.

Monks often work alone, but they never forget their community while they work. All day long they will be coming across the evidence of the work of others in the community--their work intertwines with that of others. They give thanks for that and they remember to pray for their fellow monks when they see the products of their labors.

Prime is an important Hour of prayer for me. I am not naturally an organized person and I have to work hard at planning and implementing my task lists. As much as I would love to carry lists around in my head all day long and work methodically at accomplishing tasks, my mind is a wonderland of ideas and inspirations and I am very easily distracted. I have to set aside time to look at what must be done and then write it down in order to do it.

In "Music of Silence" the authors suggest that we head into the work day with a plan to

Stop

Look

& Go

They liken this to a conductor about to lead an orchestra into a great symphony. He raises the baton and there is a silent pause:

Stop

He and the orchestra consider the music before them:

Look

He brings the baton down and they play the first notes:

Go!

This is a method by which I can I stay on track in my work all day long. My first "stop" is Prime. I "look" prayerfully at the work I must do and then I prayerfully "go" into the day. As I work, I try to remember to "stop, look and go" again and again. This helps me stay on track.

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Praying Prime also helps me view my work as a sacred act, an offering of my skills and abilities to the Lord all day long. He is very present as I do whatever I have to do that day and I want to please Him.

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare

before the eyes of him to whom

we must give an account." Hebrews 4:13

With the Lord as my Ultimate Supervisor, I am eager to do the right things. Prime helps me start out connected and communicating with Him.

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There are two other thoughts I want to add:

1. Remembering that my work is intertwined with that of others all day long helps me have more respect for them. All of us enter into a world of work already completed by others as soon as we get up in the morning. What we eat is brought to us by others doing their jobs, the safety we enjoyed through the night and even the gas we put into our vehicles are there because someone did his or her job. There are countless ways in which our lives are blessed by others who do their work well. We can be thankful for these people and we can pray for them.

2. Stopping work briefly when it is time to pray again is a good reminder that my work is subject to God and not to become an idol in my life. Work is not the basis of my identity. My identity is in my relationship with the Lord and stopping to acknowledge Him in prayer keeps me focused on that.

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Next, I will share with you about Terce.