A Day in the Life of a FSGM

4:35 a.m. “All for the greater honor of God...and for the salvation of our souls.”

Upon rising, these are the first words that we pray every morning.  It is a reminder why we start our day so early:  to glorify God and to pray for souls.

5:05 a.m. “Lord, open my lips…and my mouth will proclaim your praise!”

We begin our common prayer with the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily prayer of the Church which blesses each moment of our work and rest. 

“It is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom.
It is the very prayer which Christ himself, together with his Body,
addresses to the Father." (SC 84)

We then have 30 minutes for personal meditation and conversation with our Lord.  Many times we use Scripture, specifically that day’s Mass readings, as our point of departure into dialogue with Our Lord. 

Immediately following is the high point of our life with Christ: the Holy Mass.

 7:00 a.m. 

After being nourished with the Word and fed by the Bread of Life, we begin our active apostolates.

Throughout the day we bring the fruits of our prayer to our various areas of service.  During this time, we also find strength and help from our individual visits to the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the Holy Rosary, meditation on Our Lord's Passion (Stations of the Cross), and our common times together, especially at meals. 

11:30 a.m. 

At Midday, several of us meet in the chapel to pray the Cross Prayer, take some time for the Examen and pray the Liturgy of the Hours.  This is followed by our meal together.

5:45 p.m. 

In the evening we gather again for a time of Scripture reading and the Liturgy of the Hours.  This is followed by our supper meal. 

7:30 p.m. 

Our evening activites vary but foster a time to connect with one another and share in each other's interests and happenings.  These include recreation (board games, card, knitting, crafts, etc.), small group discussions on Church topics, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and on special occasions, movies or other events.

We conclude our evening together in the chapel with the Liturgy of the Hours, the Litany of the Sacred Heart and various community prayers.  We give thanks for the many graces received, repent of our sins and enter into the night with silence.

9:30 p.m. 

We end our day praying, "Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace." (Antiphon for Night Prayer)