GUEST SCHEDULE
Reservations are necessary for staying at the monastery. Please call  (707) 485-8959

Season of Ordinary Time

Mon - Fri (except Poustinia Day)                                 Poustinia Day (usually Wednesday)

Great Silence (all night)                                               6:30AM: Divine Liturgy
5:30AM: Church, then Breakfast:                                   Poustinia is dedicated to silence, prayer and
      -Matins;                                                             solitude: spending the day alone with God.
      -Divine Liturgy                                                    On poustinia, Divine Liturgy is the only service
      -Meditation (15 min in Church)                              in Church. (The brothers celebrate the other 
      -Breakfast (silent meal with reading                      offices privately in their cells).  
      -Work Assignments (given by superior)                  The day is spent in silent prayer, resting in God,
     -Guests put dishes on table just outside                 reading the sacred scriptures, perhaps taking a
       the kitchen (the brothers will clean them              or doing a few brief chores, if needed.  Please
       and continue your retreat all morning.                  avoid all talking except for genuine emergencies
                                                                              We avoid disturbing or distracting
12:00 Noon: Church then Lunch                                   one another from our prayer.
      -Noon Office                                                      Poustinia is usually a fasting day, although
      -Lunch (right after Noon Office at about                one may have some bread or fruit as needed,
  12:30PM.  It's the main meal of the day -                    which are made available in the refectory.
  a silent meal to hear the reading).                             However, from Easter through Pentecost's
      -Guest's are asked to put dishes on the                 leave-taking, and during the "compact week's"
       table next to the kitchen (the brothers                 of Christmas and Theophany, meals are served
       will clean them) and continue your                      at the customary times, and we partake of them
       retreat all afternoon until Supper).                       in silence and prayer, as if we're alone.
                                                                              Poustinia is a day for being alone with God,
4:30PM: Vespers (a light meal, and talking                    even more deeply than usual.  It's a time to relax
       is allowed during the meal and until                     and get closer to our loving God.
       Vespers).                                                           
5:30PM: Dinner followed by Compline (followed  Saturday
       by 15 minutes of silent prayer/meditation)            6:00AM: Matins and Divine Liturgy
                                                                                    The rest of the day is the same as an ordinary weekday.
Great Silence Begins.                                           
                                                                                    Sunday:
  A NOTE about SILENCE:                                             4:00AM Vigil  (brethren privately in the cells)
         We dwell mostly in silence.                                6:45AM Matins in Church
         The Great Silence is at night, from                           15 minutes of silent prayer/meditation
  Vespers until Matins. Please do not talk at                    A talking day: one may speak freely until the
  all except for genuine emergencies.                             evening services.  (No breakfast: we're fasting before
  This is the time for deeper listening and                      Divine Liturgy).
  prayer, as best you can.  Please do not                
  disturb others, nor yourself.                                      10AM Divine Liturgy, silent prayer, then the
          The Gentle Silence is most of the day                   the Potluck Dinner.
  except during Supper until Vespers.  Please          
  pray as much as you are able and do not                    4:30PM Vespers
  talk unless you need to say something                  
  briefly about some work at hand, and then                 5:30PM Dinner & followed by Compline 
  do so only softly.  On Poustinia Day, it is
  Great Silence day and night.                                      Great Silence all night.