The community of Benedictine monks at the Weston Priory in Weston, VT, gather for a predawn Vigil Prayer Service that officially starts their day. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least some were up much earlier, given the extent of prayer in their lives.
A few of the photographs I took on this visit ended up in the book by the ethnomusicologist Maria S. Guarino, entitled “Listen With the Ear of the Heart“, on the music and monastery life at the Priory. She’s a great writer, and for anyone interested in engaging further with the rhythms and spirit of Priory life, the book is well worth a read.