The Mass Clock reminds...

  For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among

the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name,

and a pure offering.... - Malachi 1:11a

 

"You ask me about our daily monastic timetable. What does it do? What does it mean? Everything centres around the Mass, Adoration and the Liturgy. How can I explain what it means? Like this.....

I first encountered something of the meaning of a monastic timetable when I was a schoolgirl sitting on the benches of a convent school. Hanging near me on the wall, like a radiant sun, was what we called our Mass Clock. It had 24 brilliant wedges of colour. A ring of 24 around the outside, indicating the hours of each day and each night, and a jewel-like wedge of colour joining each hour to the centre inscribed with the names of all the countries in the world where the Sacrifice of the Mass was being said, and linking them to our local time. 

Beneath the Mass Clock were written the words of the prophet Malachi: "From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, everywhere a pure oblation will be offered to my name. Thus says the Lord."

Above the Mass Clock there was a picture of an angel, flying up to the throne of God in heaven carrying the offerings of consecrated bread and wine. Alongside was written an excerpt from the Roman Canon of the Mass: "Almighty God we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven, then as we receive from this altar the sacred Body and Blood of your Son, may we be filled with every grace and blessing."

It was simple. Sitting in an ordinary classroom doing our sums we found that with a short prayer and a moment of silence, we could unite ourselves to a spiritual activity going on somewhere else in the world, and at each hour be caught up into this magical world of the Mass Clock.

The angel became my close companion. He became a sign for me of the hidden adventure whereby the locked barrier of time with its closed circle of repetitive activities could be dissolved and my spirit carried on this angel's invisible wings to eternal realities and the mysterious wonder of heaven. This angel came to me at night also, when I was awake, and the dark silent hours slid by in an act of worship which was joined together with Christ's Mass sacrifice being then offered somewhere else in the world."

-Mother M. Xavier McMonagle, OSB, Tyburn Adorer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Montmartre  Click here: Tyburn Convent