Benedictine Spirituality
A Quiet Day given by Mother Anne on 17th March 2026
This was the fourth session of the St Benedict's Centre Lent Spirituality Series 2026.
The Rule of Saint Benedict lays out a pattern of life that integrates mind, body and spirit so that we may engage our whole being to ‘pray without ceasing’. It continues to inspire people today and provides much wisdom to guide us as we seek to live God-centred lives in our distracted and media-soaked society. This quiet day was practical rather than scholarly with reflections from Mother Anne on her experience of living by the Rule of Saint Benedict along with opportunity for discussion, individual reflection and participation in prayer exercises drawing on the Benedictine tradition.
Notes from Quiet Day Sessions
Handouts
- Body Awareness into Prayer - A simple body awareness practice to use as preparation for prayer
- Prayer Practice: "Lord have mercy"
- Lectio Divina and Contemplative Prayer
- A quotation from Benedictine Abbot Andre Louf on monastic prayer and a poem by Mother Osyth of Malling Abbey
Introducing Mother Anne
Mother Anne OSB has a PhD in computer science from Cambridge University, UK, and worked for 25 years in the hi-tech world of 'Silicon Fen' (as the area around Cambridge has come to be known). She was involved in early experiments with social media but became disillusioned with the idea that more technology was always a good thing. This led to training in massage therapy and exploration of the relationship between body and prayer. Eventually she followed God's call to live a life of prayer, entering the Benedictine monastic community of Malling Abbey in the UK in 2009. She was elected Abbess in 2020.