Communal and Family Schedules

Communal Schedule

Monday through Friday

8h30 > Communal work begins 

Moisés and Yanni help Elisabeth
ring the bell for morning prayers

9h30 - 10h > Morning prayers, following the daily readings of the Roman Catholic Lectionary 

10h30ish > Rappel (literally "remember"): a bell rings to remind us to zoom out and actively enter into God's presence.  We take a minute or two to be still and silent wherever we are when it rings. 

11h30ish > Rappel 

12h30 - 13h > Silent meditation in the common room 

13h > Lunch and clean-up, in which everyone participates 

14h30 > Communal work resumes 

15h45 - 16h > Afternoon prayers following a schedule to pray from a Christian perspective alongside other seekers of God: 

• Monday - Hinduism 

• Tuesday - Islam 

• Wednesday - People who seek God without a named religion 

• Thursday - Buddhism, and religions of the east

• Friday -  Unity of the Christian church

16h30ish > Rappel

17h30ish > Rappel

18h > Communal work ends

Saturday

Morning: Farmer's Market in Audierne (one person runs l'Arche's stand, usually Benoit)

9h30 > Morning prayers alongside the Jews on Shabbat, in the format of the 15h45 weekday prayers (see above)

10h - 13h > Communal work 

19h > Communal meal (One Saturday per month, dubbed "family weekend", there is no communal meal.)

Sunday

Morning: Catholic Mass, rotating between several churches.  I hope to write a post soon about this, with photos of the churches & cathedrals we visit! 

Afternoon & Evening: Family time

Additions to the Communal Schedule

Monday

• Nico: Baking day
• 17h - 19h: On-site market selling bread and veggies
• Pizza for dinner!  Baked in the bread oven.
• After dinner:  Teaching and roundtable discussion with Benoit, mostly on the political, economic, non-violent, and religious philosophies and theologies of The Ark of Lonza del Vasto.

Tuesday

• Before lunch: Well-being check-in and community logistics meeting
• After lunch: We gather to practice singing stunningly beautiful songs from l'Arche's rich music culture, or songs for an upcoming festival.

Wednesday

• Rachel Sarah: Garden day
• After the work day ends: Corporal Movements with Elisabeth (yoga-like exercises and meditation, with each movement symbolizing the human being's relationship with God)

Thursday

• Morning: Farmer's Market in Pont l'Abbé (one person runs l'Arche's stand, usually Elisabeth)
• Building day - this day is very exciting!  All hands are on deck for building projects and a lot is accomplished!

Friday

• Nico: Baking day
• No communal lunch: we follow the ancient Christian tradition to fast breakfast and lunch each Friday in rememberance of the crucifixion.  Dinner is a simple meal of rice and lentils.
• 17h - 19h: On-site market selling bread and veggies

Moisés & Yanni Schedule

Our family's schedule has never been so regular and predictable.  We have enjoyed how tight and reliable the community's rhythms are.  The morning routine listed here is our goal, which is getting accomplished more and more often!

Monday through Saturday

5h > (Monday, Friday) Nico begins bakery work; (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday) Nico or Rachel Sarah leaves for personal time to read or write letters or update a blog! :)

6h15 - 7h15 > Boil two kettles of water (one for a bath and the other for tea and dishes), bathe Moisés and Yanni, work through morning chores, make breakfast 

7h > Whoever left for personal time returns to join the fray

7h15 > Morning prayers, reading and discussing a few of the daily scriptures we'll hear later in French 

7h45 > Breakfast

8h15 > Clean up breakfast and finish morning chores; Nico or Rachel Sarah gets ready to begin communal work at 8h30

On a morning walk down an old, old road.

8h45 > Go outside to walk in the woods or play until 9h30 prayers

Late morning > Homeschool activities or crafts and free play.  We do our own Tiempo Quieto ("still time") during the community's 12h30 meditation and then join them for lunch.

Afternoon: Nap and free play, sometimes Moisés joins Papa for work between naptime and dinner 

18h > Dinner 

19h > Clean up dinner and begin bedtime routine 

20h > Hopefully kids are sleeping 

21h30 > Hopefully parents are sleeping