midnight on Thursdays
At ten we dine , which is the first meal we partake of in the day . We then take an hour for recreation , and another till twelve for meditation . From one till four we work , when we attend vespers , and from half-past four to half-past five we take tea and listen to spiritual reading . From half-past five to six we have again recreation , from six to seven prayers , at which hour we retire for the night ; but we rise for prayer during one hour of the night , and at midnight on Thursdays we rise to spend an additional hour in prayer . Thus , you see , every moment of the day is portioned out . During the hours of work we tend the sick and visit the dying ; we also are employed in other good undertakings , and we hope before long to establish fresh ones . So you see , my dear , that we work out our own salvation , though those who have a vocation to a purely religious life can enter our contemplative order , and devote themselves entirely to prayer and meditation .