What is the rule of St Benedict sleep?

'Monks shall sleep clothed, with belts or with ropes around their waists; and they shall not have their knives at their sides while they sleep, lest in their sleep they should injure someone. '

How many hours do Benedictine monks sleep?

Rather, the monk generally is able to get between 6 and 8 hours of sleep. And when the sleep is less, there is a siesta! Also it is clear that Saint Benedict is not concerned so much with the comfort of the monk–although there is some concern–as with accomplishing a very strong and demanding schedule of prayer.

What are the 5 rules of St. Benedict?

The Rule revolves around five practices: ​Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. ​Prayer is the foundation to the monastic life and calling, and can be a constant part of the life of non-monastics as well.

What were the 3 main rules of St. Benedict?

Benedictines make three vows: stability, fidelity to the monastic way of life, and obedience. Though promises of poverty and chastity are implied in the Benedictine way, stability, fidelity, and obedience receive primary attention in the Rule—perhaps because of their close relationship with community life.

What is the rule of St Benedict for lay?

St. Benedict wrote in the Prologue of his Rule that giving up our own wills and being armed with the “strong and noble weapons of obedience” will make us ready to do battle for our Lord and King. We laity should make every effort to take up the “labor of obedience” in our lives as well.

The Rule of St. Benedict

What is the golden Rule of Benedictine life?

According to Benedict, all things – eating, drinking, sleeping, reading, working, and praying – should be done in moderation. In Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Sister Joan Chittister writes that in Benedict's Rule, "All must be given its due, but only its due.

What does St. Benedict protect you from?

This religious object is also a Christian symbol of opening doors and opening difficult paths. Tradition holds that it protects from curses, evil and vice, protects against diseases and protects good health.

What is the Benedictine motto?

St Benedict's motto was Ora et Labora (prayer and work). Laborare Est Orare (to work is to pray), detail of a nineteenth century painting by John Rogers Herbert, showing Benedictine monks at work.

Is the Benedictine rule still used today?

Saint Benedict's work expounded upon preconceived ideas that were present in the religious community only making minor changes more in line with the time period relevant to his system. The Rule was translated into Armenian by Nerses of Lampron in the 10th century and is used by the Armenian Catholic Mekhitarists today.

What are the 10 Benedictine values?

The values that animate Benedictine monastic life – love, prayer, stability, obedience, discipline, humility, stewardship, hospitality, community – illuminate for Saint Vincent College students, faculty, alumni and friends ways to engage the world and face its complexity and uncertainty.

What do you pray to Saint Benedict for?

Through your intercession may we be delivered from temptation, spiritual oppression, physical ills, and disease. Protect us from drug and alcohol abuse, impurity and immorality, objectionable companions, and negative atti- tudes. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Who is the saint that protects you from evil?

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

What time do Benedictine monks wake up?

Our day begins at 3:10 a.m. with the wake-up bell. After a small cup of coffee, the brothers quietly make their way to the chapel for Vigils, the longest office of the day. Over the course of an hour, we chant fourteen Psalms and listen to two long readings, one from the Scriptures and a second from the Church Fathers.

What time do Catholic monks go to bed?

Religious services – there were several a day that they had to attend. Matins was at midnight, Lauds at 3am, Prime at 6am, Terce, Sext and None before dinner; Vespers was at 6pm. Bedtime – the monks went to bed at 8pm in the winter and 9pm in the summer. They had to sleep in dormitories of 10 or 20.

How many times a day do Benedictine monks eat?

In the busy summer months, there were two meals per day, one at midday and one in the evening. Exceptions included Wednesdays and Fridays, traditional fasting days, on which only one meal was eaten. In the winter there was also only one meal. During Lent, the monks only ate one evening meal.

What is Saint Benedict best known for?

St. Benedict was a religious reformer who lived in Italy in the late 400s and early 500s. He is known as the “father of Western monasticism,” having established a Rule that would become the norm for innumerable Christian monks and nuns. He is the patron saint of Europe.

Why do Benedictines wear black?

Benedict of Norcia, the Benedictines are typically seen wearing black habits which consist of a tunic, a floor-length scapula and a leather belt (or “girdle”). The black color symbolizes death to the world, penitence and, practically speaking, it was the cheapest fabric available during the sixth century.

Why is Saint Benedict so powerful?

Benedict's life stood for and the things he valued most, especially in the monastic life. Wearing this medal is a ward against Satan and the fallen angels encroaching evil. It stands for the power of prayer in times of temptation and suffering.

Where do you put the St. Benedict medal in the house?

Benedict medal is specifically for the home, meant to hang on door knobs. They are given for the protection of the house and the family that lives in it ̶ from danger, calamities and all kinds of evil, via the St. Benedict medal. Some sellers even tuck in a prayer of protection with the door hanger.

How many times a day do Benedictines pray?

Most Benedictine monasteries today have four scheduled times for communal prayer: Morning Prayer, also known as Lauds; Midday Prayer around noon; Evening Prayer, also known as Vespers; and Compline, the last prayer of the day, sometimes prayed in private. This daily round of prayer is also called the Divine Office.

Do Benedictine monks watch TV?

After dinner, the monks retreat to a living room for conversation or reading. Some watch television in a separate room or go to their bedrooms.

Are Benedictines celibate?

In the modern understanding of Benedictine monks, poverty and celibacy are included in the vow of obedience as Benedictine monks are obedient to the rules and regulations of the order and of particular congregations and monasteries.

What saint protects you in your car?

St Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. I keep it in my car, and I have avoided several accidents.

What saint watches over children?

In the West Nicholas is most widely known as the patron saint of children. Many of his stories tell of children rescued from calamity and returned to the care and keeping of their families.