The lot of a medieval monk living in one of
the many abbeys across Britain was not an easy one. Men did not become monks
for an easy life, they became monks to worship the lord with their work, prayer
and devotion. They often perceived themselves as soldiers engaged in a
spiritual war against their imperfect, fallen nature. This made for a hard life with each day was a long one, packed full of
worship and work.
What follows is the basic timetable for a Cistercian choir monk living in a
medieval abbey during the summer months:
2.00am – A choir monks day
would start early with the first of 8 services, Matins. The monks would gather
in the church and stand in the choir stalls. Here they would celebrate the
night office with singing. Two monks, the precentor and succentor, lead the
singing and keep their eyes on the other monks to make sure no one nods off.
2.45am – Matins ends and the
monks can rest in the cloister for a time. Sadly they aren’t allowed back to
bed.
3.00am – Monks return to
church for Lauds, the second service of the day. This one is to celebrated
daybreak.
3.15am – Lauds ends and the
monks can return to the cloister to read for 45 minutes.
4.00am – At sunrise it’s time
for Prime to mark the first hour of the day. Another short service lasting only
15 minutes.
4.15am – It is now time for
the chapter meeting. Monks would meet in the chapter house daily. They would
sit on benches around the walls while they watch and listen to the Abbot as he
says a prayer and reads a chapter of the Rule of St Benedict.
Following this
all the monks must confess there faults and sins. They would then be punished
accordingly often having to lie flat on the ground in front of the others, a
practice known as prostration. In some cases some may have to fladulate, in
other words whip, themselves.
Announcements
follow this and the meeting ends with Psalm 129 and prayers before tasks are
given out to all the monks.
4.45am – The monks leave the
chapter house to go about their daily tasks for around 2 and a half hours
7.30am
– Time
for the monks to return to the cloister for half an hour of reading.
8.00am – Terce, the third
service of the day. The monks return to the church to take up position in the
choir stalls. Mass is this time spoken for the monks to listen too and once a
week wine and bread are taken to symbolize the body and blood of Christ.
9.00am – Monks return to the
cloister for further reading although priests stay in church for private mass.
11.00 am – Church again for the
forth service of the day, Sext. The name sext comes from latin for six and it
is so called because it was originally celebrated on the sixth hour of the day.
11.30am – Time for dinner. All
the monks gather in the refectory, or frater, where the main meal of the day is
served. They stand for blessings before sitting down to eat. Beans covered in
vegetable juice is often popular at this time and each monk has a serving of
bread for the day, their daily bread. Over the course of the meal a monk stands
in a large pulpit and reads from scripture.
12.00pm – Following dinner the
monks join the procession of thanksgiving in the church before being allowed to
take a nap in the dormitories or read.
2.00pm - Now comes the time for None which
involves more singing in the church.
2.30pm – Following None the
monks return to their work, be that in the kitchen, out in the herb gardens or
working the land with the lay brother. This last for around 3 and a half hours.
6.00pm – A return to church
for Vespers, the seventh service of the day.
6.30pm - During the summer
months monks are allowed two meals a day and now is the time for the second,
although it isn’t as big as the first. They are given vegetables and fruit to
eat with whatever is left of their daily bread.
7.15pm – The collation
reading. Monks gather in the north cloister walk and listen to a reading by the
reader of the week.
7.30pm – Back to church for
Compline, the last service of the day. At the end of this services the abbot
sprinkles the monks with Holy Water.
8.00pm – Bed time. After a
long and tiring day of work, reading and singing the monks are allowed to
return to bed for six hours of sleep.
Then it’s time for Vigils again and the start of another day.
As you can see there is a lot for a monk to
fit into his day and it certainly isn’t an easy life for them. The days were long with out much rest, meals were scarce and not the most delicious. Nearly every day was spent in the same way never leaving the precinct wall of their monastery. Is it a life you would want to lead?
