Benedictine Monks Middle Ages

[John Paul]

What do you think the daily schedule of the benedictines was in the 500s and 600s?

[puellapaschalis]

RB and St Gregory's Dialogues would have the most information on this (and I'm not sure the latter even talks about such mundane things when there are miracles to be related). I don't know of any contemporary accounts, but I'm not an expert. 

[NadaTeTurbe]

I think you should search in books writed by historian who studied the period. I don't think religious of this time writed about their every day life, but historians of our time may have done research about it, i'm sure. 

Or maybe send a mail to an old monastery, like Saint Martin de Ligugé (fonded in the third century) ? http://www.abbaye-liguge.fr/

[truthfinder]

Yes - you'd have to careful in the early years - there has been several works written about Benedictines in the 1100-1300, but you can't compare these since there was an increase in the amount of time that was spent in prayer (mostly through additions to the divine office).  If you want what looks like a really thorough answer that accounts for the changes over time, I suggest James G. Clark's The Benedictines in the Middle Ages (2011).  Clark's book says the horarium was solidified by the seventh century, with some changes in the tenth century in regards to what time Mass should be celebrated.  

[The Historian]

(mostly through additions to the divine office).

​I don't think there would have been a huge difference.  The Psalter scheme used by traditional Benedictines today is the exact same as was laid down by Saint Benedict.  And when you consider that the Psalter is the principal time-consuming part of the Divine Office, the difference would be probably say... 20-30 minutes less a day?

In answer to John Paul, I think that life would have followed the same general principles that it does today.  The monks would gather for prayer, Mass on Sundays and Holy Days (I don't know if priests were in the habit of saying Mass daily in those days), and the Divine Office daily.  Most of their time would then be devoted to manual labour, working the land.  Some would also work on transcribing manuscripts, illuminating Bibles, etc.  And then some private prayer time.  It's one of the beautiful things about the Benedictine life.  It's really not all that different from how it's always been.

[Luigi]

Why are you interested? Thinking about going back in time to join a monastery?

[John Paul]

Why are you interested? Thinking about going back in time to join a monastery?

​No,I just wish all orders followed the daily life and rules their founder wanted such as rising at 2am or maybe so I could reform the benedictines! 

[The Historian]

I don't even think the die-hard traditionalist Benedictines, like those associated with the SSPX, rise at 2am for Matins anymore.

[John Paul]

I know I am discerning with traditional orders

[John Paul]

I don't even think the die-hard traditionalist Benedictines, like those associated with the SSPX, rise at 2am for Matins anymore.

​I know,thats why I am discerning with traditional orders like if i joined the Carmelites it would be the Carmelites of WY.

[truthfinder]

​I don't think there would have been a huge difference.  The Psalter scheme used by traditional Benedictines today is the exact same as was laid down by Saint Benedict.  And when you consider that the Psalter is the principal time-consuming part of the Divine Office, the difference would be probably say... 20-30 minutes less a day?
.

​This I believe would also be part of the Cistercian, etc. reforms. It's not only the texts get a bit longer, but the chanting got more complex.  I've heard that these reforms actually meant several more hours a day were dedicated liturgy.  Manual labour also became a lot less manual - shifting towards more academic pursuits. Not all were pleased about these changes.  

[NadaTeTurbe]

​No,I just wish all orders followed the daily life and rules their founder wanted such as rising at 2am or maybe so I could reform the benedictines! 

​The chartreux pray from midnight to 2am : http://www.chartreux.org/en/monks/carthusian-day.php

but it is a very special life and vocation 

[The camel]

Firstly, you cannot really speak of 'Benedictine monks' in this period (known to historians as Late Antiquity). It is anachronistic. Most monasteries kept an eclectic rule, of which the RB may have been part. The RB was, of course, written in the period you mention. So why not look at the Rule?

First thing, before the invention of mechanical clocks, hours of day and hours of night were different lengths. We speak of clock time, O'Clock = of the clock, to distinguish it from the 'hours' of the Roman day. So there were 12 hours of day, and 12 hours of night. The day began with dawn, and night began with dusk. In winter, hours of night would be longer, and in summe an hour in the day would be longer than during night. St Benedict takes this into account in his organisation of the times of prayer.

The times of prayer are called 'Hours' because they were fixed at particular hours. So look at the Rule. Mattins/Vigils was to end with dawn. It was followed by Lauds, straight away in Winter, with a gap in Summer (when the hours of day would be longer). Prime, Terce, Sext and None, were at the first, third, sixth and ninth hours, as the Latin names indicate! Later in the middle ages, things shifted forwards. Thus rather than Sext being at midday 9the sixth of 12 hours, when the sun was at its height), None came to be at midday, and we get our 'noon' = midday. Vespers was in the evening, compline before bed, which would have been at dusk, summer and winter.

Hope this helps.