St. Benedict Research Paper

With the rise of monasticism throughout the early church, various types of monks began to develop. One type was the cenobitic monks, who lived in a monastery and followed a rule. Another was the anchoritic monks, who had already lived in a monastery and were ready to live on their own. Next, was the sarabaitic monks, who lived without a rule and were the worst kinds of monks. Lastly, was the gyrovagues who roamed the country and never settled; only following their appetites. Saint Benedict was a cenobitic monk in the 6th century and he detested the sarabaites and gyrovagues, while viewing the anchoritic monks as the strongest monks and the cenobitic monks as in schooling for that next type of monasticism. He wrote The Rule of St. Benedict in the 6th century. His intent was to establish a rule to govern the cenobitic …show more content…
This translates to the “work of God” and is the Divine Office. These prayers are essentially the Psalms, which the monks pray daily. This is the greatest work to Benedict and he reminds the monks that “nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God.” Monks should not prefer any of their labors or personal prayer to this official prayer of the Church. The whole schedule of the monks is made around their daily times of prayer even if there is important work to be done for the economy of the monastery. Benedict says “on hearing the signal for an hour of the divine office, the monk will immediately set aside what he has in hand and go with utmost speed.” Later in The Rule it is reinforced again in saying that “all put aside their work to be ready for the...signal.” He combines his “Christocentric spirituality” with his motto of Opus Dei, saying “let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he bring us all together to everlasting life.” This illustrates that the Divine Office, bringing the monks together in the monastery, is centered in Christ and worshipping