Chapter 3: Monasticism Discussion Questions

• What is a monk? A monk was a man (or woman, called nuns) who gave up their own lives to the Catholic Church to perform Opus Dei (Latin for "the work of God"). This included feeding and housing the poor, attending church services, prayer, and caring for the sick and dispossessed. For a monk, prayer was a full-time commitment, every hour of the day was focused upon it. Monks lived in isolation to avoid the distractions of marriage, family, business, and personal pleasure. At first Monks sought out solitary places in the deserts. Eventually, they began to live in isolated groups called Monasteries.
• What is an Ascetic life? Monks lived Ascetic lives, that is to say they lived a life of self denial. They rejected all of the comforts of normal lives we take for granted: soft beds, warm, filling meals, comfortable clothes. They slept on uncomfortable beds, wore scratchy clothes, and only ate one sparse meal a day. All to remember Jesus' suffering and to emulate his life. Benedict, an early founder, set down rules for monasteries.
  
• How did one become a monk? some Monks were adult men who came willing to the monasteries after renouncing their past lives. These Monks were called "conversi" (latin for "to convert"). Other times parents would bring their young boys, between the ages of five and seven to give to the monasteries. These young boys were called "oblates" (latin for "offered up"). Oblates grew up in the monastery until they were ordained as full fledged monks. It was thought that oblates would have a deeper loyalty to the monastery because they grew up within its walls. Oblates were well educated by the monastery, however there wasn't much leeway given for boyish mischief.
• What did a day in the life of a monk look like?

1:45 am - Wake Up
2:00am - Church service: singing and prayers (Matins)
3:30am - back to sleep
4:00am - church service: singing and prayers (Lauds)
5:00am - private scripture reading and prayer
6:00am - Church service, then breakfast
7:00am - Work
8:00am - Church service: singing and prayers (terce)
9:15am - work
11:45am - Church service: singing and prayers (Sixtus)
12:00pm - Midday meal
1:00pm - Private reading and prayer
1:45pm - sleep
2:45pm - Church service: singing and prayers (Nones)
3:00pm - Work
5:45pm - Meal
6:00pm - Church Service: singing and prayers (Vespers)
7:15pm - Private reading and Prayer
7:45pm - Church service: vespers
8:00pm - Bed

• What was a meal like in a monastery? Monks ate meager, plan meals in keeping with their vows of asceticism. Food was not to be enjoyed, but it was necessary for survival. Usually Spartan meals were prepared without the use of spices. Most monks counted on two meals a day during the summer when there was more work to do, and one meal a day during the winter. Monks were restricted to vegetarian meals, unless an illness compelled them to eat red meat.
• What other ways did monks practice self denial? monks rarely bathed and did not pay attention to their hygiene. Monks also took a vow of silence. This meant that monks did not speak unless they had business to attend to. They didn't engage in social conversation. Over time, frustration with this rule led monks to develop a complicated sign language in order to communicate with each other.
• Why do monks wear a funny hairstyle? It is called a tonsure and it was to symbolize that they had devoted their life to serving God. A type of mark of servitude.
• Who was the Leader of the Monks? Each monastery had an abbot, a leader who made decisions about the monastery. Abbots had most of the power in a monastery. He was expected to be fair, and to rule wisely.
  
• What kind of work did Monks do?
• Monks farmed the land they owned while singing psalms. Vegetable gardens were the main source of food for the monasteries and the gardens would be quite large. Monks found resourceful ways of irrigating the land and clearing swamps. Monks also invented improvements to farming tools and techniques. Crop rotation was created by monks.
  
• Some monks tended livestock that lived on the monastery grounds. Cows and sheep provided milk and cheeses for the monastery. The monks churned their own butter and made their own cheeses.
• Monks provided shelter to travelers, much like an inn. They would provide a place to stay for travelers regardless of social or economic status.
• The monastery maintained an infirmary, type of clinic or hospital for the local population. Medical care was rudimentary at the time, but monks had the time to read up on the latest anatomy and bloodletting. Most medicines were herbal in nature. That is why most monasteries had an expansive medicinal garden.
  
• The "Piscator" had the job of fishing rivers and ponds on the monastery property to provide fish for dinner.
• "Cellarer" was in charge of all the food and other provisions. He hired and supervised the servants who prepared food.
• "granatorious" assisted the cellarer, maintained the grains, was in charge of grinding and selecting grain.
• "kitchener" decided how much food the monastery would need for meals.
• "refectorian" handled all matters relating to the dining room, keeping it clean, supplied with dishes, napking, serving containers, utensils, and cloth.
  
• Monks were the most literate segment of society. Many Monasteries became learning centers that maintained schools and libraries responsible for furthering the arts and sciences.
• "Almoner" aid to the poor
• "infirmer" cared for the sick
• "guest master" took care of all aspects of housing travelers and guests.
  
• "Scribes" were scholars who valued knowledge and preserved old, fragile greek and roman manuscripts that were crumbling. They copied famous works by hand. Back during these times the only way a book could be produced was for it to be handwritten. There were no printing presses, or computers, or copy machines. The term manuscript, "manu" in latin means "hand", and "script" meaning "writing". Many monasteries contained a room called a scriptorium where scribes sat and worked. Scribes each had quills from swan or geese, ink pots, a small knife for sharpening quills, and a compass used to regulate the spaces between the lines. Monks would at time get bored and write in the margins of their copy work, this has become known as marginalia. Some examples: "Only three fingers are working now", "I can't wait for dinner time", and "my parchament is the roughest in the world".
• "Illuminators" drew colorful illustrations for manuscripts. These rare manuscripts commanded high prices, making illuminators a highly valued asset to the monastery. Illuminators learned to create a wide range of decorative motifs from simple enlargement and coloring to decorative vines, to elaborate full-page polychrome depictions of biblical scenes that even included thin leaves of gold.
• "Binders" bound the pages of a manuscript into a book. The most common way was to sew the pages together into groups called fascilies. They were then placed in a cover made from wood or heavy leather. They were secured by pounding wooden pegs through the covers and the fascilcles.
• Monks became skilled at creating mosaic and stained glass to beautify their churches.
• The "Cantor" directed all of the music of the services.
• the "sacrist" tended to the chapel itself, the altars, and all religious objects.
  

History of Monasticism

• 251 AD Anthony the Hermit (later St. Anthony) in Egypt gives up his possession, including his lands to retreat into the desert to live a life of self deprivation. He is considered to be the father of monasticism.
• 300 AD other monks decide to follow his example, these become the desert fathers, the first monks. Their emphasis on solitude became the foundation of monastic life.
• Basil (300-379AD) began founding monasteries in Greece. The Rule of St. Basil also called for charitable work, including orphanages.
  
• 400 AD monks begin organizing into communities that live together in walled enclosures called monasteries. Early communities were self sufficient.
• 529 AD Benedict leads some of his followers to a mountain where he owns property founding the monastery at Monte Cassino. Benedict creates the Rule of Benedict.
• Ireland became a major center for monasticism. Columba (521-597) greatly influenced Irish Monasticism.
  
• (540-604) Pope Gregory I (Gregory the great) had once been a roman of noble birth gave away all his personal property and entered a Benedictine monastery. Later he founded several monasteries and and served as Abbot. When he became pope in 590 he encouraged the growth of monasteries believing that they would strengthen the church throughout Europe.
• 596 AD Pope Gregory sends an italian monk named Augustine to convert the Angles King Ethelbert.
  
• (672-735) Bede the Venerable was a prolific writer who lived his life in a monastery. Introduced dating from Christ's birth BC/AD.
• 700 AD Church declares Rule of Benedict it's standard for monasteries.
• 800 AD Charlemagne set out to regulate the monasteries under a central authority.
• 910 AD Cluny Monastery founded as a reform movement against excess. Cluny Monks were expected to strictly follow Benedictine rules.
• 1084 AD Carthusians Monastery founded. Another reform movement, very strict order.
• 1147 Cistercian Monks created an intricate network of drains, irrigation canals, and reservoirs.