Daily Life

Our daily life is characterized by three main practices that support our entire life as Trappist monks. Prayer, reading, and manual work are the three basic practices that have been shaping monastic life since ancient times. Living together in a community, monks participate in liturgical worship of the Church, known as the Liturgy of the Hours or Office Prayer. As part of the Church, they strive to reflect the face of the praying Church. The Daily Office is practiced in the form of seven common prayers in the church, starting from 3:30 AM. With the Eucharistic Celebration as its climax, our daily activities are concluded with the Evening Office at 7:45 PM.

Office Prayer

The daily Office Prayers will only bear spiritual fruit if it is fueled by personal devotion. Therefore, every monk must devote time to personal prayer. Liturgical prayer, fueled by personal prayer, becomes a means of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with God.

Lectio Divina

To engage in dialogue with God, one needs a capacity and attitude of listening. The practice of listening is concretized in special form in sacred reading or Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is the activity of reading that culminates in prayer. A monk is guided to read a text, to meditate on it in his heart by repeatedly reading it, and to express a prayer as a response to the grace received through the text. Of course, the Holy Scripture is the primary source of Lectio Divina.

Manual Work

Monks cannot live solely on prayer. Monks must also work. The primary work of monks is to seek the livelihood needed for daily living. According to St. Benedict, monks should live from their own labor, not from external charity or alms. Work is also seen as a service and devotion to one's brethren. Various occupations to generate income are undertaken by monks. In our monastery, we cultivate candles, fruits, and vegetables, bake bread and snack items, run a devotional goods store, offer accommodation to guests for retreats, and so on. In doing so, the monastery also opens up opportunities for local residents to join the monks as employees.

Time Table

The daily schedule of our monks at the Lamanabi Monastery is as follows:

• 03:15 AM: Wake-up

• 03:30 AM: Vigils, followed by a 15-minute meditation

• 04:30 AM: Personal spiritual reading

• 05:45 AM: Lauds, followed by the Eucharistic Celebration

• 07:00 AM: Breakfast, followed by free time

• 08:15 AM: Terce Prayer

• 08:30 AM: Morning Work

• 11:30 AM: End of morning work

• 12:00 PM: Sext Prayer

• 12:20 PM: Lunch, followed by rest time

• 02:30 PM: None Prayer

• 03:00 PM: Afternoon Work

• 04:15 PM: End of afternoon work

• 04:30 PM: Personal spiritual reading

• 05:15 PM: Vespers, followed by a 30-minute meditation

• 06:15 PM: Evening Meal, followed by free time

• 07:45 PM: Compline

• 08:15 PM: Rest

On Sundays and Liturgical Solemnity, the Eucharistic takes place at 8:00 AM, and after Vespers, the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is conducted as a substitute for the 30 minutes of meditation.