The Rule of Benedict

The brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading. (RB 48:1)

A Declaration on Benedictine Monastic Life

The fervor and intensity of the public prayer of the community hinges on the holy reading and private prayer monks do individually. In solitude and meditative silence the divine mes-sage finds its own depth in the monk, opening him to the transforming action of the Holy Spirit. The monk needs private prayer to grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ and to fathom the meaning of his own life and vocation. (D 39-40)