What do catholic monk?

Answer 1

Catholic (or any Christian denomination's for that matter, e.g Anglican, Orthodox, Lutheran, or even Taize) monks are not one simple conglomeration of people who do the same thing.

They are people who have consecrated their lives to God's service, and who spend their whole lives bound by vows until either released from them, until they break them, or until they pass from this life.

There are many different orders of monks, in the liturgical churches at least, all of whom have different functions and duties, depending on the monastic rule they follow. For example the Benedictine monks and several of the sub-orders related to them are not bound by a vow of poverty, wheras the Franciscans, Capuchins and Vinentians (for example) are. all are bound to chastity however. Dominicans are bound to teach and study, Discalced Carmelites are bound to live without shoes, Trappists (or Strict observance monks) are bound to never speak and always to work for the people around them (for example in Hong Kong they run a dairy, in Switzerland they make cheese, and in Belgium and the Netherlands they brew beer)... All have different modes of devotion to God. Some in the past were healers (like the sisters/brothers of mercy), others were educators like the Christian Brothers (who have somewhat shamed themselves unfortunately), and still others work for the aid of the poor such as the Order of St. Vincent de Paul.

The life of a monk however is devoted to a variety of liturgical functions as well as work. Monks are generally bound to recite the Divine Office, which is a collection of Psalms, canticles, readings, responses and prayers which punctuate the day and change throughout the year in order to celebrate the lives of the Saints or as devotions to aspects of Our Lord or Our Lady. They are generally required to do this in communion with the brethren with whom they live in their abbey, convent or monastery. These prayers which are divided into seven different segments: Matins/Office of readings; Lauds/Morning prayer; Terce/Mid-morning prayer; Sext/Noonday prayer; Nones/Afternoon prayer; Vespers/Evening prayer; Compline/Night prayer or Commendation. Of these the most important "offices" (as they are called) are Lauds and Vespers. This office is also a requirement for Catholic Priests, be they secular (a dioscesan priest who only swears a vow of castity and obedience to his bishop) or religious (a priest who is a member of a religious order either of a priestly nature like the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) or monastic like the Franciscans (Order of St. Francis)). Monks are also generally required to attend Mass/Holy Communion daily.

Because monks are not a single group but comprised of many separate entities, there is no one thing which all of them do aside from "serve, pray and work". Which, for that matter, is the motto of at least one order, which i cannot remember.

If you are interested in knowing more about Catholic relgious life, you may consider consulting the Catholic Encyclopaedia or wikipedia on the subject of some of the major orders, for example, the Benedictines, The Franciscans, the Dominicans, The Carmelites, The Trappists, the Premonstratensians, The Carthusians, and even the Little sisters of the Poor (Bl. Mother Theresa's Sisters).

or for a more general overview of some of the subject matter read the following articles on wikipedia:

Christian Monasticism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_monasticism

Catholic Consecrated Life:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecrated_life_(Catholic_Church)

Catholic Religious Orders:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_religious_order

Anglican Religious Orders:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_religious_order

Answer 2

Catholic (or any Christian denomination's for that matter, e.g Anglican, Orthodox, Lutheran, or even Taize) monks are not one simple conglomeration of people who do the same thing.

They are people who have consecrated their lives to God's service, and who spend their whole lives bound by vows until either released from them, until they break them, or until they pass from this life.

There are many different orders of monks, in the liturgical churches at least, all of whom have different functions and duties, depending on the monastic rule they follow. For example the Benedictine monks and several of the sub-orders related to them are not bound by a vow of poverty, wheras the Franciscans, Capuchins and Vinentians (for example) are. all are bound to chastity however. Dominicans are bound to teach and study, Discalced Carmelites are bound to live without shoes, Trappists (or Strict observance monks) are bound to never speak and always to work for the people around them (for example in Hong Kong they run a dairy, in Switzerland they make cheese, and in Belgium and the Netherlands they brew beer)... All have different modes of devotion to God. Some in the past were healers (like the sisters/brothers of mercy), others were educators like the Christian Brothers (who have somewhat shamed themselves unfortunately), and still others work for the aid of the poor such as the Order of St. Vincent de Paul.

The life of a monk however is devoted to a variety of liturgical functions as well as work. Monks are generally bound to recite the Divine Office, which is a collection of Psalms, canticles, readings, responses and prayers which punctuate the day and change throughout the year in order to celebrate the lives of the Saints or as devotions to aspects of Our Lord or Our Lady. They are generally required to do this in communion with the brethren with whom they live in their abbey, convent or monastery. These prayers which are divided into seven different segments: Matins/Office of readings; Lauds/Morning prayer; Terce/Mid-morning prayer; Sext/Noonday prayer; Nones/Afternoon prayer; Vespers/Evening prayer; Compline/Night prayer or Commendation. Of these the most important "offices" (as they are called) are Lauds and Vespers. This office is also a requirement for Catholic Priests, be they secular (a dioscesan priest who only swears a vow of castity and obedience to his bishop) or religious (a priest who is a member of a religious order either of a priestly nature like the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) or monastic like the Franciscans (Order of St. Francis)). Monks are also generally required to attend Mass/Holy Communion daily.

Because monks are not a single group but comprised of many separate entities, there is no one thing which all of them do aside from "serve, pray and work". Which, for that matter, is the motto of at least one order, which i cannot remember.

If you are interested in knowing more about Catholic relgious life, you may consider consulting the Catholic Encyclopaedia or wikipedia on the subject of some of the major orders, for example, the Benedictines, The Franciscans, the Dominicans, The Carmelites, The Trappists, the Premonstratensians, The Carthusians, and even the Little sisters of the Poor (Bl. Mother Theresa's Sisters).

or for a more general overview of some of the subject matter read the following articles on wikipedia:

Christian Monasticism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_monasticism

Catholic Consecrated Life:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecrated_life_(Catholic_Church)

Catholic Religious Orders:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_religious_order

Anglican Religious Orders:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_religious_order