Daily Schedule

Following is an example of the daily schedule followed by members of a monastic order. Monks who had important duties to attend to might not be expected to attend all services throughout the day.
The times vary a bit through the year ...
 

Time

Activity

12 pm

Matins - first bell of the day
Back to bed

1.30 am

Lauds - short service

3 am

Nocturns

6 am

Prime - lasting about 30 minutes
Breakfast, work or reading

9 am

Terce - short office

10 am

Chapter meeting in the chapter house

12 am

Sext - short office
Dinner, Siesta

3 pm

None - short prayer meeting
Work

6 pm

Vespers - early evening Prayer

8 pm

Compline - the evening prayer
To bed, later in summer than in winter

 
If anyone was too late to enter a worship service in the procession with the others, he would have to come in alone and stretch himself out on the floor in the middle of the choir, as a sign of apology for being late. When the sub-prior gave a signal, the latecomer was allowed to rise and go to his place.
 
The Chapter meeting was the council that decided all the important matters for the community, including appointing monks for various duties, business decisions, making announcements, and disciplining any monks who had broken the rule of St. Benedict (if such an occasion arose).
 

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