What do nuns and monks do?

Answer 1

It depends upon the type of monk or nun. The different kinds ('orders') follow different lifestyles and follow different rules depending upon their founder. As an example, St Francis founded the Franciscan monks and Benedict founded the Benedictine monks, and their klifestyles and even their dress differs depending upon their founders' rules.

Monks and nuns live a very peaceful, spiritual and wonderful life. However it is still very tough. The main activities are prayer and worship. Monks and nuns perform the most important role of the Christian; they pray for the world and for those outside the monasteries or convents and devote a large proportion of their lives to worshipping God.

A typical day would involve a very early rise from bed (3 - 5 am is not unusual) and throughout the day there are set times for worship. Around these times are sessions for study, meals, manual work in the fields (most convents and monasteries are self-sufficient in food by growing their own and raise funds by selling surplus goods) and around the community, meetings, study (of other subjects as well as The Bible) and some relaxation. In some orders, especially the more 'open' orders, monks and nuns can work in the community especially in caring professions, e.g. by teaching, nursing and so on. The day finishes early - say 9pm ready for the next day.

Meals are very basic, with meat not usually eaten every day. The nun's or monk's room is called their 'cell', but is not really like a prison cell. However, it is still very sparsely furnished - a bed, a table and chair, a bookshelf with a Bible, sometimes a prayer stall on which to kneel, and a cross hanging on the wall as a focus to help prayer.

On entering a convent or monastery, the novice monk or nun has a trial period before they take their lifetime vows. They must promise poverty (ie not envying those who have a great deal, not being greedy, not desiring loads of material possessions), chastity (not having sex, and being pure in thought, word and deed) and obedience (both to God and to their superiors in the order such as the abbot or Mother Superior). The abbott or Mother Superior are elected offices and change year on year.

Monks and nuns have no major possessions of their own (except their clothing and a few small possessions like theior Bibles) - everything they own is used and shared by the community for the benefit of the community in which they live. They are unpaid as they do not need their own funds as everything is found for them from the community.

During relaxation times ( just an hour or two a day) they are allowed, depending upon the order, to watch TV, use a computer, play occasional games or read. However, first and foremost worship comes first.

Although to the outsider the monastic or convent life seems very strict and difficult, the vast majority of novices stay on after their trial period before they take their final for-life vows. Despite the frugal lifestyle monks and nuns are the most wonderfully happy and content people. Their lifestyle, faith and attitude to God, to each other and to those outside, could teach those of us outside their communities a great deal.

Answer 2

A monk is a person who dedicates his life to his religion. Not by becoming a priest but by placing himself outside the day to day activities of normal society and family life and responsibilities and adopting the rules and traditions of the religious community he is joining.

Answer 3

They are those who took a vow of celibacy (which means they will never marry) and dedicate their entire lives to God and the service of the Church. They usually spend many many arduous hours is study and prayer and special work. They are very committed and selfless people.

a Monk is a man who takes the Celibate vow and a Nun is a woman who takes the vow.

Answer 4

A Nun does more community work where as monks tend to do work inside the monastry and a nun is normally a girl and a monk is normally a boy!

I think... sorry i had to add in the girl and boy bit.. xx lol

xx

A Nun does more community work where as monks tend to do work inside the monastry!

I think...

xx

Answer 5

in the olden days, if someone wanted to become closer to god they could become a monk. Monks were holy people who had to get up at 3 to 6 each morning to pray, they would pray 4 or 5 times a day. Monks wore long brown robes and had there hair shaved at the top so there was a bald patch on top of their heads. You cant back out of being a monk you have to stay like one forever.

by Victoria, aged 8

Answer 6

They are men and women who have completely dedicated their lives to their spiritual path. They usually cloister themselves in their temples, turning away from materialism and the confusion of every day life.

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Catholic AnswerIn Christianity monks are male religious who remove themselves from the world and take vows of obedience, stability, and Conversatio Morum. Obedience is absolute and to Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, through his immediate superiors. Stability means that he vows to remain in his monastery until death, and conversatio Morum is an ancient monastic term which loosely translated means conversion of manners, it means that he is going to live the life of a monk. This term includes the poverty and chastity that other religious orders take. Nuns are religious women, like men, that have removed themselves from the world and taken the same vows, they are cloistered, a technical term in the Church which physically means that they are behind bars - the bars are not to keep them in, but to keep the world out.

Answer 7

Sort of nuns are woman and monks are men.