Can you answer my questions about the Medieval benedictine monks?
Healing: the work of a monk was first and foremost to worship God in everything he did. His day was divided into three sections: prayer, study and work – this cycle was repeated every few hours, every day, every week and every month of the year. Eight times every day (and during the night) there were services in the monastery church (called Holy Offices). The “work” element might involve growing crops, working in the bakery, the guesthouse, the fishponds or in the infirmary. The infirmary was originally a place for elderly and infirm monks to live out their final years, constantly cared for and following the daily routine as far as they could. As part of the function of the brother infirmerer, herbal medicines were used to treat skin disorders, stomach upsets, headaches, fevers and other disorders – their use could also be extended to others besides the elderly monks. Education would be provided to young children who had been “donated” to the monastery by their parents (who were often
