Schedule of Prayer

Introduction

Friars of the Order of Saint Janiero adhere to a strict Schedule of Prayer in which they dedicate themselves to the Holy Light. It is this very schedule which Saint Janiero followed himself as a supreme adherent of the faith. Few are able to dedicate themselves to this regimen of meditation and prayer, and such is why the Friars of Saint Janiero are seen as some of the most devout of the church.

This is wholly an in-character document of what we believe Friars of Saint Janiero should adhere to in their day-to-day lives when cloistered in a monastery. We by no means expect any player to role-play every single aspect of this schedule, but do expect those who role-play as Friars to take this grueling regimen into account when role-playing their characters. It would be a very exhausting way of life and would mandate a character's faith in the Holy Light.

Note: This page was last updated on 01/06/2019.

Schedule of Prayer

The following Schedule of Prayer is followed by all Friars of Saint Janiero. Priests of the Church of the Holy Light are also held to this schedule, though not nearly as strictly as monastic orders. Priests of the church often assist in the hosting of prayer services and readings of scripture in monasteries, abbeys, and priories.

Let it be known that Sundays are declared days of rest, where the residents of a monastery, abbey, or priory are forbidden from taking part in physical training, study, or other non-essential work. They may sleep in for the early morning hours, but are expected to partake in the prayer sessions of Lauds, Mass, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers.

Daily Schedule

AM

3:00 – Rise

3:30 – Vigils

4:00 – Thanksgiving, Breakfast

4:30 – Lectio 6:00 – Lauds

6:30 – Mass, Thanksgiving

7:00 – Work 9:00 – Terce

9:30 – Martial Training

11:30 – Lectio

PM

12:00 – Sext

12:30 – Dinner

1:00 – Siesta

3:00 – None

3:30 – Work

4:30 – Lectio

6:00 – Vespers

6:30 – Supper

7:00 – Chapter

9:00 – Compline

3:00 AM – Rise

Friars of Saint Janiero are early to rise in order to make the most of a day. It is customary for monasteries to employ individuals who stay awake through the night so that they may rouse the friars from slumber at this early hour. Once out of their beds, Friars are expected to groom and wash themselves so that they may be presentable to the Holy Light. Some keep their heads shaven so that their skin may better be touched by the sun's radiance.

3:30 AM – Vigils

Once awake and refreshed for the day, Friars of Saint Janiero undergo morning prayers in what are known as vigils. Most beseech the Holy Light for a productive day, though they may partake in deeper reflection upon any visions or dreams they may have had in relation to their faith. Vigils are always taken in silence in a quiet, shared space.

4:00 AM – Thanksgiving, Breakfast

The first meal of the day of Friars of Saint Janiero is breakfast. Before any bread is broken, Friars will pray and offer their thanks to the Light for providing life, nourishment, and other good things in their everyday lives. Breakfast served in a monastery typically consists of small portions of dark bread, porridge, cheese, and mead.

4:30 AM – Lectio

After breakfast, a Friar will spend the early hours of the morning in study. This could be scripture of the church or any materials deemed worthy of study by the monastery. Friars of Saint Janiero are encouraged to broaden their knowledge of the world and of academic subjects such as medicine, alchemy, and other scientific disciplines.

6:00 AM – Lauds

The Friars and monastery parishioners will gather as the sun rises at the beginning of the twelve-hour day cycle for a service of morning prayer known as Lauds. This service typically will include chants, hymns, and a short reading of scripture. Lauds is concluded with a group prayer which praises the Holy Light and seeks its blessings for the day.

6:30 AM – Mass, Thanksgiving

Following Lauds, the Friars and parishioners of a monastery will break bread and share wine in a ceremonial communion with the Holy Light. Symbolizing all of the Light’s creation provided to mortal races, the bread and wine are consecrated before consumption. The communion is joined with a prayer of thanksgiving to the Holy Light.

7:00 AM – Work

The time after mass is dedicated to physical work in and around the monastery. This may include repairs, tending to crops and greenhouses, and other physical labors that keep a monastery operational. Friars are expected to contribute to this effort in order to earn their lodgings provided by the church.

9:00 AM – Terce

Terce is a fixed time dedicated for prayer, always after the first third of the twelve-hour day. It is an opportunity for rest and reflection, and allows Friars to call upon the Holy Light to give them strength to continue to carry on with their struggles. The prayers most often reference the labors of the watcher, Tyr, but may instead center on historical figures of the church who faced hardship in their lives.

9:30 AM – Martial Training

The two hours after Terce are dedicated for Friars to practice their martial combat in sparring, wrestling, and other martial arts. Friars of Saint Janiero are expected to adopt and master a wide range of martial arts, from Pandaren disciplines to Draenic Jed’hin. Friars train with simple wooden pole weapons, but are known take up spiked iron goedendags in actual combat.

11:30 AM – Lectio

Thirty minutes are spent following martial training to rest and study. Many Friars take this time to reflect upon their performance in martial training, writing journals of how they might improve their technique and studying written works on martial arts and combat. This time may be spent studying other scripture or educational documents.

12:00 PM – Sext

Sext is a prayer service held at noon, where the sun is highest in the sky. The service most often consists of instrumental and choral hymns and psalms, an instructional reading of scripture, and a closing prayer. Considered the midday prayer service in the twelve hour cycle of a day, it is a time for renewal and refreshment.

12:30 PM – Dinner

The second meal of a Friar’s day is dinner. Eaten communally, dinner typically consists of salads, smoked fish, brown breads, porridge, and mead. Friars do not consume red meat within a monastery unless they are deemed ill and require the extra nourishment. Friars of Saint Janiero practice an ascetic lifestyle in which they do not consume food or drink in excess.

1:00 PM – Siesta

Friars of a monastery will each take a two hour nap known as a Siesta to rejuvenate themselves after long mornings of study, prayer, and work. While a Siesta is considered optional in this schedule, Friars are encouraged to rest so that they may better retain the knowledge gained in the beginning of the day and to be prepared to finish any work that would be required of them in the evening.

3:00 PM – None

None, or Nones, are prayers held at the ninth hour of the monastic twelve-hour day cycle. Intended to rouse Friars after their Siesta, None consists of active hymnals and psalms. As the sun sets in the evening, so too does its warmth - None is in place to keep a Friar’s spirit high with faith in the Light despite the waning of the day.

3:30 PM – Work

The hour after None is dedicated to physical labor around a monastery. This time is typically used to finish any project or work that was not completed in the morning. As the day wanes, work within a monastery turns inward. Friars may assist archivists in organizing tomes or take to the workshop and join in the manufacturing of tools or other necessary implements.

4:30 PM – Lectio

After the work of the day is complete, a Friar will spend what remaining time he has in study of scripture or other academic works. The latter part of the day’s study may be spent on more niche topics outside of typical curriculum, and is an opportunity for a Friar to delve into more frivolous things such as poetry, songwriting, and artistic work.

6:00 PM – Vespers

Vespers is the prayer service at the end of the twelve-hour day cycle. Known also as the evening prayer, Vespers consist of hymnals, psalms, readings from scripture, and closing blessings by the resident Abbot or Prior that involve the use of incense. The use of sacred candles is also customary at Vespers, maintaining light without the sun.

6:30 PM – Supper

Supper is the last meal of the day for a Friar. Typically a lighter meal than both breakfast and dinner, Supper consists of small breads, porridge, and mead. The food and drink that is unfinished from dinner and supper will typically be kept to have for breakfast the next morning, in interest of wasting nothing of the Light’s creation.

7:00 PM – Chapter

Following supper, the Friars of any regional chapter of the Order of Saint Janiero will gather in the chapter house of their monastery to discuss what was accomplished during the day and what will need to be accomplished the following morning. Chapter meetings are almost always overseen by the resident Abbot or Prior of the monastery. A meeting will typically take an hour to complete, but may extend longer if there are important matters of the monastery that must be resolved.

9:00 PM – Compline

At the ninth evening bell, the residents of a monastery will take to silence known as Compline so that individuals may sleep. It is expected that Friars take to sleep so that they are well rested for the next day. Friars on special duties may continue their studies so long as they remain quiet and do not disturb their fellow residents.