Motto of Billimoria High School, Panchgani

The phrase pray and work (or 'pray and labor';

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''ora et labora'') refers to the Catholic monastic practice of working and praying, generally associated with its use in the

Rule of Saint Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...

History

"Ora et labora" (pray and work) is the traditional motto of the

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

. Benedict ..."was renowned for handing on to his monks a balanced way of life – particularly with respect to contemplative prayer and active work, "ora et labora". He recognized the danger of letting one dominate, and the benefit of having both side-by-side." St. Benedict's Rule prescribes periods of work for the monks for "Idleness is the enemy of the soul" (RB 48.1). Benedict viewed prayer and work as partners, and believed in combining contemplation with action. Some orders applied the concept directly to farm work and became an element in the movement towards land reclamation from rot and agricultural development in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

. Other orders such as the Humiliati applied the concept to the production of woolen cloth using wheels in the period prior to the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

Present day examples

The phrase expresses the need to balance prayer and work in monastic settings and has been used in many religious communities from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

onwards. In addition to praying the

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

, the Benedictine monks of St. Andrew Abbey teach at Benedictine High School and staff a retreat house. ''Ora et Labora'' is a publication of Benedictine High School and St. Andrew Abbey. While the monastic life of the monks of Our Lady of Dallas Cistercian Abbey is centered upon the liturgy, their primary occupation is teaching. They find this "a successful symbiosis of Cistercian life and apostolic mission". The Anglican sisters of the

Community of St. Mary The Community of St. Mary (CSM) is an Anglican religious order of nuns with independent houses located in Greenwich (village), New York, Greenwich, New York, Sewanee, Tennessee, Mukwonago, Wisconsin, and also in Malawi and the Philippines. Histor ...

in Greenwich, New York pray the Divine Office five times each day and raise Cashmere goats for wool.

Uses

An alternative rendering of the phrase, ''laborare est orare'' (literally "To work is to pray"), features prominently in

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

's ''Past and Present'' (1843): "Admirable was that of the old Monks, Laborare est Orare'', Work is Worship.'" In 1818,

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...

was established in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, adopting the motto of ''Ora et Labora'' in 1870. This is also the motto of Clan Ramsay, of which the

Earl of Dalhousie Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay. History The family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. ...

is the leader.Waite, P. (1997). ''Lives of Dalhousie University: 1925–1980, The Old College Transformed.'' McGill-Queen's Press. . page 98. In 1874, Wesley College, Colombo, a high school in Sri Lanka, was founded by Methodist missionaries. It has been using "Ora Et Labora" as the motto since its inception. Ora et labora is the motto of Melbourne Grammar School in Australia and the current motto of

St. Joseph's Institution St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) is an independent Catholic educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1852 by the De La Salle Brothers, it is the first Catholic school and the third oldest school in the country. SJI has been offering a dual-t ...

, an independent school in Singapore. It is also carved into the entry of The King's School Chapel, Parramatta, Australia. It is also the motto of Infant Jesus Anglo Indian High School (IJHS), Tangasseri, Kollam, Kerala, India, the motto of the Chapel of St Olav in

Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 ...

in Norway and the motto of the

St. Michael's Secondary School St. Michael's Secondary School is a dual session secondary school located in the city of Sandakan, state of Sabah, East Malaysia. It is located at the foot of Elton Hill which is at the hub of the city on the Churches Road. The school was establ ...

in Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia. File:Uetersen Relief 05.jpg, Relief with the motto ''ORA ET LABORA'' (highlighted in gold)

Notes

Bibliography

* ''Ora et labora: prayer and action as cooperation with God'' by Robert Field, University of the South, 1993

External link