ORA ET LABORA

​The phrase pray and work (or "pray and labor", in Latin ora et labora) refers to the Christian monastic practice of working and praying, generally associated with its use in the Rule of Saint Benedict.[1]

Benedict viewed prayer and work as partners, and believed in combining contemplation with action.[2] 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 onwards.

Some orders (such as the Cistercians) 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.

The sisters are working in the field