Productivity with the Saints: Order with St. Benedict
“Order your day, and your soul will find peace. Ora et labora — pray and work — are not two tasks, but one rhythm of holiness.”
These words from St. Benedict of Nursia cut through the chaos of our modern world like a sword. We’re drowning in notifications, endless tasks, competing priorities. We feel pulled in a thousand directions, and our prayer life suffers because of it.
But what if the solution isn’t doing less—but ordering what we do? What if the key to both productivity and holiness is the same ancient rhythm that built Western civilization?
Today, we’re exploring St. Benedict’s revolutionary insight: Ora et labora—pray and work—are not two separate tasks, but one unified rhythm of holiness.
Welcome to another episode of Catholic Piety on Purpose
I am your host, Rich Van Koughnett and this is the show that is in the business of forming intentional Catholics who pursue holiness through piety, asceticism, & virtuous habits to transform our spiritual lives, work, & leadership.
WHO WAS ST. BENEDICT?
Before we dive in, who was this man?
St. Benedict of Nursia, born around 480 AD, is known as the Father of Western Monasticism. He lived during the collapse of the Roman Empire—a time of absolute chaos, violence, and social breakdown. Sound familiar?
Benedict fled the corruption of Rome to live as a hermit in a cave at Subiaco. But others were drawn to his holiness, and he eventually founded twelve monasteries. His masterwork, the Rule of St. Benedict, written around 540 AD, became the foundation for monastic life throughout Europe.
But here’s what’s crucial: Benedict wasn’t just creating a manual for monks. He was preserving civilization itself. Benedictine monasteries became centers of learning, agriculture, hospitality, and prayer. They copied manuscripts, developed new farming techniques, cared for the sick, and maintained the rhythms of the liturgy when the world around them was falling apart.
Benedict understood something profound: order in the external life creates space for order in the interior life. And order in the interior life transforms everything we touch.
THE PRINCIPLE: ONE RHYTHM, NOT TWO TASKS
Let’s break down this quote: “Ora et labora—pray and work—are not two tasks, but one rhythm of holiness.”
Most of us live fragmented lives. We have our “prayer time” and then our “work time.” We pray in the morning, and then we enter the “real world” where God feels distant. We treat prayer as something we do before or after our actual life happens.
Benedict is telling us this is a false division.
The Benedictine insight is that prayer and work should flow from the same source: the will of God. When we order our day properly, our work becomes prayer and our prayer fuels our work. They’re not competing demands on our time—they’re two expressions of the same love.
This is why the Benedictine motto is Ora et labora—not Ora, then labora. The conjunction “and” matters. It’s simultaneous, integrated, holistic.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “prayer and Christian life are inseparable” (CCC 2745). Our entire life is meant to become a prayer, an offering to God.
ORDER IN THE LITURGY
Now, where do we see this principle most perfectly? In the Holy Mass.
The Mass is not chaotic or random. Every single element is ordered with intention. Let’s look at just a few examples:
The Introductory Rites: We begin with the Sign of the Cross, the Penitential Act, the Gloria, and the Collect. This order matters. We first acknowledge who God is, then acknowledge our sinfulness, then give glory to God, and finally make our petition. We can’t skip to the end. We have to walk through the order.
The Liturgy of the Word: First reading, Responsorial Psalm, second reading, Gospel Acclamation, Gospel. We move from Old Testament to New, from preparation to proclamation. We stand for the Gospel because we’re preparing our bodies and souls to encounter Christ directly in His words.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist: Preparation of gifts, Eucharistic Prayer, Communion Rite. Offering, consecration, reception. We don’t just skip to receiving Christ. We prepare, we participate in the sacrifice, and then we receive.
This order isn’t arbitrary. Each element prepares us for the next. The structure creates space for the supernatural to break into our lives.
What happens when parishes abandon this order? When we make the Mass “creative” or “casual”? We actually make it harder for people to encounter God because we’ve removed the structure that guides them into His presence.
The same is true in our daily lives.
ORDER IN BUSINESS & WORK
Let’s get practical. How does Benedictine order increase productivity in our work?
Benedict structured the monastic day around the Liturgy of the Hours—seven times of prayer throughout the day. But between those prayers? Work. Serious, productive, skilled work.
Here’s what Benedictine order in business looks like:
1. Begin with Prayer Don’t check your phone first thing in the morning. Don’t open your email before you open your Bible. Start your workday with a morning offering. This isn’t just spiritual—it reorients your entire mindset. You’re now working for Christ, not just for yourself.
2. Time-Blocking Based on Priority Benedict assigned specific times for specific activities. He knew that if you don’t decide what happens when, someone else will decide for you. Block out time for your most important work. Protect it like you protect time for family dinner or Sunday Mass.
3. Single-Tasking, Not Multi-Tasking When the monks prayed, they prayed. When they worked, they worked. They didn’t pray while scrolling their phones. Do one thing at a time with full attention. This is actually faster than multi-tasking, and it sanctifies the work.
4. Regular Intervals of Rest Benedict didn’t create a system of constant work. He built in breaks, meals, and transitions. Your productivity plummets when you never rest. Work in focused intervals, then step away. Take a walk. Pray a decade of the Rosary. Then return.
5. End with Examination Benedict ended the day with Compline, the night prayer. End your workday with a brief examen. What went well? Where did I fall short? What do I need to do differently tomorrow?
When you structure your work this way, you accomplish more in less time—and you’re less anxious while doing it.
ORDER IN SPIRITUAL LIFE
Now, how does this order grow your spiritual life?
The spiritual life withers without structure. We’ve all experienced this. We have great intentions to pray, but without a plan, we don’t pray. We want to read Scripture, but we never quite get around to it.
Here’s how Benedictine order transforms your spiritual life:
1. Create a Rule of Life Benedict didn’t leave prayer to chance. He created a rule. You need one too. Decide: What time will I pray each day? How long? What will I pray? Morning prayer, Rosary, spiritual reading, examination of conscience—put these on your calendar like appointments.
2. Liturgy of the Hours If you really want to pray with the Church, pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Start small—maybe just Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. This ancient practice connects you to centuries of Catholics praying the same prayers at the same time. It orders your entire day around prayer.
3. Sanctify Transitions Benedict used small prayers and rituals to transition between activities. When you finish one task and begin another, say a brief prayer. “Jesus, I trust in You.” “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.” This keeps you anchored in God’s presence throughout the day.
4. Weekly Rhythm of Confession and Mass Don’t just go to Mass on Sunday. Make Sunday Mass the center of your week. Plan Saturday evening so Sunday can be sacred. Go to Confession regularly—first Saturday, first Friday, whatever works. This creates a rhythm of grace.
5. Annual Retreats Benedict’s monks took time for extended prayer. You need this too. Plan at least one annual retreat. Block it out now. Your soul needs intensive time with God just like your body needs sleep.
Here’s the key insight: when you order your spiritual life this way, prayer stops feeling like one more obligation. It becomes the foundation that makes everything else possible.
THE FRUIT: PEACE
Benedict promises us something: “Order your day, and your soul will find peace.”
Not happiness. Not comfort. Peace.
Peace is different. Peace is the deep settledness of soul that comes from knowing you’re exactly where God wants you to be, doing exactly what God wants you to do.
The world can’t give you this peace. A bigger salary won’t give it to you. A better job won’t give it to you. Even achieving all your goals won’t give it to you.
Peace comes from surrender to God’s will and ordering your life around His purposes.
When your day has order, you’re not constantly anxious about what you’re forgetting or whether you’re wasting time. You’ve already decided. You’ve already committed. Now you simply live it.
St. John Paul II said: “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you.”
Order in your day creates space for Jesus. And Jesus gives peace.
CLOSING CHALLENGE
So here’s my challenge to you this week:
First: Create a simple rule of life. Write down three specific times you’ll pray each day and what you’ll pray.
Second: Order your workday. Pick your three most important tasks for tomorrow and block out specific times to do them. No distractions during those blocks.
Third: Attend one extra Mass this week beyond Sunday. Go to a daily Mass. Experience the order of the liturgy in the middle of your busy week.
Start small. Benedict’s Rule is famous for being moderate and sustainable. He says the monastery should be organized “so that the strong have something to yearn for and the weak nothing to run from.”
You don’t have to become a monk. But you do need to order your life if you want to find peace.
Remember: Ora et labora. Pray and work. One rhythm. One life. One offering to God.
St. Benedict of Nursia, pray for us.
If this resonated with you, let me know in the comments what one change you’re going to make this week. And if you haven’t already, subscribe so we can continue pursuing holiness together through intentional Catholic living.
Until next time: order your day, and may your soul find peace.