Observing the Sabbath day in monasticism

[J. K. Amra]

Do monks observe the Saturday, or the Sunday as the day of rest and worship?

This might sound like a silly question because everyday is a day of worship for monastics, and there is really no rest (to my knowledge), but do monks recognize the Sabbath Day on a Saturday or on a Sunday?

Thank You.

[Herman Blaydoe]

Do monks observe the Saturday, or the Sunday as the day of rest and worship?

This might sound like a silly question because everyday is a day of worship for monastics, and there is really no rest (to my knowledge), but do monks recognize the Sabbath Day on a Saturday or on a Sunday?

Thank You.

The Sabbath is the Sabbath is Saturday regardless of whether or not it is "observed". Saturday is and always has been the seventh day when God rested. Sunday is the Lord's Day, the mystical "eighth day" of creation. The Sabbath did not change, it merely became replaced in prominence with the Lord's Day.

To find out how a particular monastery treats the Sabbath, you will probably need to contact that particular monastery, there is not a lot of consistency in practice in Orthodox monasticism. An ancient guidance to young traveling monastics is "never take your typicon to another monastery".

I, for one, would certainly look forward to any input from any monastic members of the forum on the subject.

Herman