The Rule of St. Benedict is a set of guidelines for living a life in a monastery, written by St. Benedict around 516. They were written to govern the daily life of a monk living in a community under the guidance of an abbot. The Rule emphasizes moderation, obedience, stability, humility, prayer, and work, avoiding extreme regulation. It would become the foundation for Western monasticism, strongly influencing medieval European religious, educational, and cultural life.

The routine of a monk would consist of prayer, work, and reading. Monks took vows of stability (staying in one community), obedience, and conversion of life (ongoing spiritual growth).

Mark 2:4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 

I thought it was interesting that they lowered him through the ceiling, as there was no room for them, and that they knew that Jesus would heal the paralyzed man.