The monastic movement began in Egypt towards the end of the third century and developed in the West in the fourth century. The first monks (monos, alone), lived a solitary life but communities soon emerged, developing traditions and patterns of worshipWorship 1. Doing homage and giving honour and respect to God. The Bible includes a wide range of physical expression in worship, including bowing down, lifting hands, dancing, processions and singing. The main day on which Christians gather for communal worship is Sunday (the day when Christ is believed to have risen from the dead). 2. Christian liturgy including sung material and prayers of thanksgiving and praise.. Monks took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Communal life was built around prayer, the opus deiOpus Dei (Latin 'the Work of God') The term used in the monastic rules for the divine office, a series of daily services comprising the seven canonical hours of matins, prime, terce, sext, nones, vespers and compline, which started early in the morning and finished late afternoon or early evening. or work of God.