Read it or Weep

The other day, when I was listening to the radio about the arrival of Pope Benedict the XVI, I was intrigued when a commentator said that he had chosen his name from St. Benedict of Nursia, a monk born in the 5th century who was the founder of western monasticism. After a little digging, I found that St. Benedict created the Benedictine Rule, organizing monks into communities and outlining guidelines for behavior and expectations within those communities. St. Benedict thought that, in addition to prayer, monks should perform manual labor and scholarship, studying, writing and copying ancient manuscripts and holy works. If not for St. Benedict, many ancient and medieval books would not have been preserved. So hats off to St. Benedict for valuing the written word!

                                                                                                                                   ~Dori