1.

For St. Benedict, prayer isn't just speaking the words. The words are from God Himself, and
thus, must be etched into one's own being. With this, it is possible to empty one's heart of all
but God's words and love.
As children, we were told to memorize prayers. We were asked to recite said prayers before
every period, before breaks, every morning assembly, and whenever we were praying the
Rosary. As was stated in the handout, most prayers are more about completion rather than
communicating with God, and letting His words fill us. Children should be studying prayer
rather than memorizing them to feel the power of the words of God.

2.
St. Benedict truly understood the power of God's words, which is why he knew it wasn't
enough to simply recite them. As stated by St. Matthew, we cannot live by bread alone, we
also need the words of God. These words are God's means of communicating with us, his
means of guiding us to the correct path. Prayer has always been a two-way street, but often
times, people fail to hear the voice of God because they fail to heed His words. Every single
one of His words has power, and thus, we have to study and absorb them to experience His
love to the fullest.
I am guilty of reading until I stumble upon a phrase which I can relate to. I always thought it
was enough to simply read God's words and retain a few phrases that resonate with me.
However, I realize that for true sacred reading, I must absorb every word into my being, as
they are the words of my Father.