Very little in this world stays fresh and life-giving for 1,500 years. But when that happens, we should ask ourselves why and what that has to do with us.

In The Radical Christian Life: A Year with Saint Benedict, Joan Chittister encourages us to look at these questions. In a masterful introductory essay, she considers how the insights and values of the sixth-century monk can illuminate today's search for a meaningful life. Then she leads us through the year with twelve stories from Benedict's life, one for each month, drawing nourishment from them with daily reflections that help us develop our own spiritual lives in this day and age.