Lectio Divina: Sacred Scripture and Mental Prayer
Lectio Divina means “Divine Reading...
Born in France in the 12th century, he was the son of a Count and a brilliant student, excelling in his studies from youth all the way through his journey at the University of Paris.
But he was also a man of great faith, and so was his brother, Americ, who was a Patriarch during the Crusades.
Like his brother, Berthold became a priest and went to the Holy Land as part of the Crusades. There, he had a vision of Jesus, who told him He was not happy with the way the soldiers there were behaving.
Berthold went to Mt. Carmel where he formed a community of hermits, and built a small chapel with the goal of living as the prophet Elijah had.
His brother appointed Berthold the Superior of this group and, some believe, this was an effort that marked the beginning of the Carmelites.
St. Berthold, please pray for us.
