In today's Office of Readings we encounter a reading from Bishop Baldwin of Canterbury: treatise 6 ( d. 1190 A.D.). Baldwin (d. 1190) was born in Exeter, but his date of birth is unknown. He was ordained priest and made archdeacon by Bartholomew, Bishop of Exeter. He subsequently became a Cistercian monk at the Abbey of Ford, in Devonshire, and within a year was made Abbot of Ford. In 1180 he was promoted to the Bishopric of Worcester and in the same year was elected to the primatial see of Canterbury by the bishops of the province. The election was disputed by the monks of Canterbury, necessitating the intervention of King Henry II. Even after his appointment was ratified he was engaged in disputes with the Canterbury monks, so that King Richard and the Holy See had to become involved. He is one of the last true representatives of the rich patristic-monastic tradition. For a reflection, "The word of God is alive and active," please click on the image. Peace be with you!