a) What is studiousness?
Studiousness, or diligence in studies, is the virtue that leads us to learn things we need to know, in an orderly way.
Our lessons in school have been systematically arranged for us to learn them with less difficulty, hence we should study them well. As for books in general, some are excellent while others worthless or harmful for us. It is best to first ask somebody who knows more for advice, so we can use our time more wisely by reading only good books. This is similar to asking a doctor’s advice as to which medicine is best for our specific situation.
b) Why should Altar Servers be studious?
It is true that we can learn without studying, for instance, through conversations or experiences. But these are very limited sources of knowledge. Only by studying can we learn what is necessary for our personal circumstances and thus make better decisions in our everyday life and prepare for the future.
For an Altar Server, who is Christ’s modern Apostle, an hour of study is converted into an hour of prayer. If he studies seriously he can guide others in their lessons, about facts of life, and in our faith.