The way you stress how you are not religious...Hahaha.
As long as you know and believe in God(my opinion though).

When I look at illuminated manuscripts, even though I’m not religious myself, I can appreciate the sacrifices that someone must have made

These illuminated manuscripts are really mind blowing indeed and you enjoyed sighting them.

The guys who took their time to make this magnificent work really hard passion and wanted to show their love for God.....obviously may be they hard enough coffee also as you said hehehe.