Good Reading
1. Books are fashionable nowadays; in fact, a great many are published
which are never read. There has been a mania for books ever since the
invention of printing fanned the flaming urge to write and to publish.
There are good books, useless books, and, unfortunately, bad books,
including newspapers, magazines and reviews of all descriptions.
Sometimes these are serious
publications; but usually they are light, unhealthy, enticing to sin,
and even trading in sin. They corrode the soul, undermine morals,
destroy the innocence of childhood and of youth, and spread
indifference, error and degeneration everywhere. Good publications
inspired by the Gospel are necessary to counteract this tide of
immorality. It is not enough to disapprove of bad literature. We must
not read it, we must keep it out of our homes, and we must see that it
does not fall into careless or innocent hands. Moreover, it is necessary
to fight back by helping and giving our full support to good
literature.
It has been observed that if St. Paul were to
return to the world, he would become a journalist, because in these days
the press is the most powerful influence for good and the most potent
weapon with which to combat evil. It is certain that if St. Paul were to
return to the world, he would be an Apostle, as he once was, in the
complete sense of the world, and would not be content to exercise only
the apostolate of the press. Nevertheless, it is a fact that today the
press is the most powerful and most widespread medium of the Apostolate.
Since we must all be Apostles, at least in the wide sense of the world,
we should oppose bad literature and support worth-while publications as
much as we can.
Let us examine ourselves earnestly in the
presence of God. Are the books, journals and reviews which we buy and
read all good? Do we have in our homes books and papers which could do
harm and prove dangerous to those who live with us? Do we support and
encourage good publications? Perhaps we have a great deal to review and
to correct in this matter. If so, let us promise God that we shall do
our best to improve.
2. There are some who by reason of their
position or work must read bad books or books which are on the Index.
With regard to the latter, it is necessary to ask and to obtain
permission from the legitimate ecclesiastical authority.
With
regard to bad books in general or to those which are merely worldly, we
should observe the following norms which are laid down by authorities on
the spiritual life. (1) Read these books only if obliged to do so by
reason of position or office, and never from unhealthy curiosity. (2)
Before reading ask for the grace of God by at least a short mental or
vocal prayer. (3) Take care that these bad publications do not reach the
hands of simple people to whom they could be harmful. (4) Finally, read
good books also, for the poisonous inoculation of evil and error can
penetrate even the best and most upright spirits unless some antidote is
employed.
3. More particularly, everybody needs to do some
good reading every day in order to further his own spiritual formation.
It is so easy to be distracted by worldly affairs and to grow lukewarm
in the practice of virtue. Good books are faithful friends which speak
to the heart, enlighten the mind, and urge the will to good action.
Besides books of meditations, the lives of the Saints can be very
edifying. It is necessary to read them thoughtfully, interrupting our
reading occasionally in order to reflect and to apply our conclusions to
our own lives. The example of the holiness of the Saints will prompt us
to say to ourselves like St. Augustine: “If others, why not I?” If the
Saints could reach such heights of sanctity and such fervent love of
God, why cannot I do the same?
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