By Saint Alphonsus Ligouri
To a spiritual
life, the reading of holy books is perhaps not less useful than mental prayer.
St. Bernard says that reading instructs us at once in prayer and in the
practice of virtue. Hence he concluded that spiritual reading and prayer are
the arms by which hell is conquered and paradise won. We cannot always have
access to a spiritual father for counsel in our actions and particularly in our
doubts, but reading will abundantly supply his place by giving us lights and
directions to escape the illusions of the devil and of our own self-love, and
at the same time to submit to the divine will. Hence St. Athanasius used to say
that we find no one devoted to the service of the Lord that did not practice
spiritual reading. Hence all the founders of religious orders have strongly
recommended this holy exercise to their religious. St. Benedict, among the
rest, commanded that each monk should every day make a spiritual reading and
that two others should be appointed to go about visiting the cells to see if
all fulfilled the command, and, should any monk be found negligent in the
observance of this rule, the saint ordered a penance to be imposed upon him.
But before all, the Apostle prescribed spiritual reading to Timothy: Attend
unto reading. Mark the word Attend, which signifies that, although Timothy, as
being bishop, was greatly occupied with the care of his flock, still the
Apostle wished him to apply to the reading of holy books, not in a passing way
and for a short time, but regularly and for a considerable time.
The reading of
spiritual works is as profitable as the reading of bad books is noxious. As the
former has led to the conversion of many sinners, so the latter is every day
the ruin of many young persons. The first author of pious books is the Spirit of
God, but the author of pernicious writings is the devil, who often artfully
conceals from certain persons the poison that such works contain, and makes
these persons believe that the reading of such books is necessary in order to
speak well and to acquire a knowledge of the world for their own direction, or
at least in order to pass the time agreeably. But I say that, especially for
nuns, nothing is more pernicious than the reading of bad books. And by bad
books I mean not only those that are condemned by the Holy See, either because
they contain heresy or treat of subjects opposed to chastity, but also all
books that treat of worldly love. What fervor can a religious have if she reads
romances, comedies, or profane poetry? What recollection can she have in
meditation or at Communion? Can she be called the spouse of Jesus Christ?
Should she not rather be called the spouse of a sinful world? Even young women
in the world that are in the habit of reading such books are generally not
virtuous seculars.
But some one
may say, “What harm is there in reading romances and profane poetry when they
contain nothing immodest?” Do you ask what harm? Behold the harm: the reading
of such works kindles the concupiscence of the senses and awakens the passions;
these easily gain the consent of the will, or at least render it so weak that,
when the occasion of any dangerous affection occurs, the devil finds the soul
already prepared to allow itself to be conquered. A wise author has said that
by the reading of such pernicious books heresy has made, and makes every day,
great progress, because such reading has given and gives increased strength to
libertinism. The poison of these books enters gradually into the soul; it first
makes itself master of the understanding, then infects the will, and in the end
kills the soul. The devil finds no means more efficacious and secure of sending
a young person to perdition than the reading of such poisoned works.
Remember also
that, for you, certain useless books, though not bad, will be pernicious,
because they will make you lose the time that you can employ in occupations
profitable to the soul. In a letter to his disciple Eustochium, St. Jerome
stated for her instruction that, in his solitude at Bethlehem, he was attached
to the works of Cicero and frequently read them, and that he felt a certain
disgust for pious books because their style was not polished. He was seized
with a serious malady in which he saw himself at the tribunal of Jesus Christ.
The Lord said to him: “Tell me; what are you?” “I am,” replied the saint, “a
Christian.” “No,” rejoined the Judge, “you are a Ciceronian, not a Christian.”
He then commanded him to be instantly scourged. The saint promised to correct
his fault, and, having returned from the vision, he found his shoulders livid
and covered with wounds in consequence of the chastisement that he had
received. Thenceforward he gave up the works of Cicero and devoted himself to
the reading of books of piety. It is true that in the works like those of
Cicero we sometimes find useful sentiments, but the same St. Jerome wisely said
in a letter to another disciple, “What need have you of seeking for a little
gold in the midst of so much mire” when you can read pious books in which you
may find all gold without any mire?
As the reading of bad books fills the mind with
worldly and poisonous sentiments, so, on the other hand, the reading of pious
works fills the soul with holy thoughts and good desires.
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