Well,
this isn’t really in the news but in the blogs.
This comes from one of the best devotional blogs on the internet, Dominicana, a blog put out by “the
Dominican student brothers of the St. Joseph Province of the Order of Preachers.”
You can read more about them here. The blog is dedicated to what Dominican
Friars do best, preach the Word of God. I
think it’s worth signing up for email delivery of their posts.
Each
post is written by one of the brothers, and this one titled “Seeds from Reading”
is written by Br. Isidore Rice, O.P. fits
perfectly with the gist of my blog.
“Pick up and read, pick
up and read.”
While in a garden, St.
Augustine heard these words spoken by a child and was inspired to pick up
Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Reading, he received the grace of conversion which
spurred him to entrust himself to Christ and seek baptism.
Brother
Isadore then goes on to point out how St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Philip Neri,
St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Francis Xavier all went through religious
experiences as a result or through reading.
Reading, especially
reading the revealed word of God in the Sacred Scriptures, is indispensable for
putting us into conversation with God Himself. As St. Isidore of Seville tells
us, “When we pray we talk to God; when we read God talks to us.” One can see
why St. Isidore of Seville would make another bold claim: “All spiritual growth
comes from reading and reflection.”
That
is a bold claim but it is probably correct.
That is why half of the Mass is devoted to the Liturgy of the Word. Read the rest of his post but next time you
are at Mass, listen intently to the readings.
I try to visualize the action being narrated. So if you want to deepen your faith, read the
scriptures, read devotionals, and read books on religious subjects.
