Ruth: Chapter 17 Spiritual Readings
I really could relate to the line on page 243 - “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body and prayer is to the soul.” This is the time of my life where I am trying to find a balance with all three…. All three being important and refreshing to the soul. Spiritual reading help me keep my goals “in my face.” It is easy to get side tracked with odd and end things but when I am reading spiritual books it helps me remember to keep the spiritual side in balance …not left to happenstance. As on p. 244 it states that “spiritual reading seeks to encourage us to live a life of holiness.” If our family, friends, books, activities are all spiritual wholesome they can and should call us to holiness. It makes me realize that if a book, activity, friend, etc does not call me to holiness then it should not be in my life and if it is in my life it had better have a holy purpose. Matthew states on page 246/7 that he had a holy priest in his life that “in any conversation his only concern was Matthew’s spiritual growth”…always calling him to a life of holiness. What a blessing to have someone like that, priest or not, who would be so focused. I concurred with Matthew as he imagined “if every Catholic in your parish read a good spiritual book for fifteen minutes a day.” I can testify that I have grown so much from the books, tapes and videos that I have listened to that are in the parish library. That challenge is to get people to utilize the resources and blessings that are theirs for the seeking. Thanks to each of you for being part of this study …. Your faith and the book have been a blessing to me.
- posted by Ruth @ 9:41 PM