Chapter XX: Of Reading Good Books

IT will frequently happen that you will have leisure time at your disposal. When the work of the day is over in the afternoon, in the long evenings of winter, and especially on Sundays, the time will be your own, and you can do what you like with it. And it will be a happy thing for you if you pass it so as to increase the spirit of devotion.

But you feel tired, perhaps, and unable to pray. We cannot always be on our knees, we cannot always think, and it is not the Lord’s will that we should overdo anything, not even prayer.

Now, there is a beautiful and easy way of spending one’s time piously, and of keeping up at the same time the spirit of prayer. That way consists in the reading of good books. We need to be entertained and to have amusement sometimes, that our minds may not get too worried and unable to think clearly and rightly.

The conversation of a good friend is very pleasant; it gives us this amusement without doing us any harm, and oftentimes it does us a great deal of good. Now, a good book is a good friend. The pages, it is true, do not look at us and smile in our faces; they do not talk to us with all those sweet tones of a friend’s voice; they do not talk aloud, but still they do talk to us. They give us many new ideas, they instruct us in many things we did not know before — indeed, they can make us laugh and make us weep. Who can read the happy death of a saint without feeling the tears start from his eyes?

Books are, next to sermons, next to the living voice of the preacher, the most powerful means to excite us to virtue. Get, then, at least a few books, and read them when you get a chance.

“Oh!” says a good girl, “I wish I could! I have never been taught to read, and am now too old to learn; besides, I have no opportunity for learning; there is no one to teach me, and I haven’t the time.”

Now, do not be cast down on that account. There is one beautiful book, at least, we can read; and that is the Crucifix. What fountains of knowledge and true wisdom it contains! You can look at it, and think over what it means, from one year’s end to another, yet you will never reach the bottom of it.

St. Bonaventure, who wrote so many beautiful things, was asked where he got them all? What books he had learned them out of? “There is my book,” said he, pointing to the Crucifix; “all my knowledge, all my thoughts come from that.”

Another lovely book you have that you can read, though you never learned a letter of the alphabet, and that is the Rosary. Millions who could not read a word have read that book every day. Get some one to teach you the meaning of the mysteries, and you will never fail to have the best of books always at hand. There is no need, then, to be cast down because you cannot read; only keep your heart simply directed to God, and he will make up abundantly for all that is lacking. Many of the saints have not been able to read, but they could pray, and think of Christ’s sufferings and love for them, wonderfully well.

“But why say a word about those who cannot read, since they cannot read what you say?” That is true; but somebody else may read it to them, or tell them, and then my object will be accomplished, which is to give every one such instruction and consolation as is necessary for them.

If you can read, then it is the Lord’s will that you should make use of this gift; for He requires us to make good use of all our talents and opportunities. “To whom much is given, of him much will be required” (St. Luke xii. 48).