18 September, Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

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?