Against Errors: On Spiritual Reading

“The Saints also recommend us not to read much at one sitting, nor get through many pages, not to weary the spirit with lengthy reading instead of refreshing it. Very good and necessary advice for certain persons, who seem to place their happiness in reading much and getting through many books. As the body is not nourished by much eating, but by good digestion of what one does eat; so neither is the soul nourished by reading much, but by ruminating and well digesting what is read. For the same reason they say also that spiritual reading should not be of difficult things, but of plain things, rather devout than difficult, since difficult things are apt to fatigue and dry up devotion. Hugo of St. Victor quotes an example of a servant of God, who was admonished by revelation to drop the reading of those things, and read the lives and martyrdom of the Saints, and other plain and devout things, whereby he profited much.
        “Hence it follows that they do ill who, once having read a good book, throw it into a corner, and say, I have done with that. A good book is not meant to be read once over only: the second time over it will do you more good, and the third time more, and so you will ever find, it new as they find by experience who have a desire to profit. That is a very good thing also which some do, when they find anything in a book that moves them much and gives them particular satisfaction: they take a note and mark it, to have always at hand some arguments of greater weight and cogency, matter wherein they are more likely to find some marrow of devotion and consolation, suitable to the several times and occasions that occur.” (Alphonsus Rodriguez, S.J., The Practice of Perfection and Christian Virtues, p. 350)

Comment: There is nothing wrong with reading much, of course, but this is not absolutely necessary since it is more important, as it said, to well digest what one reads than reading a lot and not deriving any profit from it, so to speak.

I much rather prefer that a person reads (and prays) much and understands little, however, than that he wastes his time watching the television, netflix or youtube (or any other worthless or dangerous activities).

“To a spiritual life the reading of holy books is perhaps not less useful than mental prayer. St. Bernard says 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. ... As the reading of bad books [and media] 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.” (St. Alphonsus, The Importance of Spiritual Reading)

It is also not a problem to read more deep spiritual books, such as St. John of the Cross, but these spiritual books are much more complicated and not well read by many people. Generally, one must have patience and a liking for such books in order to be able read them through.

It is also important to re-read good and profitable books, as it said, and this is worth repeating so that people do not forget it. So why not re-read that great book that made you so much good again?

It also helps to shift between different books if one gets bored easily. This can easily be done by having two or three different pdf's open that one reads from.

It is also worth noting the advice to note down good passages in a document that is spiritually profitable and worth re-reading.