We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
To advance in our spiritual life, we should utilize all of the means, procedures, and practises that are at our dumping. Jesus calls all of us to seriously pursue our own sanctification, as well as the sanctification from all over the world. His statements are clear and to the point: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.”( Mt 5:48)
A soldier must be well-armed and gave; an athlete must be fit and prune and devised; a student must know the subject; married couples must know and use the tools and means to form a noble and holy family. In a parallel smell, if we truly want to be admirers of Christ then we must have the tools and weapons at our dumping and use them so as to be victorious. The victory is vital — the victory is nothing less than attaining the salvation of our immortal spirit for all heaven. It is not possible to greater endeavor or enterprise underneath the sunshine!
The Value and Importance of Spiritual Reading
This being said, one of the great implements to utilize in to increase by our spiritual life is the practice of frequent and well-done spiritual see. Records written on spiritual Theology, spiritual improvement, spiritual progress, will often have a chapter on the capital importance of applying oneself to a formal habit of spiritual predict! Religious Line-ups, both male and female, accentuate the terrible importance of incorporating into the daily routine the practice of spiritual reading.
Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Reading: Feeding the Soul
It should be mentioned that all who give the spiritual life dangerously should strive to unearth and connect with some chassis of periodic spiritual direction.
The essence of spiritual counseling is to help the person directed to grow in his devotion life and in his relationship with God. One of the instruments of the expansion process is the practice of Spiritual Reading. Through prayer and discernment, the spiritual director should help the person being directed towards the practice of good Spiritual Reading. Each mind is different and has different specific needs, but qualified spiritual counseling should include the discernment and selection of efficacious Spiritual Reading.
Indeed, much can be said on the topic of Spiritual Reading; nonetheless, the essence of this short essay will be to encourage the books to undertake the course of carrying out Spiritual Reading and in time to establish in their lives the most noble habit of Spiritual Reading.Once done, you will never repent it and you will reap most abundant fruit in time and eternity from this most noble of struggles!
May your spiritual construe be your spiritual feeding!
The Abundant Blessings From Spiritual Reading
1. Conversion
Actually one of the many benefits that flows from Spiritual Reading is the conversion of the person to God. One of the most well-known examples of someone being proselytized by solid and substantial Spiritual Reading is the conversion of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Lying in bed after a serious leg shatter wound in the struggle of Pamplona, Ignatius was given a book, Lives of the Saints.
At first the future saint repelled, but then he accepted the reading. Almost immediately, his feeling was set on fire by speak the majestic lives, sayings, and admirable deeds of God’s heroes — the saints! Ignatius cried out: “If Dominic could do it, so can I; if Francis could do it, so can I! ”
Therefore, the initial desire in the conversion of Saint Ignatius came about through interpret the living conditions of the saints. With respect to literary genre and selection of construe, that of reading the lives of the saints should have a primary lieu of importance!
2. Learning
Every serious professional must prosecute continuous and assiduous Permanent Formation–that is to say, pursue a canal of emergence through seminars, convenes, interpret, and much more. This all-important concept of Permanent Formation in the professional life can easily and rightly be applied to our spiritual life.
As the modern saying departs: We are all a work in progress! We are mountain climbers who have not yet reached the peak!
I would like to coin a new phrase: we are called to be Professional Catholics! In other texts, there is always room for emergence; there is always something new to us that we can and should learn; there were many blind-spots in our spiritual life that must be brought to the light of truth.
3. Mind Transformation
Saint Paul offers us two notions worthy of reflection, prayer, reflection, and application to our lives. The first shall read as follows: “Put on the mind of Christ.” Then: “You have the mind of Christ! ”
For many who have been immersed and engrossed in the world and its values, this is indispensable transformation of the head. The world presents the following values: buying, eating, experiencing, solace, supremacy, importance, prestige, sensuality. Being inundated and submerge is this deluge of worldly significances, the thought must go through a gradual but stick changeover. In this endeavor called upon to Spiritual Reading are essential!
4. Joy in Discovering the Truth
In our human experience, when we discover something of great value we wallow. A treasure discovered causes in stupendou exulting! So it is in the case of Spiritual Reading.
Authentic Spiritual Reading is always related to the Truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life … and the Truth shall set us free.
5. Clarity in Purpose
Another positive fruit originating from good and solid Spiritual Reading is lucidity as to the purpose of our life: who God is, who we are, where we come from and where we are heading, and what tools we must use to arrive at our final destiny. Saint Ignatius of Loyola calls this Principle and Foundation.
Being exposed to and nourishing oneself on worldly magazines, diaries, and clauses starts in worldly hungers and seeks. Good, solid, efficacious Spiritual Reading raises our mind to the higher realms of heaven and deepens our desire to reach our heavenly residence!
6. Growing in Prayer
Once when I was engaged in a communication with a fellow priest-friend, he stated: “Whenever I am hired and sucked in captivating spiritual read, I actually cry better! ” Bingo.
It must be said that Spiritual Reading hoists and perfects the geniu. Part and parcel of a serious prayer life is the use of the subconsciou, which leads to the heart. Do you want to grow in your petition life? Then why not use Spiritual Reading as the grazing field!
7. Charity Towards Others
So true-blue is the saying: “You can’t contribute what you don’t have.” A ripped and rush baggage cannot contain anything; an vacate pouch cannot demonstrate money; an exhaust gas-tank will not get your car out of the parking-lot! In the same vein, with a spiritually empty-bellied intelligence and mind you cannot edify and consecrate others.
However, by reading and retaining good and noble spiritual sentiments, when you are in conversation with others, you can share these pearls, these jewels, these noble spiritual insights. Really, this is the case and authentic donation. What is donation according to Saint Thomas Aquinas? “Charity is willing the good of the other.”
In your discourses, worded by good Spiritual Reading, you are sharing the precious of the Truth, the riches of the Word of God.
8. Peace and Joy
In my own personal experience, after I have finished a good reporting period Spiritual Reading, my feeling knowledge greater serenity and exultation which overflows into my life and dealings with others. Saint Paul encourages us with these names, pertaining to our topic: “Rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again: Rejoice! ”( Phil 4:4)
9. Conquering Mental Laziness
How indebted I am, that as teens our parents fostered me and my brother to read some good books during the summer months. Somewhat resistant at first, I started to read, and then learnt the see delightful.
How important it is for adults, for parents, to apply themselves to good Spiritual Reading. But also, considering the fact that the parents are the firstly teaches of “their childrens”, what a great tool in the spiritual and moral shaping of their children and teens to kind in them the practice of systematic, regular Spiritual Reading! Mental laziness can easily lead to sin and wickednes. Solid Spiritual Reading, on the contrary, can lead to holiness and morality!
10. Defense of the Truth of Our Faith
Now more than ever, the Catholic Faith is being ruthlessly criticized on a constant and relentless basis. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen formerly said: “Very few leave the Catholic Faith for what the Church coachs, but for what they contemplate the Church teaches.” In other oaths, what most believe about the Catholic Faith is erroneous, untruthful, falsified, subverted!
By the application of solid Spiritual Reading, especially that of Apologetics, you can be forming yourself to be a solid brass wall to defend the most noble principles and teachings of Truth in the Catholic Faith. How admirable are Patrick Madrid, Tim Staples, Scott Hahn, and many other lay-leaders who truly know the Faith, study the Faith, school and preach the Faith. These three great and noble somebodies of God have obviously spend long hours in the course of carrying out Spiritual Reading and study so as to be a shining light for countless souls and their eternal redemption!
In conclusion, we are looking forward and pray that as a result of this humble, short essay, all of you will feel motivated, with the assistance of a good spiritual director, to undertake the most noble enterprise of Spiritual Reading. Indeed, these best practices will redound to your immense good, to anoint you personally, your family, the Church, and the whole world!
The last words of Jesus before ascending into heaven were: “Go out to all the world and tell the Good-News …. And I will be with you always until the end of the world.”( Mt 28: 19 -2 0)
image: matuska/ Pixabay
Read more: feedproxy.google.com
