Posts Tagged ‘reading’
Why We Should Read Hard Books—Part Two
Three questions may help readers discern which literature is worthy of their time and effort. First, is the book recommended by tradition? Is it a “classic” in the broadest sense possible? Have great literary thinkers throughout history acknowledged the worth and the artistry of this book? This can be a difficult question when books which have traditionally been considered valuable and worth reading are being dismissed and replaced with other, often more contemporary books of questionable quality. G.K. Chesterton, in his book Orthodoxy, explains the problematic error of this trend, particularly when it is enacted as a way of “democratizing” the literary canon.
Read MoreWhy We Should Read Hard Books—Part One
Words, be they written or spoken, texted or tweeted, are under intense scrutiny these days. Publicly spoken or written words are met with criticism, anger, and even a rush to censor and punish the person who said them. We bristle, we shake our heads, and perhaps we even protest such unfortunate myopia, especially when we agree with the censored speech. Why, then, in certain Catholic and Christian circles, is the propriety of reading words that come at us from the other direction, from voices that challenge us or clash outright with our sense of morality, truth, and virtue, such an enduring problem?
Read MoreIllumination of the Soul Through Kristin Lavransdatter
As an ardent lover of literature, I have long been selective in my reading choices. Subsequently, I have encountered countless exceptional works communicating wisdom, truth, and beauty with surpassing skill. Occasionally, however, a novel does even more than that: it sears my very soul. I now count Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Unset, among such priceless works.
Read MoreA Literary Legacy: A Continued Connection from One Generation to Another
Growing up, I can only remember ever receiving two types of gifts from my paternal grandparents: a book or a guardian angel statue. Which gift I received depended on which grandparent was in charge of the gift. If it was Grandma, I received something related to angels. Grandpa, however, always chose books. Although both gifts have impacted my life, the love of literature has been a connection that has continued to unite me with my grandparents long after they passed away.
Read MoreTransformation Through the Guidance of Sisterhood
Following Jesus. Isn’t that what we all long to do each day? I don’t know if you are like me, but sometimes the how of the matter isn’t so clear. How do I love my teenager who is withdrawing from me? How can I follow Jesus when others in my family don’t seem to have the same desire? How do I follow Jesus when I am discouraged with the crosses He gives me? How do I follow Him in the grief of loss and loneliness that is sometimes part and parcel of my experience as a mother? How do I love Him well when the path is unclear, and my efforts do not always put forth success?
Read MoreThe Wondrous Connectivity of Grace
The child of staunch atheists, Lucette Le Goulard, would hardly appear a likely candidate to one day lead a cloistered community of Poor Clare nuns as Mother Veronica Namoyo Le Goulard. Reared in an emotionally neglectful home and given scant opportunity to experience both lasting, intimate human connection or the deep love of God, Lucette would seem more liable to exhibit despondency and desolation than spiritual depth. Yet, in exploring the extraordinary events of an earthly pilgrimage, one recognizes the glimmers of beauty and truth woven subtly yet movingly throughout the main character’s life—hints of the Divine, which slowly, perhaps even imperceptibly at times, led Lucette on a Salvific path. A Memory for Wonders: A True Story relates Mother Le Goulard’s unpredictable journey toward God: a journey marked by its incredible and adventuresome episodes, as well as its seemingly insurmountable impediments to discovering God, Faith, Love, and Truth. The unlikely nature of her wondrous odyssey should serve as a reminder to us all that Christ’s Truth is ubiquitous and often shown to us through the most unlikely of events, encounters, or even relationships.
Read MoreThe Extraordinary in the Ordinary; Finding Annunciation in Montgomery and Flannery
Flannery O’Connor and L.M.Montgomery, though their visions are so different, are both writers who urge the reader to awake to the beauty and meaning in reality that is illuminated with signs of God’s divine grace and even further to hear God’s call to us through these signs.
Read MoreTime to Read
As I spread a pile of books on the table at The Roadside Cafe, the waitress was curious, “What kind of work do you do?” She was surprised when I told her I run a national book club for women.
Read MoreIn Praise of Useless Reading
In An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis asserts that there aren’t two types of books (good and bad), but instead, there are two types of readers: the “many” and the “few”. I feel confident that everyone reading this blog post falls into the second category.
Read MoreThis Ordinary Life
Even in Christian culture we have a tendency to magnify the extraordinary and minimize the ordinary. It’s laughable, really, because Christ Himself lived a beautiful ordinary life.
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