Reading Your Way To Christ

There are many things to say about how to celebrate the Lenten-Easter commemoration, and your parishes or church communities are probably publicizing times for extra Confessions, Stations of the Cross, and the ever-popular Friday parish fish fries. And if you are lucky, your parish is in the process of mailing daily devotional booklets to your home, a practice in my parish for some years now. The rapidly approaching observance of Ash Wednesday [March 5] and the seasons of Lent and Easter are as good a time as any to talk about another aspect of Catholic life, reading: prayer books, spirituality books, the Bible and biblical commentaries, theology books, even select novels—you name it—that great variety of literature that sanctifies our lives. I know that most of us grew up with a somewhat spartan approach to Lent—the fasting, the doing without—but in truth we should be more like the catechumens: falling in love with the rich treasury of God’s Word, the logos.
 
Rather than reinvent the entire wheel of Lenten observance, I thought this might be a good time to focus on the world of religious reading and the people and publishers who make it possible. So how do you access this multi-millennia library of the Church’s riches? And why?
 
THE WHY.
 
Bottom line, very little of the Catholic Tradition is taught to us in typical parochial life, and when it is offered, it is too simplified. Moreover, our pastoral/catechetical practice is build upon an egregious error, that by age seven or age twelve a Catholic’s theological fuel tank is full and he or she is good to go for life. These young folks have tasted few, if any, of the struggles of life where the wisdom of the Logos may guide and correct them. And worse, we never taught our youth where and how to access God’s wisdom, and there are no adult vehicles in parishes to embrace the Church’s wisdom.
 
In our hearts we know our present system is wrong, but American Catholic leaders—for a variety of reasons—are hesitant, maybe even resistant—to make a major priority of continuous adult-level faith formation about the moral challenges of Christian living and the “two-edged sword” of the Scripture, as a Catholic scholar put it decades ago. Consequently, we Catholics live like ancient stargazers before Galileo discovered the telescope; we grope around the skies with just our eyes with no idea of the depth and beauty of creation that the Webb telescope captures routinely today.
 
What is the most read Catholic publication in the United States? The weekly parish bulletin. While its intent is good, it gives little or no hint of the written wealth of the evangelists, the saints, the councils of the Church, or the sacred scholarship that continues around the world as we speak. And, as a true metaphor of the Church itself: most bulletins can be seen in the pews after Mass after people have left.
 
THE LOGOS MUST FIND ITS PLACE
 
It is no accident that St. John’s Gospel begins “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [John 1:1] “Word” here is the translation of the original Greek word, Logos, which has passed into the English language itself. Merriam-Webster defines “logos” as
“the divine wisdom manifest in the creation, government, and redemption of the world and often identified with the second person of the Trinity.” When we speak of the Word of God, we are not speaking metaphorically.
 
When I was a full-time psychotherapist, I used to ask many patients what they liked to read. The vast majority said that their lives were so full that they did not read at all. Others admitted that they scoured the internet to research the symptoms that ultimately brought them to me. I did not proselytize in my encounters—most patients were Catholic anyway since my third-party health insurance carriers had listed my specialties [at my request] as Christian counseling, marriage counseling, and mood disorders like depression.
 
Following my own experiences, with some patients I recommended a daily routine reading period, preferably with a cup of coffee or tea, in a quiet corner of the house, phone turned off, and in a comfortable chair. [“In verdant pastures he gives me repose.”] I like my Lazi-boy for two reasons. First, I am not distracted by arthritic pain and I experience warmth and rest. But more to the point, I have a spiritual thing about sitting and resting postures in prayer. I feel God’s hospitality and pleasure, as if I were his guest, in a restful and engaging mode. God feels very close to me at times—or his wisdom captivates me in silence-- and I feel I can express myself from the heart. The peace, rest, and sacred discoveries are something I look forward to, and thus I am more likely at 5 PM to put the Café computer to sleep and come down from the loft to my “sacred space.”
 
[Note that this is one man’s experience. I am presently being guided through a six-week experience in the Ignatian Spirituality tradition, i.e., the Jesuit model, which puts much emphasis upon merging the Gospel texts with my imagination and emotions in my encounter with Jesus. The key to personal prayer and reading, in the Ignatian mind, is discovering through trial and error the personal rubric by which you can open your heart to the Logos, God’s Word, God’s Son, who longs to nurture your best inner self. You may be lucky enough to live in a diocese where approved lay spiritual guides are available, or religious societies are established around spiritual outlooks, such as those of the Franciscans, the Carmelites, etc. which teach folks how to pray and read the sacred writings. In my neck of the woods lay Catholics have formed their own cells or little communities which can enrich the personal prayer life.
 
SO, WHERE TO LOCATE THE LOGOS?
 
Catholic reading is a skill, and after a lifetime I am still discovering rich avenues of religious creativity. Like cooking, gardening, or taking up with a local bookie, there are things to know as you “move beyond the church bulletin,” so to speak.  
 
Over the past few decades, the walk-in retail trade for printed books in general has declined, probably because of the soaring price of retail rental space and the rising cost of the products themselves. I always enjoy Barnes and Noble, which in some locations has a coffee and pastry bar and upholstered easy chairs for the customers to sit and review $35+ books before tapping the plastic on the credit gizmo. B&N and other “secular” book dealers generally do offer religious texts from all traditions, as they do “self-help” books, but to the best of my knowledge the scope of their offerings is determined by customer demand, trade journals, and foot traffic. I interviewed the owner of a very impressive bookstore in a small Irish village last fall, who admitted to me that soon the “religion section” of the store would disappear in favor of novels and a large Irish culture selection. “Sally Rooney novels,” I quipped. St. Teresa’s Church [the Carmelites] near Grafton Street in downtown Dublin closed its book and café operations on a main street since I was there in 2015. I asked the pastor about it last September, and he laughed. “You’re the second tourist today to ask me that.”
 
U.S. Catholic retail bookstores are few and far between. Orlando, Florida, had “The Abbey” in the 1980’s but the costs even then to operate a street front bookstore with a respectable inventory was prohibitive for the lay Catholics who operated it. Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s those of us studying philosophy and theology in Washington held a warm place in our hearts for the Newman Bookstore, an old house almost in the shadow of Catholic University. Newman had many Catholic books of substance, piled on the floors in many cases—so much so I feared that we customers and the books would collapse into the ground. I went back in 2011, and Newman’s was gone.  
 
There are today larger parishes with bookstores, though over the years the parochial “bookstore” has stretched its umbrella of goods to cover a multitude of needs not easily met in local secular markets. [The bookstore photo is from my parish’s website.] Rosaries, medals, household sacramentals [like a holy water font] and greeting cards for sacramental rites of passage, etc. As is evident from the attached photo, the space for actual printed texts is limited but it is a good selection of the very basic needs of Catholics: daily and Sunday missals and various Bible translations. I have always maintained that holding a quality bound prayer book--The Roman Missal, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Bible—is a sacramental moment in itself, whatever the text we are focused upon.
 
In truth, it would be impossible for a single parish to expand the traditional parish bookstore model into a Catholic version of Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million, and the financial picture of the Catholic Church right now is hardly blue chip for expansions, or for paid supervision, for that matter. The U.S. Bishops do not have the time or the staff to review every book that comes down the pike calling itself Catholic. So where would you start your adult quest for the written Logos? Maybe on your phone.
 
THE INTERNET
 
There are people quick to say that the Internet is the devil incarnate, or more specifically to our purposes here, that the internet has quashed love of the printed word. Sorry, but nothing opens more doors of opportunity than the internet.
 
Back in the mid-1990’s I ordered my first book from Amazon, which was so new that the president, Jeff Bezos, sent me a coffee mug for the next year or two. In 2000 I wrote my first book review for Amazon, and gradually I came to see the value of on-line merchandising display and the tools to connect Catholics to the Logos of God. In 2014 I founded “The Catechist Café” and over the years have expanded the Café format to primarily reviews and discussions of Catholic literature of all sorts, including Catholic novelists such as Graham Greene, J.F. Powers, Jon Hassler, Louise Erdrich, and Flannery O’Connor, to name a few.
 
Essentially, every other post on the Café is and will be an analysis of an important contribution to the treasury of Catholic life and faith. On the humorous side, it takes longer to write posts these days because, well, you have to read the book before you can discuss it.
 
The good news here is that you don’t have to wait for me to wade through a new book with my old trifocals. The internet has permitted our best and venerable Catholic publishers, some dating to the 1920’s, to provide links to both the classics and the cutting-edge Catholic literature. In addition, many publishers will happily send you—free of charge—notices of new books and resources as they become available. Most, if not all, of the sites discussed here are operated by religious orders in good standing with the Church; but there are sites outside the Catholic ambit that have published remarkable works by and for Catholics.
 
WHERE TO LOOK:
 
Paulist Press [1866, Paulist Fathers]
 
Paulist would be my first choice to acquaint myself with the Catholic publishing world. I find their catalog and search engines very useful
 
Liturgical Press [1926, Benedictine Order]  
 
You could spend a day exploring the nooks and crannies of Liturgical Press’s on-line purchase offerings. Founded in 1926, LP is the publishing house of Saint John’s Abbey, a Benedictine community in Collegeville, Minnesota. I am familiar primarily with LP’s Bible commentaries. I see on Facebook considerable praise for LP’s “Little Rock Scripture Study” for use by parishes or individuals.
 
Ave Maria Press [1865, Holy Cross Fathers]
 
Ave Maria began as a Catholic magazine in the 1860’s devoted to the Virgin Mary. Due to declining subscriptions, the Holy Cross Order turned to full time publishing of books and pamphlets in 1970 and its current offerings on spirituality are available for your review.
 
Loyola Press [Jesuit]
 
The first word that comes to my mind here is colorful. But beyond that, LP integrates its publishing with Christian community building. Take note, too, of its extensive e-book catalogue.
 
Notre Dame Press [Holy Cross Fathers]
 
You’re in the big league at this site. ND Press is the largest Catholic university press in the world, and it looks every bit as tough as its football team. And yet, ND Press has an intriguing blog site you can subscribe to for free, which highlights Catholic life and history we rarely hear about—like the 150 Catholic priests who served as chaplains in the Civil War.
 
Twenty-Third Publications and Bayard, Inc. [Augustinians of the Assumption]
 
Twenty-Third is primarily a publisher of books which fosters spirituality and renewal. [Think Pope John XXIII; hence the name] But the mother company, Bayard, is international in its missionary and renewal outreach.

Orbis Books [Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers]

Orbis has distinguished itself over the years for its outstanding output of books on the Church's teachings on social justice and the people who minister where there is no hope. Orbis has made enemies in the Church, too, but so has Pope Francis. You get the picture.

Eerdman [non-denomination; wide agenda]

Its "about us" page describes Eerdman's as "an independent publisher of religious books, from academic books and scholarly works in theology, biblical studies, and religious history to popular titles in spirituality, ministry, and cultural criticism. I subscribe for its frequent new releases and have plucked some remarkably good Catholic and general works from its offering. Excellent blog page, too. 


COST AND TIPS
 
It is true that for “big name” Catholic authors the price of a new text can run high. I haven’t seen much difference in price between the Catholic publishers themselves and the online outlets, particularly Amazon. But Amazon has ways for you to save money. There are many independent used book shops who sell their books through Amazon's system. When you visit a particular book’s site on Amazon, be sure to look to the right of the page for purchase options, particularly “used editions.” If I don’t need a book in a hurry, I’ll pay the [generally] lower rate, and it will arrive in the regular mail. Of course, if you are a Prime member, you qualify for overnight delivery for most texts.
 
Amazon has a feature on its larger book pages where you can read portions of the book for free before you commit to purchase. Another service I use is the Amazon wish list. You can create that list yourself without purchasing anything. When you hear about or see a book you might like to own but you aren’t sure, put it on your wish list, as Amazon is set up to do that instantly for you--where it can sit for years. If you decide to buy later, just click the book over to the checkout page. I have had books on my wish list for nineteen years—you can catch a glimpse of my wish list here. [Nobody ever bought me one, though, LOL.] I turn 77 next week; will I read everything on my wish list? Probably not, but it's fun and exciting to know all those books are out there waiting for me.
 
And finally, many religious books are available on Kindle, on the lightweight Kindle pad or other devices. I will use Kindle for novels on vacation, but for my home working library I buy printed texts only. I mark them up and retain them for future use. But, you do what works for you.
 
Feel free to contact me from the bottom of the Café home page if you need help navigating the Sea of Ink and Wisdom. I'll share my raft.