Reading can foster closeness to God

Sister Joanne St. Hilaire, CSJ, wants Catholics to read less. "I suggest people slow down, not try to finish a book," she told The Evangelist.

If that remark seems puzzling, it might help to learn that she will lead a Feb. 16 workshop -- "From Spiritual Reading to Prayer" -- with the goal of getting readers to use books to better their relationship with God.

Sister Joanne, a spiritual director who previously spent 24 years teaching English literature at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, said she's done "reflective reading" all her religious life.

'Chewing' a book

"It began when I was a novice," Sister Joanne recalled. As she read books on theology or spirituality, she began to keep a journal to write down passages she found interesting.

Later, she learned that men and women in monastic life call that concept "mastication" or "chewing" on what they read until it becomes a part of them.

While rushing through a book to finish it and presumably learn something is commendable, she added, "the purpose of spiritual reading is to develop our relationship with God. To make it prayerful reading, it has to be reflected on."

Reflective reading

Sister Joanne believes almost any book can be read reflectively. At her workshop, she will explain several ways to do so, including writing quotations from the book in a journal (rather than simply underlining them) until readers have amassed a "collection" of passages.

Then, she said, readers can go back and "pray through" the passages, asking the Holy Spirit to make some of them stand out. When that happens, "stop and think about it: What does it say about God or prayer?"

To urge the process along, the reader might also say a prayer like that used by many monastics: "Oh, God, come to my assistance; oh, Lord, make haste to help me."

Sharing her joy

The spiritual director said she has been "nourished all my life" by such practices and that leading a workshop on the topic will be "sharing some of my joy" about the results.

Of course, those who try reading reflectively will find they don't finish books as quickly. But Sister Joanne doesn't have a problem with that. Reading less "isn't so bad, if they're getting more out of it for their spiritual lives," she said. "That's a pretty good goal."

("From Spiritual Reading to Prayer," sponsored by the diocesan Consultation Center, will be held Feb. 16, 7-8:30 p.m., at the Pastoral Center in Albany. There is no fee, but a donation is suggested. To learn more, call 489-4431.)

(2/3/05)