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Views from the Choir Loft

Spiritual Reading

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · November 28, 2013

991 Reading Click to enlarge this magnificent image In his classic work The Soul of the Apostolate, Dom Chautard writes, apropos one’s daily time of prayer:

BOOK OF MEDITATIONS is almost necessary to keep the mind from drifting around in a fog. There are plenty of works, old and new, that have everything that is demanded in a true book of meditations. . . . Each point contains some striking truth presented in a clear, forceful, and concise manner, in such a way that once we have reflected upon it, we are inevitably led on into a loving and practical conversation with God.

We are about to begin the holy season of Advent, a season of eager longing, quiet waiting, renewed trust in God’s provision for our needs, and, most of all, of interior preparation for receiving the Word of God into our hearts, our lives. Do you have a plan for what spiritual reading you will be doing? It will make Advent so much more fruitful if you take up a serious book suited to the season and read a portion of it every day, rain or shine. If it can be arranged, setting aside time for quiet prayer during and after reading that portion of the book will make the season even more fruitful, but in any case, doing the reading itself is already a spiritual discipline that will bear fruit.

THERE ARE SO MANY great classics out there that I hesitate to recommend any one in particular, but in case you don’t have a bookshelf already loaded with books you’ve bought and not yet read (a problem that I face to an almost ridiculous extent), here are a few you might consider.

One is called Divine Intimacy, by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. Another is the adaptation into daily meditations of the spiritual works of Blessed Columba Marmion, O.S.B.: Words of Life on the Margin of the Missal (out of print but sometimes available used). An attractive feature of both books is that the meditations follow the course of the liturgical year and therefore present prayer, the three ways of the spiritual life, the life of Christian virtue, etc., as a participation in the mysteries of Christ as given to us in the liturgy.

A third recommendation, if one is looking for something a bit more intellectual, is Fr. Bede Jarrett, O.P.’s Meditations for Laymen. This is a Thomistically-informed set of meditations that cover all the major topics in the spiritual life, based on the fundamental principle that truth and truth alone sets us free, and that we must therefore root ourselves in the truth before we will be capable of any spiritual progress.

Other books that have deeply nourished me and many of my friends over the years:

Fr. Jacques Philippe, Searching for and Maintaining Peace

Fr. Jean C. J. d’Elbée, I Believe in Love

Bd. Columba Marmion, Christ, the Life of the Soul and Christ in His Mysteries

Reading books like these, which may take a bit longer to finish than Advent allows — they might take you well into Lent and Easter and out beyond Pentecost! — is a way to ensure a season of spiritual growth in faith, deeper insight into the mystery of Jesus, and the burning of a brighter flame of charity.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Saint Thomas Aquinas Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The traditions of the elders, your glory throughout long ages, must not be belittled. Indeed, your manner of celebrating the choral office [in Latin] has been one of the chief reasons why these families of yours have lasted so long, and happily increased.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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