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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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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

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Thus, by the celebration of a single Mass (in which he offers Jesus Christ in sacrifice), a priest gives greater honor to the Lord than if all men by dying for God offered to him the sacrifice of their lives. By a single Mass, he gives greater honor to God than all the angels and saints—along with the Blessed Virgin Mary—have given or shall give to him; for their worship cannot be of infinite value, like that which the priest celebrating on the altar offers to God.”

— Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Recent Posts

  • The Real Miracle of Gregorian Chant
  • Why A “Fugue” Here?
  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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