Looking back on my youth, I remember playing baseball and tennis, going swimming, family vacations at Bethany Beach and Ocean City, and watching the Orioles at Memorial Stadium or on television. Sometimes the games weren’t televised, so we listened on the radio. Imagine that! But it wasn’t all leisure. There was work to be done such as cutting grass and painting fences. And while I was away from school, there was summer reading to be done. It wasn’t always easy to discipline myself to sit still, but it helped develop my love for reading which I enjoy to this day. David Baldacci, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy. But the best book of all is the Bible, because God is its author. So do yourself a favor and open up your bible each night. If you like adventure and history, the Books of Genesis and Exodus are excellent; if you want to know Jesus better, read the Gospel of Matthew; if you like poetry, try the Psalms (Jesus prayed them) or Song of Songs; if you like female heroes, read the Books of Judith or Esther; if you want a whale of a tale (pardon the pun) read Jonah; and if your are having problems, The Book of Job will show you somebody who had it even worse before winning in the end.
However, to get the most out of these books, don’t try to read them at one sitting. Do a little bit at a time each morning or evening so that God, the author, can help you understand and grow.
- Fr. Carl
“Those who practice devotion, who go often to
Confession and Communion, and fail to do works of
faith and charity, are like trees in blossom. You think
there will be as much fruit as flower; but there is a
great difference…”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars
