The Spiritual Media Series – Reading and Listening
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the importance of reading and listening in forming a person’s mind and character. A person is influenced by what he reads and what he hears, and therefore the quality of his reading and listening is reflected in his thoughts, principles, values, and actions. Spiritual reading, especially reading the Holy Bible and the sayings of the fathers and saints, helps a person build a sound spiritual mind and grow in the knowledge of God. On the other hand, misleading readings or ideas contrary to the faith may lead to doubt and confusion in one’s faith if they are accepted without discernment.
Spiritual Message
The Pope emphasizes that the mind should be a scale for everything we read and hear, so that we do not accept everything blindly. He stresses the importance of examining everything that reaches a person and holding fast to what is best, while being cautious of influences that weaken faith or corrupt principles. He also explains that knowledge is not an end in itself, but should become spirit and life and practical training in virtue. A person who knows more has greater responsibility, and therefore he should not reject knowledge, but should use it for spiritual growth and for practicing what he learns.
Educational Lesson
The Pope calls for reading with understanding, comparison, and discernment, and for postponing acceptance of any new idea until a person asks, understands, and verifies it. He also warns that reading should be done with humility, because an abundance of knowledge may lead to pride if a person does not preserve his humility. He explains that the purposes of reading are varied: it may be for knowledge, seeking truth, strengthening the faith, intellectual training, or recreation, but the best reading is that which leads to spiritual life and practical application.
Practical Application
A person should choose books that build him spiritually, such as doctrinal books, the lives of the saints, spiritual meditations, and the sayings of the fathers. When a person cannot read, he can benefit from listening, provided that he carefully chooses what he listens to, because words, music, gatherings, and friends can all influence the soul. A person should also choose his friends and acquaintances and stay away from sources of speech that bring harmful thoughts or troubling news that weaken his peace. The ultimate goal of reading and listening is for a person to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and to transform what he learns into life and practical spiritual training.
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