Enjoy a gourmet meal every day of Lent

Monday, March 11, 2019

*Dolores Hanley McDiarmid

English Spanish

The season of Lent has arrived. When was the last time you read a book that fed your soul? Believe it or not, one does not need a lot of time to incorporate spiritual reading into the Lenten journey, and it’s important for spiritual growth.

Father Thomas G. Morrow tells us in his article, “A Guide to Spiritual Reading”: “Spiritual reading should be done a little at a time from 5 to 15 minutes a day, but every day without fail, barring some extending crisis. It should be second in priority only to prayer. It is done for formation, not for entertainment...”

On a You Tube talk about “Spiritual Food,” Bishop Robert Barron reminds us that if our physical body goes without food for a few days, our body begins to atrophy; and if our souls are not fed, they dry up and die. With that in mind, how long has it been since you have enjoyed a gourmet meal for your soul?

With the multitudes of Catholic books and materials available to all of us, we can enjoy a gourmet meal every day for Lent. St. John Bosco said, “Only God knows the good that can come about by reading one good Catholic book.”

One spiritual restaurant has been open for 118 years and its servers are waiting to feed more souls. Many people are unaware of Xavier Society for the Blind, located in New York City. Xavier Society provides Catholic reading materials at no charge to people unable to access the printed word. That includes people who are living with blindness, visual impairments and learning disabilities. A myriad of books and reading material are available in large print, Braille and audio.

The selection of authors to choose from includes: Matthew Kelly, Scott Hahn, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Mother Angelica, Father Mitch Pacwa, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton and many others.

If you know of anyone unable to access the printed word who would benefit from this free service, please tell them about the Xavier Society for the Blind, so they too can join us and enjoy a gourmet meal for their souls every day during and after Lent. For additional information and services call Xavier Society for the Blind at 1-800-637-9193.

Bon appétit!

Comments from readers

james - 03/11/2019 05:45 PM

Dear Dolores Hanley McDiarmid and faithful parishioners: Whilst the article is very nicely written and has beauty in its own way I strongly recommend an additional act. Not only the Catholic Faith talks about fasting but many other religions do also. Fasting has a lot of "science" behind it with its "cleansing" abilities. Now lets talk about Jesus fasting. This is very helpful to bring one's spirit back into alignment. I have lost 15 pounds in two months in preparation for this Lenten season. I have done two 18 hour, three 22 hour, and one 24 fast. I have never done this before and I cannot but help strongly recommend almost every Catholic do this. There is a ton of information on the internet, books, and videos available. Of course a disclaimer is presented above. Anyway, I have found this gift and want to share it with you. If you are physically able to do it but don't want to because you are lazy, then shame on you! We need to bring back the old school ways of being more strict instead of being social media cry babies. Fact. In God's Grace, Blessings.....

Pat Solenski - 03/11/2019 11:03 AM

Delores, Thank you for the delightful dining tips! No calories either!

james - 03/11/2019 05:45 PM: Dear Dolores Hanley McDiarmid and faithful parishioners: Whilst the article is very nicely written and has beauty in its own way I strongly recommend an additional act. Not only the Catholic Faith talks about fasting but many other religions do also. Fasting has a lot of "science" behind it with its "cleansing" abilities. Now lets talk about Jesus fasting. This is very helpful to bring one's spirit back into alignment. I have lost 15 pounds in two months in preparation for this Lenten season. I have done two 18 hour, three 22 hour, and one 24 fast. I have never done this before and I cannot but help strongly recommend almost every Catholic do this. There is a ton of information on the internet, books, and videos available. Of course a disclaimer is presented above. Anyway, I have found this gift and want to share it with you. If you are physically able to do it but don't want to because you are lazy, then shame on you! We need to bring back the old school ways of being more strict instead of being social media cry babies. Fact. In God's Grace, Blessings.....

Pat Solenski - 03/11/2019 11:03 AM: Delores, Thank you for the delightful dining tips! No calories either!