When fall comes, reading comes to mind. Why is it the season for reading? We can see its origin in the four-character idiom “燈火可親” (by lamplight doing something worthwhile) that comes from the agricultural culture. It is too hot in the summer to read books by light, but in the cool fall, it is pleasant to do so by lamplight.
Before paper was invented, ancient China used bamboo slips instead of paper. Bamboo shoots planted in the spring had to grow until fall to be bound. Fall is neither hot nor cold, making it perfect for reading books. It is the season when fruits and leaves fall. In the fall, calmness and loneliness deepen.
It is the season when I need someone to be with me. I look for family, friends, and lovers who can comfort my loneliness. After a short meeting, I feel empty and hopeless again. Is there “someone” here who will stay by my side for a long time? Who can embrace, comfort, and encourage me during fatigue, anger, discouragement, and failure?
Pope Francis says, “When prayer alone fails to bring inner peace, a ‘good book’ can help overcome difficulties and find peace of mind.” Reading creates new inner space so we do not sink into obsessive and narrow-minded thoughts that hinder our growth.
The Pope is an avid reader and enjoys reading novels and poetry. In addition to the Bible, there is always a book on his desk and in his bag. In his sermons and letters, he quotes works by famous and unknown authors worldwide and Bible passages. The Pope points out that literature should not be considered a secondary discipline in the priestly training courses of seminaries. He emphasizes that if future priests do not approach human culture and the hearts of each individual through literature, it can lead to intellectual and spiritual poverty.
The Pope’s favorite literary genre is dystopia, or ‘tragedy.’ In 1964, the Pope taught literature and psychology for two years at the Immaculate College (Jesuit) in Santa Fe, Argentina. The Pope recently shared an anecdote from that time in a letter to seminarians and pastoral workers. “I had to teach my students about El Cid, a medieval Spanish general, but they wanted to read the works of Federico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish poet and playwright who wrote many tragedies,” he said. So he had them read El Cid at home, and he taught about their favorite authors in class.
The Pope explained that he prefers tragedies because “we can all accept their tragedies as our own, as expressions of our own dramas.” Shedding tears over the fate of the characters means crying about our own emptiness, lack, and loneliness.
So what positive effects does reading have on our lives? The Pope says: “It improves vocabulary, develops intellectual abilities, stimulates imagination and creativity. It improves concentration, prevents cognitive decline, and reduces stress and anxiety.” He also says, “It allows us to see the world through the eyes of others, develops empathy, and discovers that even the loneliest people are not alone.”
The Pope advises that literature helps us “experience life as it is.” Our perspectives, living our breathless daily lives in the world, find it difficult to escape the pressure of realistic and short-term goals. In addition, services such as liturgy, pastoral work, and charity work can be reduced to obligatory tasks. Therefore, literary works can become a training ground for discerning the world.
