Value in Reading the Classics

*A Caveat: For me, reading these wholesome classic books were a stepping stone to the hunger and deepening of my faith. I had nothing else. They shouldn’t replace the reading of saints and other spiritual books that Catholic children need to be reading. The classics can be a nice supplement…

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I want you to picture a young girl, sensitive, inquisitive and I would say…. precocious at the same time.

She lives in the big city, in a small home with her mom and dad and her 3 brothers (at the time). She lives in a lower scale neighborhood, and has a home life that is difficult.

Each day she goes to school and although she doesn’t really like it, she is quick to learn and gets through each subject…because she knows she has to. Her curious mind is ever thirsty for knowledge, and she eagerly absorbs information like a sponge.

She has an ability to make friends and is a leader in many ways. The children there are from all walks of life, many are poor, some middle-class.

One day, her mom, whom she loves deeply (and vice versa) brings a book home from the Hospital Library where she works as a Nurse’s Aide. The book is called “Anne of Green Gables” and she begins to read it to her young girl.

I am that young girl…and I become enthralled with the book. The descriptions of nature, the impish girlishness of the young girl, the quandaries, the victories, touch me deep in my soul. It stirs something. The beauty of life, the values of the children of a different time leaves me inspired.

Lucy Maud Montgomery had a remarkable ability to bring her fictional landscapes to life, painting vivid portraits of Prince Edward Island’s natural beauty. Her descriptions of lush green meadows, rolling hills, and picturesque landscapes stir up a sense of wonder in my young heart.

Her characters are unforgettable and endearing, relatable and charming.

And so…I could no longer wait for Mom to get home to read to me. I gobbled up the book myself with tears at the end because it was over. I got to the library as soon as possible and read all the other books in the series.

I hungered for more and read all her books, and went on to the Little Women books, Pollyanna, The Old-Fashioned Girl, etc.

There was a lot of ugliness around me. These books helped me to escape for a short time into a world of friendship, integrity, and sweet romance. The difficulties of life left me as I got lost in the pages.

They had a significant impact on me. They stirred a hunger for beauty and truth which eventually led me to a deepening of my Catholic Faith.

So… we had this conversation in our ladies’ messaging group (with my daughters and daughter-in-law, Z) and that’s what sparked this article. Z just read the Anne of Green Gables series last year and fell in love with them. She is now on to the Louisa May Alcott series.

Here are some of her words about this kind of reading…

“I am reading Little Women for the very first time. And it is so incredibly beautiful. The feminine virtue, the sanctity of family and home life are so rich and inspiring, it has really touched me. This book reminds me so much of the Anne of Green Gables series (which is very near and dear to me.) Books like these absolutely feed my soul. I plan to read Little Men and Jo’s Boys next to finish up the story. I almost get more spiritual benefit from beautiful literature like this than many religious books.

“They really are lifelines!!! The virtue and faith in this book….the way they helped Beth prepare and approach death was so phenomenal and beautiful. It really speaks to the soul. I will finish it tonight and I’m just captivated.

“In some ways I’m sorry that I didn’t read some of these classic books as a young girl. They might’ve inspired me to be a more feminine young lady. But I feel like reading them now, with a little more life under my belt, gives me a much stronger appreciation for their beauty. It’s a worthwhile read at any age, in my opinion!”

I looked up the transformative power of classic literature and its enduring significance in shaping individuals’ lives and here’s what I came up with….

*Expanding Horizons: Class literature exposes readers to diverse cultures, perspectives, and historical contexts, broadening their understanding of the world.

*Empathy and Understanding: Engaging with complex characters and their struggles fosters empathy and emotional intelligence in readers, helping them navigate real-life relationships and challenges.

*Critical Thinking Skills: Analyzing themes, symbols, and narratives in classic literature sharpens readers’ critical thinking skills, encouraging them to question assumptions and explore deeper meanings.

*Timeless Wisdom (This is one I especially love): Timeless themes explored in classic literature—such as love, loss, resilience, and redemption—offer profound insights into the human condition and provide solace and guidance in times of need.

*Personal Growth: Classic literature personally impacts individuals, inspiring personal growth, self-reflection, and a lifelong love of learning.

We are careful what we read over here, classics or not, but these particular books I have mentioned are sweet and lovely.

I haven’t got much time for this sort of reading (fiction) these days. When I pick up a book, it is one that is spiritual or for character growth. But I am grateful for the impact of this kind of reading throughout my life. And I pray for L.M. Montgomery when I think of it.

I will close with this quote, “Although, as far as I can tell, some of my heroes have not known the light of Christ in this life, I nevertheless learn from them with great joy, remembering the words of St. Thomas, ‘All truth, by whomever spoken, comes from the Holy Spirit.’” (On Truth, q. 1, a. 8).

“These diapers that are changed daily, these meals that are cooked again and again, these floors that are scrubbed today only to get dirty tomorrow — these are as truly prayer in a mother’s vocation as the watches and prayers of the religious are in theirs.” -Mary Reed Newland, How to Raise Good Catholic Children

Come and join me as I pray the St. Patrick’s Breastplate, also known as the Lorica of St. Patrick…an amazing power of protection. St. Patrick wrote it in 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. (The term breastplate refers to a piece of armor worn in battle.) I say this prayer often for the protection of all my loved ones!

PENAL ROSARIES!

Penal rosaries and crucifixes have a wonderful story behind them. They were used during the times when religious objects were forbidden and it was illegal to be Catholic. Being caught with a rosary could mean imprisonment or worse. A penal rosary is a single decade with the crucifix on one end and, oftentimes, a ring on the other. When praying the penal rosary you would start with the ring on your thumb and the beads and crucifix of the rosary in your sleeve, as you moved on to the next decade you moved the ring to your next finger and so on and so forth. This allowed people to pray the rosary without the fear of being detected. Available here.

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