談過亞道夫.鄧奎利神父有關「達致全德」的神修指導和生活規範提議後，今天我們探索他說的「研讀聖書及神修講座」。

研讀那些聖書

在聖書中，首推當然是聖經，特別是新約。聖熱羅尼莫說：「對聖經無知就是對基督無知。」在聖經中，我們與耶穌基督相遇，學習祂的生活及教導。

此外，閱讀聖人的傳記和箸作亦很有幫助；例如：聖本篤的會規、殉道聖依納爵的書信、聖奧斯定的「懺悔錄」、聖依納爵.羅耀拉的「神操」、多默.金碧的「師主篇」、聖若望.鮑思高的「朔造德靈」、聖若望.加栖央的「隱修生活規律」、聖加大利納.栖亞那的「對話錄」、聖若望.克利馬古的「天國階梯」、聖十字架若望所箸的「上加爾默羅山」、「靈魂的黑夜」和「愛的活火」、聖大德蘭的自傳及「全德之道」、聖味增爵的「遣使會」會規、聖方濟各.撒肋爵的「虔敬生活論」和「論天主之愛」、聖亞豐索所箸的「致聖得救十二步」、「耶穌基督的苦難聖死」和「瑪利亞的光榮」、聖類斯.蒙福的「敬禮聖母的真諦」、聖若翰.維雅納的講道、聖小德蘭的「一朵小白花」、真福教宗若望二十三世寫的「靈修日記」、聖傅天娜的日記—「神聖慈悲於我靈」，與及聖施禮華的「道」。

重要性

一本要理書的作者指出：「現時撒殫最能摧毀靈魂的工具之一，就是不良的刊物！當中導人誤入歧途的俗世內容，正是耶穌基督強烈遣責的。我們因此要閱讀良好的書籍，例如福音、聖人行實，和神修作品，以滋養我們的信德和虔敬之心，抗衡俗世歪理謬說。」

亞道夫.鄧奎利神父續指出，神修講座比研讀聖書有著雙重的裨益。首先，講座是按某些團體或群體的特別需要而設計舉行，其次是言談間互動的影響與感染力。

心態

要在研讀聖書和神修講座中受惠，先必要有莫大的信德及渴慕成聖的精神，並把所閱所聞的，矢志實踐。

我們相信天主通過神修閱讀和講座對我們說話。「神聖閱讀」Lectio Divina有四個步驟：細閱、默想、祈禱、靜觀; 這四個步驟使人在閱讀時，藉信德和祈禱之心，聆聽天主、轉向天主。

渴慕成聖，觸發我們以儆醒的心，閱讀或聆聽，並將內容應用到自己身上。我們應慢慢的細讀，在心中聆聽天主。聖若望.歐德說：「靜止下來沉思一下，反覆思量那最能感染你的真理，把這些真理銘刻於心，好能發出熱情和愛慕。」

我們要實踐聖言，不只聆聽。像聖師艾弗冷一樣將所閱讀的聖頁在生活中覆印出來。

In the last two weeks we looked at two exterior means of perfection, spiritual direction and a rule of life. This week we are looking at spiritual readings and conferences.

What to read?

Among spiritual readings Holy Scripture, especially the New Testament, holds the first place. St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Reading Scripture helps us to encounter Jesus Christ and to learn about His life and teachings.

Lives of the saints and writings of the saints are very helpful to our spiritual life. Here is a list of some of the spiritual classics: Rule of St. Benedict, Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, City of God and Confessions of St. Augustine, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, Virtue and Christian Refinement by St. John Bosco, The Conferences of St. John Cassian, Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, The Ladder by St. John Climacus, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, and Living Flame of Love by St. John of the Cross.

There are also: Way of Perfection and Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, An Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God by St. Francis de Sales, Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation, The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ and The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Ligouri, True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort, Sermons of the Cur‚ of Ars, Story of a Soul by St. Th‚rŠse of Lisieux, Journal of a Soul by Blessed John XXIII, Divine Mercy in My Soul by St. Faustina Kowalska, and The Way by St. Josemar¡a Escriv .

Importance

One Catechism states, “One of the chief means Satan makes use of for the destruction of souls, especially at the present time, is the reading of bad books, because by them people learn how to live according to the maxims of the world, which are so much condemned by Jesus Christ. We ought frequently, then, to read good books, such as the Holy Gospel, the ‘Lives of the Saints,’ and other spiritual works, which nourish our faith and piety, and arm us against these false maxims of the world.”

Father Adolphe Tanquerey, author of The Spiritual Life, points out that spiritual conferences have a double advantage over spiritual readings: first, as they are designed for a special class of people, they are better adapted to their peculiar needs; second, there is the appeal and the power of the spoken word.

Dispositions

In order to benefit from readings and conferences one should have a great spirit of faith, a sincere desire to sanctify oneself, and a will to practise what is read or heard.

God speaks to us through spiritual readings and conferences. The practice of Lectio Divina (holy reading) helps one to read Scripture in a spirit of faith and prayer. The four steps of Lectio Divina are: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. They invite one to spend time listening to God and turning to Him through holy reading.

One who has a sincere desire to grow in holiness should read or listen with an alert mind that applies the contents to oneself, and not to others. One should read slowly in order to listen to God. St. John Eudes said, “Stop to consider, ponder, and relish the truths that make greater appeal to you, in order to fix them in your mind, therefrom to elicit acts and affections.”

We should be doers and not just hearers of the word. It was said that St. Ephrem “reproduced in his life what he had read in the sacred pages.”