Part II, Chapter IV (*): Books for Sermon Material

Books for Sermon Material

THE FIRST and most important book for preachers is Sacred Scripture, especially the New Testament. I n the Old Testament, the Book of Wisdom, of Job, and of the Prophets are especially recommended.

Some time should be devoted each day to the reading of Sacred Scripture and it is suggested that this be done kneeling, in imitation of St. Charles Borromeo. Parts of Scripture should be memorized, certainly the most impressive passages. Spiritual commentators, too, should be read with care, especially Cornelius a Lapide and Barradas.(1)

Next in importance after Holy Scripture come the writings of the Fathers of the Church, foremost among them St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Great and St. Bernard. The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas is, of course, an indispensable reference book for any preacher of Catholic doctrine. ' There are also the works of Louis of Granada, a Spanish Dominican, renowned for his virtue and erudition. St. Charles Borromeo made extensive use of the writings of this learned man, using them as his sole manual of theology. Certainly Granada's Guide of Sinners should be studied and read with special care.

There are also Father Saint jure's Knowledge and Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, William Peraldus's De Vitiis et Virtutibus(2) and the Catechism of St. Peter Canisius.

(*). This chapter has been considerably curtailed by the omission of several works no longer available and by the elimination of long footnotes included in the original French edition, Oeuvres Complètes, V0L. IV, P. 29 ff. (1) Barradas, a Portuguese Jesuit (1542-1615), published Commentaria in concordiam et historiam Evangeliorum, in four volumes. (2). William Peraldus, a French Dominican, died in 1260.

Books for Sermon Material 85

The Lives of the Saints must be the handbooks of any preacher who wants to perform his duty with success and devotion. Other good books in the preacher's mother tongue must be read attentively and studied in order to perfect his style and to acquire clarity and fluency of speech.

Frivolous and worldly books should not be used nor should the mind of the priest be sullied with the contents of such useless works. Such volumes are often part of Satan's library, completely opposed to the maxims of the Gospel. 86-