THE CATHOLIC CENTRE will launch the Midsummer – Mini Book Exhibition activity in mid-July to for the summer holidays to the faithful. This is to promote the joy of reading Christian books among the faithful and deepen their faith. Due to the Covid-19 coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2] pandemic, the Diocese of Hong Kong will not be participating in this year’s Hong Kong Book Fair so there will be no designated Catholic Zone at the venue.
However, the Vox Amica Press, under the Salesians of Don Bosco, will continue to take part in the fair and will be an exhibitor in the Children’s Paradise zone. While the Hong Kong Book Fair is going on, some Catholic bookshops will organise promotional activities within their own stores.
Prior to World Book Day in April, the publishing industry in Hong Kong conducted a survey on reading habits. It found that on the whole, interviewees spent more time reading in the past year of the pandemic than before. Out of these, 75 per read print books and their reading time increased by nearly 10 per cent compared with the period before the pandemic.
This phenomenon can be called a blessing in disguise: as people have reduced their social activity, reading has become something which can help them stay calm and relaxed.
Reading can help people to expand their horizons and learn about different eras and places without leaving home. It is good that over the past few years, many Catholic schools organised Reading Weeks to promote reading. To draw students to read books, teachers made strenuous efforts to make reading activities livelier and more fun. For example, some schools organised a book character costume activity and conducted seminars relevant to the reading themes.
Some parishes launched virtual reading clubs with their parishioners to read and discuss books online. Some videos recommending Christian books have also been made available for people to access.
Reading not only can enhance our knowledge but can also help us to stay calm and nurture our spiritual being.
At the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in New York City, the United States, Father Martin organised reading groups every month. While one group was intended for Catholics over 35-years-old, another was for Catholics aged below 35. The books selected by the groups involved spirituality, theology and fiction. The groups not only fostered the faith of the participants, but also achieved the purpose of establishing small parish communities of faith.
St. Alphonsus Liguori once said that reading spiritual works can lead to the repentance and conversion of many sinners. While Sacraments and prayer are indispensable, reading is another path to deepen our faith in our daily lives.
Therefore, we must try to find time to read amidst busy days and loads of chores. Let us try to set reading targets within a year so that these Christian books can open our mind and eyes, deepening our faith. SE
