John Emmet Clarke on the Importance of Reading Books

"College commencement season is upon us. Graduates now face the prospect that they may never again be required to read a book. Many may freely, even happily, forget the books they read over the last four - or more - years. For any who do so, we should feel a mixture of dismay and pity.

"Because it is good to read and good to remember: these are basic truths of human existence. If anyone rejects those truths, we are all worse off; his memory loss can become our memory loss. And this is especially true in the Church."

In a recent commentary, John Emmet Clarke, editor-in-chief of Cluny Media, reflected on the importance of taking to heart the "words that St. Augustine heard on the threshold of his conversion: 'take and read.': because books "enable our participation in the tradition."

To access Mr. Clarke's complete post, please visit:

The Catholic Thing: Take and Read, Lest You Forget (21 MAY 22