What Book Are You Reading?

“What books are you reading Father?” This is a question that I often get from all kinds of people, and actually I think that most priests or religious get this type of question. People are curious about what priests read. I think back to my own discernment and asking that question to various Dominicans at the Come and See Weekend that I attended. And the answers were as different as the friars I was questioning. In the mix were some theology and philosophy, which is what I expected to hear, also some autobiographies and spirituality books, also not surprising. But then I heard some other responses, novels, current bestsellers, books that I had read in high school. There was no one type of book.

Fast forward a few years to when I was a novice at St. Albert the Great Priory in Irving, Texas, and a student brother at St. Dominic Priory in St. Louis. As a novice especially, I read several books that I had always wanted to read. The novitiate year is time to more intensely discern the vocation to be a Dominican friar. In the midst of learning all sorts of new things (prayer and the Liturgy of the Hours, our Constitutions, lives of Dominican Saints, and more) there is plenty of leisure time - time to think and pray and discern. And also time to read. The same was true during my years as a student brother, though formal study did take up a great deal of time.

As a priest, there is still time to read. One of my favorites aspects of Dominican life is our commitment to lifelong study. For Dominicans, this is something that is expected. There are plenty of us that will pursue doctoral studies, but the notion of lifelong study isn’t simply getting an advanced degree. It is study for the sake of preaching for the salvation of souls.

In a certain way, this study is formalized in our community life through the Lector. Each of our communities has a Lector whose task it is to support the intellectual life of his community. A Lector might assign an article or a book chapter or even a YouTube video for the entire community (house or Priory) to read or watch, and then we come together to discuss. The topic usually relates to some aspect of the preaching mission that the community is involved in (campus ministry, parish ministry, a current event in the area, a church event, etc) and the material that we are studying might be religious or secular.

In my community, St. Anthony of Padua Priory in New Orleans, we have the Pastor and Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, the Chaplain and Director of the Catholic Campus Ministry at Tulane University, a University Professor, the Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, several itinerant preachers, older friars on limited service, and a few of us, like myself, who are assigned to the Provincial Office. Recognizing the different leadership roles that we have, our Priory Lector assigned for this month a short book, The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni.

Our Priory Lector had the following to say when choosing this book:

I offer for our study and discussion something from the secular world. A short book (a "Leadership Fable") written by a Catholic man, Patrick Lencioni, who provides leadership and team building consultation to successful major corporations such as Southwest and Ford Motors. His book, The Five Temptations of a CEO, is obviously directed at CEOs, but it's lessons apply quite well to any leaders, even religious ones.

Be on the lookout for a book review and an article about the painting of St. Dominic and the monkey, but in the meantime let me know what you’re reading.