What Are You Reading, What Are You Watching?

I spent some time lately reading a collection of Dorothy Days journal entries. One of the things that I came away with as an insight was that she was shaped by what she read. When she was reading devotional literature her attitudes reflected it, when she was reading some other types of things her focus became much more political (and sometimes not in what seemed to me to be healthy ways). I've noticed with other people in my life that what they have been reading doesn't just influence their opinions, it also seems to effect their moods. Same with what they are watching on television or for movies. I've noticed the same thing is true for me. It's far harder to focus on simplicity and not get caught up in the worldly models if I spend my time watching What Not To Wear, for example.

I've noticed as Lent has begun and I've been working harder at at least getting the Office of Readings in every day that what's in the daily reading seems to pop up again in some way later in the day. On Sunday I was amazed again at how the readings for the Office tied in with the readings and the homily at Mass. However, I've also been amazed at these serendipitous (or providential) moments on other days as well when other reading I'm doing, something I'm watching on TV, something I hear on the radio, will also tie in with the reading.

Now, I'm not criticizing non-devotional literature, I'm not even abstaining from non-devotional literature during Lent. I just think that it's important to be aware of what we are putting into our minds, just as we focus on what we are putting into our bodies. We can be aware of this when it comes to things like pornography, but less aware of it when it comes to things that stir up feelings of resentment or discontentment. A lot of what passes for news these days seems more designed to stir up emotions than to truly inform. This is true not only in the secular press. It's also true in blogdom. I think that one thing I want to do this Lent is to take a step back and look at what I read and what I watch effects me. I hope I can look at things with the eyes of the Church instead of being simply formed by the world around me. I hope you can do the same.