"...and make the bible seem important to you."
The Bible IS important to me. I prayed from the Divine Liturgy this morning - 3 Psalms and a reading from the Scriptures. Read today's Gospel from Mark. Read the last three chapters of Galatians, with my study notes. During lunch, I will pray 3 more Psalms. Later, I will meditate on the Gospel (which would be very pertinent to this conversation - I HIGHLY suggest you read it, Biblewonk - Mk 9:38-40 Oh, heck, it's short. Here it is: "Now John answered Him, saying, 'Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.' But Jesus said, 'Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.").
Before turning in, 3 more Psalms will be prayed. I will also read more commentaries on the second half of Galatians later, but I am at work, so it depends on that schedule first.
Does this look like the schedule of someone who doesn't consider the Bible important? Again, I remind you, Catholics do NOT take EVERYTHING from the Scriptures. God speaks also through Apostolic Tradition. The decisions of the Councils (the precedence we saw in Acts 15). The teachings of the Church, such as from encyclicals. The Bible is at the center, but it is not all-encompassing.
JESUS IS!
Beware of worshipping the Bible! It is a book meant to lead us to Christ, not an end in of itself.
Here is another reading from Scripture that I humbly present to you:
Also Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18: 9-14)
I can't help but think of this parable when you write as you do regarding "those RC's who don't read the Bible 3 times a year for 18 years".
Regards
Here is another reading from Scripture that I humbly present to you:
Also Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18: 9-14)
I can't help but think of this parable when you write as you do regarding "those RC's who don't read the Bible 3 times a year for 18 years".
That hurt. I'm worshipping the bible because I read it and believe it and worshipping the bible is wrong? I can only assume that worshipping the bible is not worshipping God's Word because it is just a book and God's Word Jesus Himself, to an RC. I'm also out of line for noticing that people who have less regard for the bible read it less and I am trusting that I am righteous because I read the bible. So I should quit reading the bible so I can quit trusting that I am right in my understanding of what it says and then I won't be on the wrong side of the prayer hill in Luke 18.
I have to say, that's sounds pretty twisted to me.