THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: ON READING THE BIBLE [Catholic Caucus]

St. John Chrysostom (344/354 - 407 AD)
Doctor of the Church.

“To become adult Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures”
[On the Letter to the Ephesians - Education of Children.]

“But what is the answer to these charges? ‘I am not,’ you will say, ‘one of the monks, but I have both a wife and children, and the care of a household.’ This is what has ruined everything, your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only, when you need it more than they do. Those who are placed in the world, and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine. So, far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous. Such things were invented by the devil.”
[St. John’s Second Homily on Matthew section 10 (which is sometimes labeled as section 5.) ]

The Lindisfarne Gospels, Saint Matthew
Early 7th century or late 8th century
English translation 950 AD
From the British Library

Saint Augustine (354-430 AD)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

"Holy Scripture is invested with supreme authority by reason of its sure and momentous teachings regarding the faith. Whatever, then, it tells us of Enoch, Elias and Moses -- that we believe. We do not, for instance, believe that God's Son was born of the Virgin Mary simply because He could not otherwise have appeared in the flesh and 'walked amongst men' -- as Faustus would have it -- but we believe it simply because it is written in Scripture; and unless we believe in Scripture we can neither be Christians nor be saved." [S. Aug., Contra Faustum, 26, 3, 6.]

"These things are true; they are faithfully and truthfully written of Christ; so that whosoever believes His Gospel may be thereby instructed in the truth and misled by no lie." [S. Aug., Contra Faustum, 26, 8.]

The two citations above are also quoted by Pope Benedict XV in his encyclical Spiritus Paraclitus sections 25 and 27.

Pope St. Gregory I (died 604 AD)
“The Emperor of heaven, the Lord of men and of angels, has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly. Study them, I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator. Learn the heart of God in the words of God, that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal, that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys.”
[Letters, 5, 46. (EnchBibl 31)]

The Lindisfarne Gospels
digitally restored

St. Isidore   (560-636 AD)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
“Prayer purifies us, reading instructs us... If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us.
“All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection. By reading we learn what we did not know; by reflection we retain what we have learned.
“Reading the holy Scriptures (the Bible) confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.
“Two kinds of study are called for here. We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood, and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them. A man must first be eager to understand what he is reading before he is fit to proclaim what he has learned.
“The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it... Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears; it never reaches the heart. It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose. But when God’s grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding, his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart.”
[Office of Readings, April 4...(Lib.3,8-10: PL 83, 679-682)]

St. Venerable Bede   (died 735 AD)
He is the first person known to translate the Gospel into Old English (Anglo-Saxon.)
“High, however, as was the general level of Bede’s culture, he repeatedly makes it clear that all his studies were subordinated to the interpretation of Scripture. In his “De Schematibus” he says in so many words: “Holy Scripture is above all other books not only by its authority because it is Divine, or by its utility because it leads to eternal life, but also by its antiquity and its literary form (positione dicendi).” ”
[Source: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02384a.htm

Saints Cyril and Methodius (827-869 AD) and (826-885 AD)
Кирил и Методий
Bishops
Known as the Apostles to the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius were brothers, born in Thessalonica and became notable for their missionary work among the Moravians. Cyril is known for his alphabet, specially constructed from Greek with a few Hebrew letters, employed by the brothers in translating the Gospels and Divine Liturgy into the Slavonic language. Before his death Cyril had translated most of the Scriptures into Slavonic. Later missionaries continued their work, Christianizing other Slavic countries including Russia and the Ukraine.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD)
Doctor and Father of the Church.
“The person who thirsts for God eagerly studies and meditates on the inspired Word, knowing that there, he is certain to find the One for whom he thirsts.”
[Commentary on the Song of Songs, Sermon 23:3.]

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274 AD)
In his day, there where no public schools and only the wealthy could afford private tutors. Therefore, most people could not read or write. St. Bonaventure had composed a copy of “Biblia Pauperum” which means the “Bible of the poor.” It contained a collection of pictures illustrating the important events of the Old Testament. It also contained parallel scenes in the New Testament and it showed how the Old Testament prefigured and was fulfilled in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This helped the people to learn God’s Word by showing them the important stories of both the Old and New Testament. He was canonized a Saint by Pope Sixtus IV in1482 AD. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 AD.

Decree of the Council of Trent    April 8, 1546.
“[ The holy synod] following the examples of the orthodox fathers, receives and venerates with an equal affection of piety and reverence all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament-seeing that one God is the Author of both...”
[Session 4, April 8, 1546.]

Saint Teresa of Avila   (1515 -1582 AD)
The Catholic Church strongly recommends the reading of the writings of those who are canonized as Saints. Saint Teresa was canonized in 1622 AD by Pope Gregory XV.   She was also declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.   In her autobiography, The Book of Her Life (La Vida), she writes:
“Within this majesty I was given knowledge of a truth that is the fulfillment of all truths. I don't know how to explain this because I didn't see anything. I was told without seeing anyone, but I clearly understood that it was Truth telling me:   ‘This is no small thing I do for you, because it is one of the things for which you owe Me a great deal, for all the harm that comes to the world comes from its not knowing the truths of Scripture in clarity and truth; not one iota of Scripture will fall short.’   To me it seemed I had always believed this, and that all the faithful believed it. He told me: ‘Alas, daughter, how few there are who truthfully love me! For if they loved me, I would reveal to them my secrets. Do you know what it is to love Me truthfully? It is to understand that everything that is displeasing to me is a lie. By the beneficial effects this understanding will cause in your soul you shall see clearly what you now do not understand.’”
[La Vida, ch. 40, #1.]

Pope Benedict XIV    ( 1740-1758 AD)
Pope Benedict instructed the bishops of the Papal States that "In ecclesiastical chant care must be taken to insure that the words are perfectly and easily understood...."
He quoted the 1565 Synod of Cambrai:
"What is sung in choir is destined to instruct the faithful..."
and the 1536 Council of Cologne:
"the most important part is made up precisely of the recital of the words of the prophets, the apostles, the Epistle, the Creed, the Preface or the act of thanksgiving, and the Our Father. On account of their importance these texts like all the others must be sung clearly and intelligibly." —
Pope Benedict XIV, "Annus qui" 19 February AD 1749)

Pope Pius 6th (April 1st 1778 AD)
“BELOVED SON : Health and apostolic benediction. At a time that a vast number of bad books, which most grossly attack the Catholic religion, are circulated even among the unlearned, to the great destruction of souls, you judge exceedingly well, that the faithful should be excited to the reading of the Holy Scriptures : for these are the most abundant sources which ought to be left open to every one, to draw from them purity of morals and of doctrine, to eradicate the errors which are widely disseminated in these corrupt times : this you have seasonably effected, as you declare, by publishing the sacred writings in the language of your country, suitable to every one's capacity ...
Given at Rome, on the calends of April, 1778, the fourth year of our pontificate.”
(Letter to the Most Rev. Anthony Martini, Archbishop Of Florence, on his Italian translation of the Bible which is printed in Haydock’s Bible, revised by the Very Reverend Dr. Husenbeth, 1884 AD. See Photograph)

Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 AD)
“The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation (the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ”
“... For sacred Scripture is not like other books. Dictated by the Holy Ghost, it contains things of the deepest importance, which in many instances are most difficult and obscure. To understand and explain such things there is always required the ‘coming’ of the same Holy Ghost; that is to say, His light and His grace...It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of holy Scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred... and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration, that inspiration is not only essentially incompatible with error, but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true.”
[Providentissimus Deus ( Nov. 18, 1893)]
“An indulgence of 300 days for reading the Holy Gospels is granted to all the Faithful who read these Holy Scriptures for at least a quarter of an hour, with reverence due to the Divine Word and as spiritual reading…. A Plenary indulgence under the usual conditions is granted once a month for the daily reading.” 
Pope Leo XIII. December, 1898, Preces et Pia Opera, 045. (Enchiridion Indulgentiarium, 694).

Third Council of Baltimore    (7 December AD 1884)
“It can hardly be necessary for us to remind you, beloved brethren, that the most highly valued treasure of every family library, and the most frequently and lovingly made use of, should be the Holy Scriptures.... We hope that no family can be found amongst us without a correct version of the Holy Scriptures.”
The Holy Bible, Holy Trinity Edition (Chicago: Catholic Press,1951) p.xxi.

Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914 AD)
“Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels - not merely from time to time, but every day.”

Catechism of Pope Saint Pius X:
28 Q: Is the reading of the Bible necessary to all Christians?
     A: The reading of the Bible is not necessary to all Christians since they are instructed by the Church; however its reading is very useful and recommended to all.
29 Q: May any translation of the Bible, in the vernacular, be read?
     A: We can read those translations of the Bible in the vernacular which have been acknowledged as faithful by the Catholic Church and which have explanations also approved by the Church.
30 Q: Why may we only read translations of the Bible approved by the Church?
     A: We may only read translations of the Bible approved by the Church because she alone is the lawful guardian of the Bible.
31 Q: Through which means can we know the true meaning of the Holy Scripture?
     A: We can only know the true meaning of Holy Scripture through the Church's interpretation, because she alone is secure against error in that interpretation.
— Catechism of Pope Saint Pius X: On the Virtues and Vices: On Holy Scripture

Pope Benedict XV   (1914-1922 AD)
“Our one desire for all the Church's children is that, being saturated with the Bible, they may arrive at the all surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ.”
15 September AD 1920
He repeated St. Jerome’s statement:
“Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
He expressed his desire that, “... all the children of the Church, especially clerics, to reverence the Holy Scriptures, to read it piously and meditate on it constantly.”
And he reminded them that,
“... in these pages is to be sought that food, by which the spiritual life is nourished unto perfection ...”

Pope Pius XII     1943 AD
“Our predecessors, when the opportunity occurred, recommended the study or preaching or in fine the pious reading and meditation of the sacred Scriptures.
“... This author of salvation, Christ, will men more fully know, more ardently love and more faithfully imitate in proportion as they are more assiduously urged to know and meditate the Sacred Letters, especially the New Testament ...”
[Divino Afflante Spiritu]
He also granted indulgences (a blessing of God’s grace) to those who read Scripture. (1 Cor. 4:1.)

Vatican II :   1965 AD
“21. The Church has always venerated the Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God’s Word and of Christ’s Body. She has always maintained them, and continues to do so, together with sacred tradition, as the supreme rule of faith, since, as inspired by God and committed once and for all to writing, they impart the Word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles. Therefore, like the Christian religion itself, all the preaching of the Church must be nourished and regulated by sacred Scripture. For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life. Consequently these words are perfectly applicable to sacred Scripture: ‘For the word of God is living and active’ (Heb. 4:12) and ‘it has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all those who are sanctified’ ” (Acts 20:32; see 1 Thess. 2:13).
[DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DIVINE REVELATION (DEI VERBUM) 1965 AD]

Pope John Paul I     August 27, 1978
“... We wish to remind the entire Church that its first duty is that of evangelization. Our Predecessor, Paul VI, presented the directions for this in his memorable document: animated by faith, nourished by the Word of God, and strengthened by the heavenly food of the Eucharist, one should study every way, seek every means ‘in season and out of season’ (2 Tim 4:2), to spread the word, to proclaim the message, to announce that salvation which creates in the soul a restlessness to pursue truth and at the same time offers strength from above. If all the sons and daughters of the Church would know how to be tireless missionaries of the Gospel, a new flowering of holiness and renewal would spring up in this world that thirsts for love and for truth.”
[Urbi et Orbi]

Pope John Paul II    October 16, 1979

“27. Catechesis will always draw its content from the living source of the Word of God transmitted in Tradition and the Scriptures, for “sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church,” as was recalled by the Second Vatican Council, which desired that ‘the ministry of the word-pastoral preaching, catechetics and all forms of Christian instruction . . .-(should be) healthily nourished and (should) thrive in holiness through the word of Scripture.’ (57)
“To speak of Tradition and Scripture as the source of catechesis is to draw attention to the fact that catechesis must be impregnated and penetrated by the thought, the spirit and the outlook of the Bible and the Gospels through assiduous contact with the texts themselves …
“The Church's teaching, liturgy and life spring from this source and lead back to it ...”
[Apostolic Exhortation, CATECHESI TRADENDAE, on October 16, 1979]

Pope Benedict XVI
General Audience of Wednesday, 28 October 2009
“In 12th-century monasteries the theological method mainly entailed the explanation of Sacred Scripture … The monks, in other words, were devout listeners to and readers of the Sacred Scriptures and one of their chief occupations consisted in lectio divina, that is, the prayed reading of the Bible. … the desire to know and to love God which comes to meet us through his words to be received, meditated upon and put into practice, leads us to seek to deepen our knowledge of the biblical texts in all their dimensions. … Since, ultimately, monastic theology is listening to God's word, it is impossible not to purify the heart in order to receive it and, especially, it is impossible not to enkindle in it a longing to encounter the Lord. … and extend an invitation to us too to nourish our lives with the word of God, for example, through listening more attentively to the Readings and the Gospel, especially during Sunday Mass. It is also important to set aside a certain period each day for meditation on the Bible, so that the word of God may be a light that illumines our daily pilgrimage on earth.” (Vatican source)

The key to understanding the Revelation is that with all the description of cosmic struggle is it not a book of prophecy, but rather a poetic description of the Orthodox and Catholic Divine Liturgy. If it prophesied anything, it prophesied the future (to St. John) glory of the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.

It is all done in the name of the Lamb, slain yet standing:

[11] And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the ancients; and the number of them was thousands of thousands, [12] Saying with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction. [13] And every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them: I heard all saying: To him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, benediction, and honour, and glory, and power, for ever and ever. [14] And the four living creatures said: Amen. (Apoc. 5)

This is the time of sin and penance:

[8] And behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon him, his name was Death, and hell followed him. And power was given to him over the four parts of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. [9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (holy and true) dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
[11] And white robes were given to every one of them one; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little time, till their fellow servants, and their brethren, who are to be slain, even as they, should be filled up. [12] And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair: and the whole moon became as blood: [13] And the stars from heaven fell upon the earth, as the fig tree casteth its green figs when it is shaken by a great wind: [14] And the heaven departed as a book folded up: and every mountain, and the islands were moved out of their places. [15] And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and tribunes, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains:
[16] And they say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: [17] For the great day of their wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? (Apoc.6)

The Catholic altar has relics of martyrs of the Church under it, to this day. It is they who call us to repent form under the altar.

Here prayers of the saints are raised to Heaven joining our prayers:

And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. [4] And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel. (Apoc. 8)

This happens as the world outside drowns in sin:

the rest of the men, who were not slain by these plagues, did not do penance from the works of their hands, that they should not adore devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: [21] Neither did they penance from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their fornication, nor from their thefts. (Apoc. 9)

Here the Church begins her liturgical work:

[16] And the four and twenty ancients, who sit on their seats in the sight of God, fell on their faces and adored God, saying: [17] We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art to come: because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and thou hast reigned. [18] And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest render reward to thy servants the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great, and shouldest destroy them who have corrupted the earth. [19] And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail.
(Apoc. 11)

Our Lady leads us the faithful Christians to battle:

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.
[.
[7] And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: [8] And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. [9] And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [10] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night. [11] And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. [12] Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein. Woe to the earth, and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
[...]
the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Apoc.12)

The Eucharist is presented:

[1] And I beheld, and lo a lamb stood upon mount Sion
[..]
Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth; because the grapes thereof are ripe. [19] And the angel thrust in his sharp sickle into the earth, and gathered the vineyard of the earth, and cast it into the great press of the wrath of God: [20] And the press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the press, up to the horses' bridles, for a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (Apoc. 14)

Satan is bound and the world is judged:

he laid hold on the dragon the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. [3] And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations, till the thousand years be finished. And after that, he must be loosed a little time. [4] And I saw seats; and they sat upon them; and judgment was given unto them
[...]
[12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works (Apoc 20)

Christ renews the world:

[1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone, and the sea is now no more. [2] And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them. And they shall be his people; and God himself with them shall be their God. [4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. [5] And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true. (Apoc 21)

The struggle of the Book of Revelation is the struggle of the Church that unfolds today, toward the Second Coming of Christ. It should be read, as it was wrtiten, in the liturgical context of spiritual work in the heart of man, rather than historical context of wars between governments. Then the bones of the martyrs, the penance, Mary our Queen, the fire and the lamps and the incense, the trumpets, the Holy Book opened, the blood puring out -- all make sense.

There is a book on the subject by Dr. Scott Hahn, called "The Supper of the Lamb". Anyone interested in understanding the Book of Revelation should read it.

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