How to Read the Bible – A Three Step Plan (written for Catholics - valid for all)

taylormarshall.com ^ | September 30, 2013 | Dr. Taylor Marshall

[NYer]

How do you read the Bible? Today is the feast day of Saint Jerome, who once quipped, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” – Saint Jerome

It’s a running joke that if you want to find a Bible verse, you ought to ask a Protestant and not a Catholic. Protestants read the Bible. Catholics not so much.

This raises the question:

Why Don’t More Catholics Read the Bible?

I think the answer lies in the fact that we Catholics go to Mass. The Holy Mass has at least two Bible readings every time. If you pray the Breviary or Liturgy of Hours, multiply that several times.

Joe Catholic says to himself, “Why should I study the Bible? I go to Mass. I hear it there. Check and check.”

There is something beautiful in this. For Catholics, Bible reading is liturgical. Hence, Bible reading remains chiefly a community experience.

Three Step Plan to Kick It Up a Notch

It’s good to listen to the readings from the Bible at Holy Mass. However, we also need a personal (even private) encounter with God in the pages of Sacred Scripture. All of the saints breathed Sacred Scripture. Scripture served as the grammar for their souls. They couldn’t communicate without it.

Here are some basic spiritual needs that you have every single day of your life:

1. Praise – Voicing your delight in God and His provision for your life. Gratitude destroys discouragement.
2. Wisdom – You need practical advice to navigate the complexities of life.
3. Challenge – You need to be lifted higher. You need to grow in your faith. You need to be inspired. You must be an intentional Christian.

So when you wake up tomorrow, do the following:

1. Read a Psalm. Start with Psalm 1. Make it your anthem of praise for that day.
2. Read at least one Proverb. Proverbs are the wisdom morsels of your day. There are 31 chapters. Why not read one chapter every day during the month. Oct 1 is Provers 1. October 31 is Proverbs 31. You get the idea.
3. Read a chapter of the one of the Gospels. This is your challenge. Your Savior challenges you in the four Gospels. He calls you to be not merely a nominal Catholic but a disciple. You cannot seriously read the Gospels and stay lukewarm. Christ speaks in a way that cannot be ignored.

“But I’m so busy. I don’t have the time!”

What? You’re too busy. Sorry, you just got served a yellow card:

That’s a yellow card. You’ve been warned…

Doing these three readings will take you only 3-5 minutes. That’s the time of a commercial break. It will change your life for good. I promise. It takes 21 days to make a habit, so give it 21 days and see if you aren’t hooked. Put the Bible on your night stand and read it in the mornings. Start fresh.

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” – Saint Jerome, Doctor of the Church

[Elsie]

Ampu ain’t ‘fraid no DOGS!

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Ampu ain’t ‘fraid no DOGS!

-

Nor afraid of Breatharians! I breath deeply.

[Alex Murphy]

The Catholic Church gets bigger every year, not smaller.

Even attending mass every week only brings Catholics down to the levels of liberalism around them. The thread "Poll: majority of Catholics who attend Mass weekly support same-sex marriage, women’s ordination", posted just this morning, gives the following numbers. Note that the less-attending Catholics are even more liberal than Americans overall! Is this a growth worth bragging about?

A majority of Catholics in the United States who attend Mass weekly support same-sex marriage and the ordination of women to the priesthood, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released October 4. The survey found that 56% of Americans, 53% of Catholics who attend Mass weekly, and 65% of Catholics who attend Mass less frequently would support “a law in your state that would allow same-sex couples to get married.” Support was stronger among Catholics of ages 18-49 (64%) than ages 50-64 (62%) or 65+ (46%). According to the survey, 72% of Catholic women back same-sex marriage, while 49% of Catholic men do.

The survey also found that 52% of Catholics who attend Mass weekly, and 66% who attend less frequently, favor the ordination of women to the priesthood. Support was stronger among Catholics of age 65+ (68%) than ages 50-64 (64%) or 18-49 (57%). By a slight (2%) margin, women are more likely to favor women’s ordination than men are.

[metmom]

Actually, this may be more what's needed.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

This brings us full circle on the thread topic...”Even attending mass every week only brings Catholics down to the levels of liberalism around them. The thread “Poll: majority of Catholics who attend Mass weekly support same-sex marriage, women’s ordination”, posted just this morning, gives the following numbers.”

Catholics need more than rote rituals, traditions and partial Scriptures to develop into mature followers of Christ. EVERY Christian needs more.

The Scriptures alone state that they contain everything for believers to become complete/mature.

No where does God say traditions make anyone mature.
No where does God say pagan additions, rote prayers, etc., make anyone mature.

Scripture alone.

To anyone who believes a tiny amount of Scriptural truth is all you need - like an inoculation - to be healhty, is just wrong. Catholic, protestant or breatharian (head nod to our friend), we all need God’s Holy Word.

Believers are incomplete to the degree they skip portions of God’s Word. Does anyone on this thread set out to stay immature?

There is no substitute. Get into Him and His Word.

[Elsie]

Catholics need more than rote rituals, traditions and partial Scriptures to develop into mature followers of Christ.

Ezekial 13:20

"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.

[dsc]

“Must be nice to be able to block out things that disprove ones fantasy.”

I’m not blocking a thing. If there is anything that shows anti-protestant bigotry, produce it.

“Pray tell, what WOULD qualify in your view as “anti-Protestant bigotry”?”

Anti-protestant bigotry. Where we diverge here is that I do not believe that all dissent shows bigotry.

“There are ample posts in this thread alone that make general and derogatory statements about Protestants.

So? Neither a “general” nor a “derogatory” statement necessarily demonstrates bigotry.

“For some reason, you haven’t recognized them as such”

As I explain above, you have yet to produce any statement that even remotely demonstrates anti-protestant bigotry.

And I don’t need to define bigotry. All the rational people already know it when they see it.

[dsc]

“Why do I have a hard time believing you?”

Because hatred clouds your mind.

[Elsie]

As I explain above, you have yet to produce any statement that even remotely demonstrates anti-protestant bigotry.

If it's the same as has been applied to Catholicism, then it is BIGOTRY as defined by Catholics on this thread.

They are 'rational',and by golly, THEY sure see bigotry when it comes their way!

[Elsie]

Because hatred clouds your mind. <--- this is NOT bigotry.

[Elsie]

the Bellman cried,
...
What I tell you three times is true.”

[Jvette]

****There is only ONE way to God - through Christ****

Yes, that is right. Jesus opened the gates of heaven that were closed to man/woman with the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

Only Jesus could open those gates.

What we don’t know, I don’t believe we know everything there is to know about God, is what His plans are for those who do fervently seek Him but never hear His name.

Remember, God revealed Himself to Abraham and over the generations the covenant has gone out from one family to one nation to the entire world. We don’t know what will happen upon God’s final revelation, the second coming of His Son, Jesus.

Yes, He is visible in everything He has created, and He is sought by all peoples throughout time, but not everyone has the great gift of hearing the name Jesus before they die.

I trust in God’s mercy.

[metmom]

Because hatred clouds your mind. <--- this is NOT bigotry.

It isn't???

Who knew?

[boatbums]

As I explain above, you have yet to produce any statement that even remotely demonstrates anti-protestant bigotry. And I don’t need to define bigotry. All the rational people already know it when they see it.

It's there to see for those who are able to remove their own blinders of bigotry first. Until that happens, all that will be seen is a pitiful victim being persecuted by everyone else. All the rational people already know it when they see it.

[Jvette]

I know what John 3:18 says......it does not say that only those who believe will be saved. God wills all men to be saved, what are His plans for those who through no fault of their own never hear of His Son?

After Jesus’ death on the cross, people rose from their graves. Those people never heard of Jesus before they died, why would they be raised up if they could not be saved?

We don’t know it all. God does. Trust Him.

[terycarl]

you can prove, without any doubt, that Catholicism is not the true, unique religion originated and blessed by that same Jesus Christ.... I don't have to do anything...God's word, the bible proves that...

and through the Catholic Church....you have God's word, the Bible

[terycarl]

How many Protestant rites are there? 35,000 or is it 50,000? So; you admit you don't know. More than 1 renders them protestant denominatons...the exact number, which changes daily, is irrelevant

[terycarl]

Mary is alive in Heaven and interceding for ONLY Catholics

she intercedes for anyone who asks....try it!!

[terycarl]

Can you list ANYTHING that has been BOUND?

the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, they don't do it very often, but it is never wrong....Oh yes, infallibility!

[terycarl]

..but you, and other Catholics just keep believing that you are to stupid to understand Scripture on your own

we wrote it.