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

[daniel1212]

Protestant/non Catholic Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I reject that as a inclusive statement, as a relative remnant shall be saved, far fewer in liberal Protestantism and Catholicism, while many RCs here disagree with your interpretation of Lumen Gentium if you hold that former Catholics now evangelical are even separated brethren. And which elitism is more consistent with historical statements by Rome,

It is not that the Church rejects Protestants, it is that she rejects the notion that there is more than one church.

Capital "C" meaning Prot churches are not worthy to be properly called churches.

[daniel1212]

While protesting against characterizations of Catholics, what this exchange has done is provide ore evidence Catholic blinders.

[daniel1212]

Thank you for the information but I have already conceded that Roman Catholic has indeed seeped into use by those within. The fact remains, however, that officially it is the Catholic Church and the use here of RCC is generally by those who dispute the origin and history of the Church.

The use of Roman did not "seep" from the Reformation but was necessitated long before it. Meanwhile the fact remains, however, the use here of RCC or RC saves me typing. I usually type less than 25 words per minute.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

placemarker

[daniel1212]

Said he who JUST got done posting: No one can depart from the teaching of Catholic truth without loss of faith and salvation.”

Well, you see, Catholics can say broadly describe Protestants as vandals, ignorant, biblically illiterate, typically intellectually dishonest, absolutely alien to Christianity, as a bizarre and false religion, who completely reject Christ, with no solid foundation, and unable to defend it, and who have a perpetual guilt trip (none of which can be applicable Rome in any way), and post multitudes of articles promoting Rome as the one true church and attacking Protestantism, and using strawmen to do so, but they never rant and rave and put down protestants there never has been even a bit of anti-protestant bigotry on FR.

And then they are offended when characterized as having minds in bondage, being unable to objectively examine evidence as to ascertain the veracity of it, which they actually are exhorted not to do as regards official RC doctrine.

[Elsie]

Quite a broadbrushed put down of protestants, but you and Catholics do not engage in such, and i am confident that under the biased definition of bigotry then this not any of the above would qualify.

[Elsie]

I usually type less than 25 words per minute.

Use smaller words...

[BlueDragon]

[Elsie]

there are no tanks in baghdad

[BlueDragon]

there are no tanks in baghdad

There has been a recent generalized fall-back, attempts to hide among the general populace, and a plan of attack based on the "victim" meme (all the insurgents have that virus, to greater and lesser degree) from behind which sniper's nests are being arranged (and justified(!)) along with the occasional rhetorical IED triggered in hopes of taking out some lonely patrols, when roadblock diversionary tactics, arranged to block all roads other than those leading to swamps, fail to work as well as hoped.

Community organizing grievance politics, constantly simmering, right here on the pages of FR --- with past "threats" being current implied threat to stir up enough controversy to contaminate the whole joint -- if they don't get their way in having "civil authority" silence their critics for them.

What causes me some concern, is the "virus" itself.

[NKP_Vet]

“It is not that the Church rejects Protestants, it is that she rejects the notion that there is more than one church”.

You’re starting to see the Light.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“It is not that the Church rejects Protestants, it is that she rejects the notion that there is more than one church”.

You’re starting to see the Light.

........................

Protestants believe there is one church too. The totality of the Bride of Christ of all ages.

[daniel1212]

Ouch. Another poorly catechized Catholic exposed, I see.

That is what this is too often blamed on, however as what we believe is defined by what we do, what Rome effectually teaches is that in the end as long as you die in her arms there is strong hope of eternal life, with much confidence in the power of church being thus fostered.

[daniel1212]

“It is not that the Church rejects Protestants, it is that she rejects the notion that there is more than one church”.

You’re starting to see the Light.

It is what you assert as if seen that is refuted, but which you seem not to see.

[daniel1212]

Use smaller words...

I do! But even RCC may fall under the RC definition of bigotry.

[NKP_Vet]

Christ’s church HAS NEVER BEEN a body of invisible people. It is a very visible body of Christians and has been for the last 2,000 years. It is called the Catholic Church. All others are ecclesial communities, with the exception of Orthodox faiths, Orthodox faith communities are called “churches,” though separate from the Catholic Church, as they have retained apostolic succession, the ordained priesthood and the Eucharist. Because of those close bonds, they merit the title of churches and are seen as “sister churches” of specific Catholic churches. Yet, Christian communities “born out of the Reformation” do not share that union as they do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of orders.These ecclesial communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called churches in the proper sense.

[Elsie]

-- if they don't get their way in having "civil authority" silence their critics for them.

How DARE they rename the REDSKINS to the Fighting Whities!!!

[Elsie]

There is a difference between Seeing the Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX5tfRdkoY0

and Feeling the Heat...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Py2LZNb79Q#t=0m48s

[Elsie]

I’ve only ever seen ONE person complain about RCC being used.

[daniel1212]

Christ’s church HAS NEVER BEEN a body of invisible people. It is a very visible body of Christians and has been for the last 2,000 years. It is called the Catholic Church.

Another argument by assertion, and which i already knew, while the reality is that this sole true visible body is in clear contrast to the NT church, and owes much of its deeds to the unScriptural use of the sword of men or deception , while here today liberalism reigns where it predominates. And which you are stuck with no matter how vainly you try to argue they are excoms. Rome treats them otherwise. Scripturally, the only one true church is the body of Christ, (Eph. 1:23;Col. 1:24) and which is manifest by Christian fellowship of the Spirit, which transcends particular churches or "tribes."

And which i knew nothing of as a devoutly raised RC until i became manifestly born again at age 25, and found very little of this fellowship within the RCC in my 6 years staying there, as explained here , but found far more life without it, due to on a common conversion and living relationship with the risen Lord Jesus.

In contrast, RCs typically promote and defend their church as an idol, that being what they preach, vainly using Jesus to validate it. And which church either arrogantly damns all without it or demeans their churches as not worthy of being called a church.

Meanwhile, your own specious claims in engaging in such promotion have been exposed, as are Rome's. And if you do not want that, then stop promoting this elitist org.