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

[jodyel]

Big words, big words, big words.

Can narses come out and play now?

[NKP_Vet]

“Being good won’t get you into the kingdom of God”.

Oh hell, I’ll just be a miserable SOB that does nothing for anyone and beats my wife and dog everyday.

[jodyel]

Believers are very special to God....He died for us, remember?

And here, let me save you the trouble....YOPIOS, YOPIOS, YOPIOS....one trick pony, one trick pony, and blah, blah, blah and yada, yada, yada.

Need to get out more, narses. lol

[jodyel]

No, that won’t get you in either. LOL

[verga]

Not so much. It is a plate that is small enough to hold just 27% of God’s Word over three years.

And it is twice what I ever got as a prot in the local "bob's house o' god" assemblies I ever went to.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“And it is twice what I ever got as a prot in the local “bob’s house o’ god” assemblies I ever went to.”

Man! You sure pick ‘em! Twice now.

[NKP_Vet]

“Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you”.

Catholics believe what Jesus said. Everything he said. PROTESTants make fun of what he said and think this phrase was only symbolic. That my friends is the difference in Catholicism and PROTESTants. Catholics don’t play around with the Word of God. PROTESTants pick and choose what they want to believe.

[verga]

Let’s look at the Greek.

IO know I have asked you this on a number of threads and never recall you answering even once; What is your formal training in Greek? Do you go to Doctors that don't have degrees?

[verga]

Thank you for proving my point.

[terycarl]

Come to Me, all who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy."

how about the rich man who Jesus told to give all his wealth to the poor and to follow Him....does that sound like an easy yoke to you????If so, give everything that you own to the poor and join a Catholic order of Nuns and devote your life to Christ....

[verga]

Oh, you think the apostles didn’t consider the New Testament writings scripture?

You would think thqat an expert in Greek would know that the word "Scripture" in Greek means WRITING. Listen get some formal training and then try and tell us what it means.

[Elsie]

How much Scripture is read at a typical Protestant service, compared to a Mass, where there are always three passages from Scripture, with Scriptural references woven into the rest of the liturgy?

Sneak into one next Sunday and find out for yourself!

But it'll be REALLY hard to find a TYPICAL one.

[Elsie]

Elsie, you go ahead and dine on the Bible. We catholics will dine on our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

[Elsie]

So, when the minister "exposed" this verse....

and this one ...

what explanation was given?

---

So, when the priest pontificated over this verse....

John 6:28
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

and this one ...

John 6:29
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

what explanation was given?

[metmom]

How to read the bible.

Take out Bible.

Get glasses.

Find chair.

Sit in chair.

Pray.

Put on glasses.

Open Bible.

Start reading.

[narses]

[Elsie]

...the truth is with a Catholic Mass you get the entire meal soup to nuts.

Well; when is the SOUP gonna arrive in this thread??

[mitch5501]

About the only one this ex-atheist didn't do was "pray".

I sure did after reading though! Hard!

[Elsie]

You are aware that when presented with the Eucharist the priest or minister says "The Body of Christ" and we are required to say "Amen."

HMMMmmm...

[Elsie]

Again, you are referencing the Old Testament.

I want to type DUH! so badly here...