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]

.....the Last Supper was every bit the first Mass...

But the masses today sure ain't like the older ones!

[Elsie]

and THE CONSECRATION OF BREAD AND WINE INTO THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.......

Yeah; I'm just SURE that the disciples and Jesus talked about this unique Catholic teaching.

[Elsie]

...when you run out of intelligent things to say...

When I do; I'll probably start parroting Catholic teaching.

[Elsie]

Quickly REJOIN..the Catholic Church, we will welcome you BACK.

REjoin?

You've not been paying attention.

---

One of the hardest things I've found as a teacher, is convincing people that some of the things they THINK are in the bible; ain't THERE!

"I know it's there; I just can't find it." is a common refrain.

[Elsie]

Please give the Scriptures so I can look these abominations up. No? They’re not actually IN the Bible?

Thanks for this, SMV!

[Elsie]

...the references to eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood are numerous...

But I could only find ONE reference similar to Galatians 5:12

[Elsie]

I am a soldier for Christ and fight for his Holy Church.

Put away your sword, man.

[Elsie]

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Then endure and quit fighting back!

---

 

John 6:28-29

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

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

[smvoice]

LOL! I KNEW it was SOME kind of beauty queen sash-wearing name! Thanks for the correct title. I guess she’ll NEVER be asked to relinquish THAT crown, being the Queen of all creation, and all. Who wants to run against their creator, after all...??

[Elsie]

it finally fizzled out?

[smvoice]

LOL! Seems that way! Who knew that a beauty queen comment could put the kabash on everything!

[metmom]

more than ten years slipped by between those two....longer that most "denominations" have even existed...

Got stats?

Because most denominations I know are far older than ten years. As are most individual churches.

[metmom]

Now send some more money to Jimmy Swaggart. He needs another Cadillac.

What's a Cadillac compared to this?

[terycarl]

Yes, the RCC did change things, invented things and dropped certain things. Glad to see you have corrected yourself since you claimed, "the Catholic Church has taught the same thing for 2,013 years".

I did not "correct" my true statement that the catholic church has taught the same thing for 2,013 years....that remains the same....what she does in things like the Vatical council is to reestablish and clarify her teachings...bring up to date some internal mechanical practices, re establish her authority by renewing and reiterating the biblical passages which gives her the authority....She has done so for over 2,000 years and has yet to err in important matters of faith and morals...

[terycarl]

God’s children impotent?? Hardly. You will have to look lower... “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news

the comment was made that God had only children, no grandchildren....I commented on the logical conclusion that if God didn't have grandchildren, His children might be impotent...

[terycarl]

Cadillac Deville: Für eine Mexiko-Reise im Jahr 1999 von Johannes Paul II. ließ General Motors diesen Cadillac Deville umbauen.

just a nice ride for a Pope...he owns nothing (I think he just bought a renault or fiat of some sort for a few hundred dollars) Jimmy Swaggart OWNS his ride!!! Nothing wrong with that at all, but lets not compare apples and oranges...

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“ing up to date some internal mechanical practices, re establish her authority by renewing and reiterating the biblical passages which gives her the authority....She has done so for over 2,000 years and has yet to err in important matters of faith and morals... “

I’m still waiting to see ANY proof to back up that wild claim! Where’s the beef?!

[terycarl]

So; I guess the CALENDAR used by the earliest 'catholics' was no longer good enough for you guys!

or you either...the early calender was found to be in error and the weather cycles were getting out of synch...after studying the matter, scientists, under the authority of pope Gregory, corrected the calender, added or subtracted a number of days to equalize things, figured out the necessity of a leap year and here we are, Catholics and Protestants alike following the same calander.....once again say "Thanks Catholics"....or you might be golfing in Minnesota in January!!! Ick!!

[terycarl]

One of the hardest things I've found as a teacher, is convincing people that some of the things they THINK are in the bible; ain't THERE! "I know it's there; I just can't find it." is a common refrain.

that's because everything pertaining to Christ and Christianity is not necessarily in the Bible...to assume that the growth and development of Christianity ended with the Crucifixation is naaive at best...Christ died, but the growth and development of His church never ceases.

[Gamecock]

Wow! A Mercedes with a glass display case. The case reminds me of the ones you see in many Roman Catholic houses of worship. You know. The ones that have dead bodies surrounded by people praying to the decaying corpse.