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

[rbmillerjr]

“And there is not a shred of ‘rebirth’ in the symbology of the Lord’s supper.”

Why do you not take Jesus at his word?

Your cosmetic argument is with Catholicism.

But your true argument is with Jesus Christ and your debate is with Jesus himself, as you deny his very words on the subject.

[Elsie]

You all are completely unaware of the actuyal words used in the original Greek.

We ARE??

[Jvette]

As usual it has gotten ugly here.

Methinks they do protest too much:)

[narses]

“Your interpretation as you stated it is not possible, if you take those things in their place.”

Wrong.

[Elsie]

The only ones being duped are those that don't listen to the Catholics.

Mary is dead.

Unless, of course, you can produce some EVIDENCE that she isn't.

Heck; it don't even have to be in the Bible.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

You’re funny narses.

[narses]

And you are “insignificant . “

And incoherent.

[narses]

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum,
et exsultávit spíritus meus
in Deo salvatóre meo,
quia respéxit humilitátem
ancíllæ suæ.

Ecce enim ex hoc beátam
me dicent omnes generatiónes,
quia fecit mihi magna,
qui potens est,
et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericórdia eius in progénies
et progénies timéntibus eum.
Fecit poténtiam in bráchio suo,
dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui;
depósuit poténtes de sede
et exaltávit húmiles.
Esuriéntes implévit bonis
et dívites dimísit inánes.
Suscépit Ísrael púerum suum,
recordátus misericórdiæ,
sicut locútus est ad patres nostros,
Ábraham et sémini eius in sæcula.

Glória Patri et Fílio
et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio,
et nunc et semper,
et in sæcula sæculórum.

Amen.

She became the Mother of God, in which work so many and such great good things are bestowed on her as pass man’s understanding. For on this there follows all honor, all blessedness, and her unique place in the whole of mankind, among which she has no equal, namely, that she had a child by the Father in heaven, and such a Child . . . Hence men have crowded all her glory into a single word, calling her the Mother of God . . . None can say of her nor announce to her greater things, even though he had as many tongues as the earth possesses flowers and blades of grass: the sky, stars; and the sea, grains of sand. It needs to be pondered in the heart what it means to be the Mother of God.

(Commentary on the Magnificat, 1521; in Luther’s Works, Pelikan et al, vol. 21, 326)

[Elsie]

Speaking of scripture that fundamentalist seem to think they are the experts at, where in the Bible does it mention an alter call?

I, for one, would avoid THAT like the plague!

Others, for some crazy reason; don't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_modification

[editor-surveyor]

Its called “The Way,” and it is not religion, but the truth of Yeshua as he spoke it to his own.

Catholicism is religion indeed! the rantings of ignorant spiritually empty men.

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, it is the way that leads to destruction.”

[Elsie]

SOMEbody has an unhealthy obsession with WORDS!

2 Timothy 2:14
Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Again funny narses.

I was valuable enough to Him that He died for me, but totally insignificant in comparison to Him. If I am incomprehensible to you, it may be for many reasons only you can find within yourself. I wish you the best.

[narses]

” If I am incomprehensible to you, it may be for many reasons only you can find within yourself. “

Nope, not me, your inability to clearly communicate is an issue you have. That you refuse His clear words is more evidence of your inability to communicate well.

[Elsie]

Why? for a visual placeholder?

[editor-surveyor]

I embrace his words, all of them, not just one isolated verse like the catholics.

Build your eternity on that verse and spend it in torment.

[Elsie]

I gave it the only answer it deserved. he said; smugly.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Nope, not me, your inability to clearly communicate is an issue you have. That you refuse His clear words is more evidence of your inability to communicate well.”

If so, I am also inadequate to the task of posting to you. I accept His words, but not your interpretation of what He said.

And as a follower of Him, I wish you well.

[Elsie]

Been going strong now for some 2,000 years.

Except for a FEW minor glitches along the way...

[Elsie]

Of course, in the beginning of the Church, individuals did not have a copy of any of the NT writings and therefore could not read it for themselves.

But if they'd go to their priest, then HE would let them read all they wanted; right?

[Elsie]

So THAT’s why Mary’s dead!