Are Catholics encouraged to have daily scripture study?

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Thanks for all of the resources you guys have given me. When I have time today, I’m going to read through the Cathecism and I might post a question if I don’t understand something. I have no intention to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I take this as a learning experience and want to continue learning more about the Catholic church. I find it all to be very interesting and I’m glad for those taking time out of your day to answer my questions.
 
My Church is really big, yet the office is only open Monday through Thursday 9-4. I would be surprised if you could ever reach the church office on Sunday.
 
The next time you go to Mass, look at what’s in the pew racks. If there is a small book, that’s the misalette. Start at the beginning and read, and you’ll find all the instructions (there is some skipping around as you move from one section of the Mass to another. Page numbers will be given). If there is just one large book, start at the beginning for the instructions, and the hymns will be at the back.

You could also take a look at this Order of the Mass document. Please note that there are options in many sections of the Mass, so read carefully. If you take it with you once and make notes, you’ll have an easier guide for future visits.

As for the Catholic calisthenics, just watch everyone else for the sit/stand/kneel. 🙂
 
I don’t think anyone has mentioned that there are ways of praying with scripture, not merely studying it. Actually, let me correct that.
People have mentioned the Liturgy of the Hours. But there are also methods of prayer like lectio divina and Ignatian contemplation.

Lectio divina (Latin for “sacred reading”) is a slow way of reading and contemplating scripture, giving God a chance to speak to you. See, for example, https://www.saintandrewsabbey.com/Lectio_Divina_s/267.htm

Ignatian contemplation is a prayer method developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It involves taking a piece of scripture and imagining yourself in the story. You use your imagination to bring your senses into it – what do you see, hear, taste, or feel? More info and some examples are available here: http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/imagination/
 
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As a general comment, Catholics are sometimes accused by certain Protestants about “not reading the Bible.” However, as one can tell from this thread, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are numerous forms of prayer, worship, study, and reading of the Bible in Catholic tradition, and Catholics who take part in them are seeped in the Bible. Catholicism is incredibly rich in its resources.
So many myths out there about Catholicism that need to be put to rest.
 
Thank you so much for your interest in learning more about the Catholic Church. It’s so refreshing. I am happy that you are gathering your materials from official Catholic sites. So many people have so many misconceptions about our Church Catholic. Sometimes it is so frustrating to hear people speak about things that are blatantly untrue and could be easily found by the Internet or asking a Catholic.

I had a wonderful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints friend and we got along really well. Her commitment to her family was just amazing and her Church family meant a lot to her.

God bless.
 
Glad you’re taking interest in the Catholic Faith! God bless you!
Yes, as everyone has said, Catholics are very much encouraged to study Holy Scripture daily. Of course some will spend more time on it than others, since there are many worthy ways of kindling our devotion to Jesus Christ. But for what kindles my devotion, Holy Scripture is kind of ‘my thing’ 😃 so I study it almost every day. Every monastery I’ve known also has had Scripture reading or lectio divina in their daily schedule.

The Church Fathers commentaries are highly recommended.
And these biblical lecture series’ are awesome:


(The audio quality isn’t great, but it’s worth it.)

Edit: First emoji!
 
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I’ve heard that before. I grew up Protestant and I heard different things that are probably not true. Is there a certain way to read the Bible on Catholicism, or is up to the person individually on how they choose to read it?
 
The Catholic version of the Bible contains more than the Protestant version (Protestants threw out what they didn’t like at the Reformation). So make sure you have a Catholic edition. Then realize that not only the Bible but also Tradition is important to Catholicism. That is, we don’t merely interpret the Bible individually but mediated through Church teaching. Reading the Bible along with the Catechism is a good start, as the Catechism refers back to the Bible constantly.
 
Would you say that they took out important information in your beliefs? I grew up Protestant and I was never told that things were taken out of the Bible, since I grew up in a Protestant family, they probably wouldn’t know a lot about Catholic teachings and didn’t want to teach it to me. The church that I used to attend believes in Biblical inerrancy.
 
The Catholic Church not only encourages daily Bible study/reading but she offers them in the local parishes.

The problem is that most people do not want to join Bible study and, I’m afraid, many would not engage in it on their own.

It is one of the reasons why the Church encourages people to attend Mass regularly, at least on Sundays–people are slow to pick up the Bible.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
If you have cable/access to internet, check out EWTN–it’s a Catholic resource with all sorts of information. You can also check out newadvent.org–a Catholic source that includes Scriptures, the writings of the Fathers, and Catholic Encyclopedia. You can also check Vatican.com–everything Catholic on-line!

There are no new Revelation; personal revelation are those where people have claimed to have been visited by Christ or the Virgin Mary and given inspirational words and guidance (such as the apparitions of Fatima–though in a more individualize context).

Maran atha!

Angel
 
Ogie_Reeves said:
Do you guys believe that God continues to speak with people (like mine does) with new revelations?
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These claims are wrong; they claim that God continues to Reveal new things about Salvation and His Purpose for man… Christ told us at the Cross: “It is finished!”

Maran atha!

Angel
 
You will get “book knowledge.” But it must be combined with the wholeness of the Catholic Church: the Succession of the Apostles (Oral and Written Tradition) and Church history.

It’s like a meal; you can get the gest of it by reading a menu/description of it; but to actually experience it you must touch it and live it.

I welcome your thirst for the Truth!

Maran atha!

Angel
 
The office is open Mondays through Fridays (9-12; 1-4), usually. Saturdays and Sundays are heavy workload days. It is best that you call for an appointment. Going to a Catholic Priest does not demand/require conversion–but it is kind of difficult for a Priest to have phone dialogue; if you fear being found out by members of your family or group, just go to a neighboring parish or one as far as you want–the information will be almost the same… though, as everything else, the individual Priest’s character would prove to be more or less supportive/inviting.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
I found out a different way of contact and I sent a local parish an email just now. I’m sure someone will respond to it soon enough.
 
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Ogie_Reeves said:
How does the Cathecism work? What exactly is it?
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I recommend this reflection on the Catechism. It contains the core beliefs and is a great companion piece when read along side the actual Catechism.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Here’s where we differ from most religions. The Catholic Believer has the need/obligation to familiarize him/herself with Scriptures. But we cannot read Scriptures and interpret them according to what we believe is dictated by our “conscience.”

The Church has two thousand years of accumulated experience that the individual person does not have, so it is quite easy for the individual to believe that he/her can find a new definition/understand that the Church has not have experienced, corrected, improved upon or rejected as heresy.

So before I begin to believe that I can teach the Church something “new,” I must learn what the Church Understands and Teaches about it.

Today, at lest in the US, people have been led to believe that they can actually find new teachings or “the right” teachings Revealed by God that the Catholic Church somehow missed, distorted or is hiding/circumventing. The reality is NOT!

In the past the Church made a whole to do about this practice (reading and understanding the Bible by individual means); Luther, Calvin and those who followed have demonstrated her wisdom as the multitudes of “believers” continue to trek into dissention and division.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
It is not that they took out information on our beliefs; rather, it is that they took out books that the Church, form her infancy, held as part of the Bible.

Bible inerrancy… if it means that the Bible as the Inspired Word of God is free from error, that is the same belief held by the Catholic Church; however, many do not only subscribe to that belief but they actually hold that all that is needed is the Sacred Scriptures–so anyone can become “the church of Christ” by simply claiming to have found their authority in Scriptures.

This usually follows/is supported by the “sola Scriptura” fide (faith, belief that all anyone needs is the Bible).

This is a new understanding began in the 12th hundreds by some Catholic Monk (the name escapes at the moment).

Sola Scriptura has given man the myriads of splintering of the Body of Christ, the ability of self-governance (everyone is his/her own authority), and liberty in speaking for God and determining what is truth.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
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