Bible Inscription

[kalt]

What do you make of this inscription found in this Bible?

I found a copy of “The Catholic One Year Bible” in a used bookstore. Inside the front cover is this inscription -

“When I went to church with you, I realized that scripture reading was a part of the service. Now that you have free time for reading, perhaps you will enjoy this.”

At first I thought it was from a non-Catholic to a Catholic, because the writer mentions “the service”, because so many non-Catholics don’t seem to realize that we actually read from the Bible at Mass, and because it’s a Catholic Bible. Then I wondered if it was from a Catholic who is correctly calling what she went to “the service”, and is giving the non-Catholic a Catholic Bible, as if to show the other person to correct version.

In the end, I think it was from a non-Catholic to a Catholic. .

What do you think is more likely? Either way, I’m glad I don’t know the writer. She sounds like someone I wouldn’t like to know.

BTW, this Bible version stinks. Don’t waste your money on it.

 

[Singinbeauty]

Either way, I’m glad I don’t know the writer. She sounds like someone I wouldn’t like to know.

Wow, for one - how do you know it’s a ‘she’ that wrote it? In any case, that kind of judgment on whether you would like to know someone based on what they wrote at whatever time in their life does not reflect, especially as general as that, what is necessarily in their heart. Who knows, after that one ‘service’ in the Catholic Church could have pulled them more and more to where they are now a Catholic.

Ironic, whatever happened to don’t judge a book by it’s cover?

As for insciptions, you can’t tell what is in a person’s heart when reading a little snipett of what they were thinking when purchasing it for someone else.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

It sounds to me like the writer learned that the friend’s church used the bible and, full of zeal to bring the friend closer to God, gave the friend a copy of the bible to read at home. I would like a friend like that, one who loves God and cares about me. Just another point of view…

 

[kalt]

It sounds to me like the writer learned that the friend’s church used the bible and, full of zeal to bring the friend closer to God, gave the friend a copy of the bible to read at home. I would like a friend like that, one who loves God and cares about me. Just another point of view…

You don’t think the writer was implying that the other person hadn’t actually read the Bible already? lol

 

[kalt]

Wow, for one - how do you know it’s a ‘she’ that wrote it?

It was signed by a woman. I left the name out to protect the guilty.

In any case, that kind of judgment on whether you would like to know someone based on what they wrote at whatever time in their life does not reflect, especially as general as that, what is necessarily in their heart. Who knows, after that one ‘service’ in the Catholic Church could have pulled them more and more to where they are now a Catholic.

I think it’s pretty strange that the one who didn’t know that “scripture” was actually read at that church had the nerve to give a Bible to the other, as if she (the giver) was the more educated of the 2. Pretty silly, imo. It’s like she was saying, “OK, you were right, you do read the Bible at Church. Now here’s a Bible for you to read.” Huh?

Ironic, whatever happened to don’t judge a book by it’s cover?

Well, this was inside the cover, so I think I’m OK there.

As for insciptions, you can’t tell what is in a person’s heart when reading a little snipett of what they were thinking when purchasing it for someone else.

People generally think long an hard before writing something inside a book. It’s one of those things you spend more time on than you think you will. You want to get it just right. I would think that would be even more true when you’re writing something inside a Bible that you’re giving as a gift–apparently a gift to someone you think has never opened a Bible.

But you didn’t answer. Do you have a guess on what was going on there? I think it’s an interesting mystery. I know my take on it, but I was wondering what everyone else thought of it.

Are there no Monks on the Forum? No Columbos? There must be a Jessica Fletcher among us.

 

[Syele]

To me, it sounds like it is referencing a previous conversation. Obviously the receiver of the Bible would know all the details of that conversation. It’s highly possible the receiver told the giver they hadn’t read the Bible (so implying a known truth inst rude). I could see myself writing something like that under particular circumstances. I have had times in my life where certain people came to me to ask questions, many questions over a lot of time. In those times people told me many details about their past and present beliefs and history of churchgoing in their families. There is no reason to assume that that inscription was written without some history of religious discussion before the Bible was presented.

IMO, assume the best in people till they prove you wrong.