Catholics and the Bible:Update

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Back in 2008 I created a very interesting poll on Catholics reading their Bibles. I think it’s time to update that information, so here goes…
 
The Poll is multiple choice and public. Please feel free to post as to your Bible reading and any other responses you might feel are relevent.

I’ll start. I own several (over 10 I’m sure) Bibles in various editions and translations. My personal reading is done mostly from either the Douay-Rheims Version or the new RSV-CE 2nd Edition but I will refer to others if I feel the need, which is rare. Only a few are non-Catholic versions because I consider them incomplete without all 73 books. For personal study, I would not use a non-Catholic Bible.

I read some of the Bible every single day, and I often look up the Mass readings before I go to Mass and (since I don’t own a Missal [yet]) print them to take with me to daily Mass when I can go. I often carry my Bible with me to Mass or Eucharistic Adoration just because…
 
i need to read it more, but I do read my magnificat a few times a week not exactly the bible but it includes things from the bible, and I attend mass 3 times a week so the bible is proclaimed to me multiple times a week, so even though I don’t read my bible much I still hear the word of God more times then not.
 
Cool poll - I’m interested in seeing the replies!

My main Bible for reading and study is the NAB. I also use a desktop version of Strong’s when I want to look up a specific word.

Every morning I read the Bible following a read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan. I couldn’t find an online plan for the Catholic Bible so I created my own, found here! It uses the Douay-Rhimes version and I’m really enjoying it.

At bedtime I read the day’s mass readings and since Lent began I’ve been using a little devotional book to go along with those. I like the devotional so well that I’m planning to order the magazine - it’s Catholic and you can read about it here.

My bedside Bible is a NRSV from Tyndale with all of the Catholic books. I also have my Catholic grandmother’s Bible. I don’t remember the version though.

I love opening my day with Bible reading and closing it with Bible reading. I take my NAB Bible to Eucharistic Adoration each week.

🙂
 
I didn’t realize it was multiple choice!

I read daily and before Mass. I carry a Bible to Chruch, but it is usually for adoration or reconciliation, not Mass (I have a hardback missal that I take to Mass). I own several Bibles: NAB, Douay-Rheims, RSV, KJ, NJB, and a few others.

I can’t quote chapter and verse on everything, but I can do some. I think it’s a bit misleading to think that quoting chapter and verse means that you really know the Bible. Strange that this ability is so highly regarded among certain denominations. While it is an admirable skill, it doesn’t necessarily aid in understanding or wisdom.

I am a convert from a non-Christian religion.
 
I pray the Divine Office daily. I always recite the Morning Prayer and am praying the Evening Prayer during Lent, with hopes that habit will “stick”. Given that, I read Scripture every day. Is it from a bound volume that has the words, “Holy Bible” on the front cover? No. But it is Scripture.

In hard copy, I own the NAB and an old KJV that includes what is labeled the Apocrypha (deutro-canonical books). This one I show to the RCIA class, just to make a point. In software, I have the Faith Database, which has 20+ versions.

When I go to Adoration (which is seldom :rolleyes:), I take both my study NAB and the Christian Prayer book.

Lastly, this poll/question is very interesting to me. My protestant wife has several times asked the question, “Why don’t Catholic’s take their Bible to church?” I always explain that it is not necessary with the missalettes. Besides that, almost 100% of the liturgy can be traced to specific references in Scripture. The only exceptions are the homily, prayers of the faithful, and announcements!

Peace and grace,
Jeff
 
I have the Ignatius Study Bible NT, and the NAB.
I am planning on reading the whole of chapters used for the readings before Mass. And am attempting to read through the gospels and Acts before Easter.

peace,
Phil
 
I have bibles the way some people have pets, too many.
these are my personal bibles, not those in my office
when we moved I pared down and kept only one of each translation, but I have every English translation approved by the Church, and 3 Spanish translations
 
My Bible of choice is the RSV-CE. My Bibles include the following:

NAB (several versions, including the Catholic Serendipity Bible and the Catholic Study Bible)

Electronic versions of the above (on my iPod), as well as electronic versions of the Douay-Rheims, the KJV* and the ASB*)

RSV-CE2, NT and Psalms

Ignatius Study Bible, New Testament (RSV-CE2)

New Jerusalem Bible

Confraternity Bible

NIV Study Bible*

Archaeological Study Bible (NIV)*

Both a Catholic and a Protestant* parallel NT, which both contain many other translations not mentioned here.

The Navarre Bible Commentaries (RSV-CE)

Several other single volume commentaries.

I prepare a weekly Bible study on the Sunday Readings each week, and occasionally lead Catholic Bible studies.

I an listening to at least one Catholic Bible study on my iPod every day.

I (try to) read the Magnificat devotional magazine every day, which has the daily Mass readings and the Scripture readings for morning and evening prayer.
  • I use Protestant versions only for cross reference and are never my primary translation or interpretive authority if it conflicts with Church teaching,
I don’t take a Bible to Mass because Mass is not a Bible study. *Bible studies *are Bible studies.
 
RSV-CE
Douay Rheims
Jerusalem Bible
NAB

I also have a KJV (yes, I know) but it is a key word bible with the Hebrew and Greek in the back.

My old family Bible is RSV (protestant edition)

At work I have a pocket edition of the NIV given to me by my Father-in-Law
 
As a convert I still own three Protestant Bibles, King James Version, New American Standard (which we used in Bible College), and the New International Version – of those three I prefer the KJV just because I like the language and because this is the one my father used to read to us when I was a kid – we had a “picture Bible.” But all these Bibles are in storage and I haven’t used any of them in years.

I read Catholic Bibles, the Douay-Rheims. I own the Douay-Rheims (standard), printed version from TAN, and its also on my Palm. Olive Tree provides the Douay-Rheims Bible version, with Bible reader – free – on many platforms.

olivetree.com/store/product.php?productid=16576

Olive Tree is primarily a Protestant publishing house and, at first, they did not include the Deuterocanonical books in the Douay-Rheims. But about three weeks after I wrote to them to complain aboutt that, they sent back an email saying the Deuterocanonicals were “now included.” So I’ve been happy with them ever since. (They used to sell their Palm version, so I was actually a “paying customer” at the time.)

I also own the three volume printed (copied) version of the original Rheims New Testament (1582) and the original Douay Old Testament (1609 but printed in 1635). (My father gave me these about 20 years ago.) The annotations and cross references in these are very complete. Each book has a thorough introduction, each chapter also has its own introduction. So, in a sense, it is very much a “study Bible.”

But much of the time I just use the online version of the Bible – usually the Douay-Rheims – but I sometimes go to BibleGateway when I want to compare a passage in the King James version, or one of the others.
 
I’m a cradle Catholic, but I really couldn’t tell you how often I read my Bible. Sometimes it’s almost everyday and sometimes once or twice a week. It all depends on what’s going on in my life. If you count the readings at Mass that can up the average a long way for some. I go to the Universalis website quite a lot, where you can get all the readings for Mass as well as the Liturgy of the Hours.
 
I read the Bible daily-- sometimes just a few verses, sometimes much more. I always try to read it prayerfully.

I own several Bibles-- RSV-CE, RSV-CE II, RSV CE New Testament study edition, Jerusalem Bible (1966 ed.), DRV, KJV, + several of the Navarre Bibles but not the whole set. I have a NAB somewhere but don’t use it much.

I never take my Bible to Mass because we have the missals.

I don’t know if I’m called a convert or not. I was not raised Catholic so I can hardly be called a cradle Catholic, but the Catholic Church is the only Church I’ve ever belonged to. I came into the Church at age 26-- before that I was a non-believer.

I certainly do not know every address of every verse but I’m trying to learn chapter and verse more thoroughly. I have several verses memorized. While I agree that memorizing verses does not mean you know the meaning of the verse, I actually do think it is important when evangelizing. To be able to say this scripture is found at John 3:16 or that is at Romans 8:26, is a lot more effective than saying “its in there somewhere”. Peter exhorts us to “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope”. I just feel that to have your scriptures really etched on your heart (including their address) is a part of that readiness.
 
I read as much as I can, but sometimes due to a long work schedule it only winds up being a chapter at best. I really wish to spend much more time in the Word, and with my new work schedule will be able to without passing out with my shoes still on.

Due to my studies of becoming a Deacon in the UMC, I own several bible translations. KJV, NKJV, NIV, HCSB, NLT, ASV, NASB, NRSV, RSV-CE (and 2nd CE), Douay-Rheims, Confraternity translation, CEB, TEV or God’s Word, The Message and NAB. Most are inexpensive versions (10 dollars or less) used specifically for study purposes, while a few are prized and cherished.

My most used are the Confraternity and the RSV-CE. I find them to be an absolutely beautiful translation that I find so elegant.

I always carry the word with me, wherever I go. One of the inexpensive bibles I was speaking of is specifically used as a “truck bible”. I stays in the console of the truck, and gets used a lot more than one would think. I carry a pocket new testament everywhere and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thanks for the poll, quite interesting to watch the results.
 
I read the Bible as much as I can, but entered “four or more times a week” since there are usually a couple of days a week that I get interrupted before I’ve read as much as I would like to.

I own a St. Joseph version of the New American Bible. It’s getting a little beat up. I also have a Gideon New Testament that I got when I was on vacation and the society was passing out free New Testaments. It’s one of those mini-size ones, and my reading vision isn’t what it used to be, so that NT doesn’t get much use.

No, I can’t cite Scripture, chapter and verse, and am a little envious of a few Baptist friends of mine who can! But I can usually locate something within twenty pages if it’s a well-know citation, less accuracy with an obscure passage.

What I really like doing is to check out the readings for each day of the week listed in the church bulletin, and read the reading in its context. It seems to clear up things for me when I have some confusion about a reading.

I’m a revert, but don’t consider myself part of the Tiber Swim Team–I only splashed around near shore at the Anglican Church for a couple of years before I got out and dried off!
 
I am convert… 20 years old now and converted when I was 17, born in an atheis-home.
I’m not so good with scripture yet, but I am working on it… for now I can quote

Matthew 16:18-19 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I find these verses very important since many protestants and JW believe the Church was corrupted… but that is not what Jesus and the Bible says…

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”

John 20:23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
  1. Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…” (protestantism)
2 Peter 3:16 "as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (Protestantism)

Revelation 12:1+17 17 "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; …So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
(Our Blesses Mother)
 
I am retired and I only want to read the Bible and commentaries and related works. My pace of reading is slow, maybe 10 pages a day on a good day.

There are several protestant Bibles on my self, but the NIV study bible is the one most helpful of that group, because the text is so easy to read and has many study aids in it.

In the introduction to the document The Jewish People and their Scriptures, Pope Benedict XVI endorses reading Jewish Bible commentary, so as to take advantage of their centuries of study of the Holy Word. So, I have some commentaries on the Torah (teaching) and other materials. These are sometimes anti-Christian (as are the Jews themselves, they will be the first to admit – it’s who they are). But, the study materials are generally of excellent quality – but not complete by any means. Their commentaries are very good in the literary aspect of scripture. There is much more literary structure in the Torah (and the Old Testament) than may first appear. The perspective is more like flying in the air compared to walking on the ground.

I have not found any commentary so far that is complete.

There is one God and one message, Jesus Christ.
 
Yes I am a convert and I read my Bible daily. I have e-sword with 24 versions of the Bible. I usually read the NRSV-CE, but I also read the NJB, the NAB, the Douary-Rheims. I can read the Vulgate some but my Latin is very rusty. I have memorized some scriptures to quote but not enough. I read the daily readings before I go to mass. I do feel I need to read the scriptures more. I like to compared different versions so I get a clearer understanding of the meanings. I have Catholic commentaries and dictionaries I consult to help me.
 
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