Do You Read The Bible?

[Thomas2]

I was just wondering how many of us read the Bible, if at all and basically under what circumstances.

Peace and all good,

Thomas2

 

[Marie]

Usually several times per week. I know it is considered odd for a cradle catholic which I always find amusing. My family have always been Catholic and have always read the bible. I have worn out many in loe these many years. The myth that Catholics do not/should not read the bible is one that has persisted through ignorance I suppose. But in our family we take our faith and bible seriously.

My Great Auntie gave them to us for every milestone (birth, communion, confirmation, marriage) so we always had a ready one at hand. She would be well over 130+ years if she were still alive. She handed the tradition on from our forbearers so it goes way beyond 100 years. For my family it has always been a part of our faith.

 

[space_ghost]

i’m embarrased to say that i read a little… very little…

 

[milimac]

I read Magnificat each day which has the daily readings of the Mass as well as Psalms and other readings. Technically, since I don’t always read a book that says “Holy Bible” on the front, I guess you could say it doesn’t count, but I’m counting it.

I also try to do a bible study once or twice a week. Would like to do it more often, but there are so many things worth doing, so little time.

 

[A.Pelliccio]

Usually read it after prayer, in the bathroom, or before I go to bed.

 

[Deacon2006]

Daily through the divine office and regularly in lecto divina prayer.

God Bless

 

[Mummybee]

I read it to my 5 yo. We try to read every day, but it often ends up every other day, or sometimes longer (we also have a 5 mo. old, and life is hectic). We started at the beginning of the O.T. during lent, and are now starting Deuteronomy. She loves to keep track of what books we’ve read, and what’s coming up next. She even corrected me when I got them out of order! It’s amazing how much she absorbs. We do a little q & a after each reading, and before we begin the next one, just to make sure we understand where things are. It blows me away that I am probably learning more than she is, and I grew up hearing these writings in church. It’s easy to sort of zone out during the readings at Mass, because we’ve all heard them all over the years, and we think we know what the object of the reading is, blah blah blah. However, when you read the same readings in their context, with a good understanding of what led up to them, their significance is even greater, and the lessons more layered. It really is like building something, one floor at a time. I treasure the time when I read to my daughter. It has become the start of what turns into a sort of holy hour, and we try to continue after the reading with the rosary and more prayer. I wish my parents had read it to me when I was a child.

 

[copland]

I must say that I read all the time. I love the Scriptures!!! I also read alot of the Church Fathers, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

I know that everyone has a certain pull towards areas of their faith. Mine has always been learning about my Christian faith. I can relate alot with Scott Hahn as far as just being wired the way I am with loving Scripture.

But the key is not to be prideful about it. I learned a lesson about a year ago when I was talking with a lady who has been in Church all her life. I was thinking to myself about how little she knew about the Bible, and in my mind I was thinking of her as inferior because “I knew so much more” about the Bible then her. But God made me realize real quick that she was much more superior to me by this one fact that she saved up her own money every year so she could go to Mexico and feed and clothe little children as she teaches them about Jesus. I felt like a little pion in my own mind. God showed me in my mind that knowledge puffs up and that love is what really matters the most from Gods children.

But that is not to take away from knowing our faith. It is very important to learn why we believe what we believe. And Catholics need to know because the Catholic faith is the right faith, and there are more Catholics being led away from the Church into the Protestant churches, just because they don;t know their faith well enough.

Catholics, learn your faith if you have not already! The Catholic Church is the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

[Lonevoice]

As a convert from the S. Baptist denomination, I had a firm grounding in Scripture.(What we had of it, that is.) During my “fallen away” period, I had gotten away from reading it almost entirely. When I began the conversion process a few years back(actually the process deciding whether or not to convert) I got back into Scripture on kind of a hit or miss basis.

Now, through the intercession of our Lady and the grace of God, I’ve gotten into the daily scripture and Rosary, and am amazed at how many of the things that have bothered me in the past, the problems and trials are as if they are no longer there.

(This wasn’t meant to brag, but to celebrate!)

 

[system]

Deacon2006:

Daily through the divine office and regularly in lecto divina prayer.

God Bless

---

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur !

Everyone doesn’t know Latin.

 

[a_pilgrim]

I’m on my second time through. The first time through, I used a Bible that had been my Dad’s - pretty much your typical, standard Bible.

Since the Bible can be a pretty “tough read,” I recently picked up a Study Bible - same text, but profusely embellished with easy-to-use, referenced footnotes (no page turning necessary - the appropriate footnotes are on the same page as the associated text!). WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The footnotes clarify those passages that may be a bit tough to understand - y’know… the ones where you say to yourself, “Hmmmmm… I wonder what that means,” and then blindly go on to the next verse without even understanding what you’ve just read! (been there, done that! ).

If you’re having trouble “getting into” reading the Bible, try a Study Bible - it could very well make it a whole lot more meaningful for you!

a pilgrim

 

[Pray4Life]

Lonevoice:

As a convert from the S. Baptist denomination, I had a firm grounding in Scripture.(What we had of it, that is.) During my “fallen away” period, I had gotten away from reading it almost entirely. When I began the conversion process a few years back(actually the process deciding whether or not to convert) I got back into Scripture on kind of a hit or miss basis.

Hey that was a lot like my experience! I was a fundamentalist Baptist and when I began my conversion to Catholicism, I felt skeptical of the KJV and mistrustful of the NAB (which is the only Catholic version I knew of) and it took me a while to get back to reading or studying Scripture. I was pretty much sick to death of having the Bible thrown at me anyway after all those 2 hour sermons (sigh). It’s really only in the past year or so, since my confirmation (hmmmmmm) that I’ve gotten “back into” the Bible. Reading the Bible through the lens of Christ’s Church has made it come alive for me. It’s an amazing experience and I keep thinking “WHY didn’t I SEE that before!? I would have converted YEARS before I did if I’d seen it THAT way!”

Anyway I voted for daily. I read the Daily Mass readings and I’m working on the Ignatius Study Bible for the Book of John.

 

[dream_wanderer]

milimac:

I read Magnificat each day which has the daily readings of the Mass as well as Psalms and other readings. Technically, since I don’t always read a book that says “Holy Bible” on the front, I guess you could say it doesn’t count, but I’m counting it.
.

I do this as well.

dream wanderer

 

[Thomas2]

To all you who read the Bible, whenever, praise the Lord and keep it up!

I love my Bible. It is after all, God’s “love letter” to me. I generally read something every day and try several times a week to sit down and “study” to learn more. Two different things to me. I’ve only been fortunate to have experienced the state of prayer called Lecto Divina that the Deacon mentions a few times. That truely is an experience NOT to be missed.

One thing that I do before reading is say a little prayer that goes something like this: “Dear Lord, help me to understand Your Words to me as I read. Write them on my heart and in my mind that they may always be near my lips.”

Bible studies are excellent as long as you are in an orthodox group. There are many on-line that are done by various Catholic groups and quite a few good book-studies available. No need to run to the local Protestant congregation to get help learning the Bible. Any time you spend with the Word of God will help you.

Sometimes when I’m having a rough time, I just pick up my Bible because I know I’m closer to Jesus when I do so and I just want to spend some time with Him. It comforts me and gives me strength.

Hope some of this helps and encourages all those who rarely or never read their Bibles to give God a chance to talk to their hearts through His Sacred Scriptures. Sure beats a Harlequin romance or T.V. Guide!

Peace and all good,

Thomas2

 

[randall_brown]

Thomas2:

I was just wondering how many of us read the Bible, if at all and basically under what circumstances.

Peace and all good,

Thomas2

Found this as an excellent resource in another Forum.

chnetwork.org/readguide04.pdf

it not only uses the Bible, but the Catcheism as well .

 

[Middlefork]

I read the daily readings everyday and then reflections from One Bread One Body from Presentation Ministries

 

[mplamann]

I answered weekly only because there was no option between daily and weekly.

I usually read a bit of some religious text each day, although not always the Bible. The Bible and Catecism are always in my “rotation” and then I generally read a religious text “in the background”. Right now I’m reading Imitations of Christ, which is very satisfying for deep reflections and focus for prayer. Overall, I probably read a selection from the Bible once every few days (sometime a short passage, sometimes many chapters).

Of course, Mass gives me an opportunity to hear and reflect upon the scriptures at least once a week. I think sometimes it is easy to forget the “cycle of the scriptures” the Mass gives us an opportunity to hear and be influenced by.

I do not have a set process for what I read in the Bible or when I read it. I generally focus on the Gospels and New Testament. Some day I would enjoy going through an in depth study of the Old Testament books.

Does anyone have a set process they find useful for reading/reflecting upon scripture?

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

mplamann:

I answered weekly only because there was no option between daily and weekly.

Same here.

I’ll say that I read the Bible “regularly”. After years of going to weekly Sunday mass, I find that I already know much of what is in the Bible.

Many times I’ll be in a conversation with someone regarding some moral issue and then I’ll recall a reference from the Bible that I recall. From this point I’ll generally do a search on the internet referencing the passages I’ve recalled. Then I’ll go to my Bible and re-read the verses I was thinking about.

Other times I’ll randomly open the Bible to a given page and read the passages that are before my eyes. I’ve found it to be a great way to explore Biblical truths.

 

[Beaver]

I recomend “God’s Word Today” if you like to read a book of the Bible or like to go through the Bible by a subject.

For those who like the lector there is “Word Amoung Us”

Here is a Link to there Web Page: wau.org

 

[ppolz]

i like the word among us. its pretty interesting.