Do You Read The Bible?

[Sixtus]

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

The Poll is not an accurate reflection of ‘how often’ Catholics read the bible!

Divine Office Catholics read the bible several times a day

 

[mayra_hart]

at this moment the only time i get in touch with it is on fridays rosary and in mass. i hope that enough:shrug: .st jude pray for all…

 

[RedSoxFan]

I read it a lot more now than I did before I was married. I usually read it at work before I go to sleep (I sleep overnight at work), and whenever I want to deepen my own knowledge. Often times I read it infront of my clients hoping that they may catch some of this by osmosis.

 

[lak611]

I read the Bible daily. I read it all the way through every year. In addition, I also attend a Bible study at my parish.

 

[Nick_Zeman]

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

I read the bible as prayerfully as I can. But what I take most seriously is the words of Jesus on how he approached would-be disciples in Luke 14:25-33, Matthew 10:34-40 and John 6. After reading these verses I somewhat have a problem with forcing kids to receive the sacraments without being willing to be Christ’s follower which means submitting to him as Lord too. I mean if I was a Catholic parent I would force my kids to go to church until they are 18 then after that they can do what they wish. But if they are indifferent to the things of God I don’t see how forcing them to receive the sacraments when they are not ready would help. Some areas of protestantism teach that you can be saved by accepting Christ as Savior now then as Lord later. In Acts 2:37 onward all who received the sacraments were already willing disciples of Christ. Then in Acts 8:14 where confirmation is what is believed taught, the disciples wanted the confirmation that they had received the Holy Spirit. To finally make my point in John 6 53-70 It seems as though Jesus wanted the disciples to make their first communion with him he didn’t force those who walked away in John 6:66 to come back. So in order for me to become catholic I would have to be allowed to initiate my child the way Jesus would want me to. After all we should want to help create fruit bearing disciples who love Jesus every day, not just people who just go to church on Sunday and not care about Christ the rest of the week. It is because of the bible that I feel this way.

 

[french]

daily

i am trying to start devoting an hour of my time to the Bible a day and 2 hours on Sunday, and try and start to read the NT once a month, and the OT once every 4 months. they always say that every time you read, you learn something new!

i also think that reading some writings from the Church Fathers (like Antioch) is very important. although i don’t, i am going to try and start. i think that’s important.

 

[lak611]

daily

i am trying to start devoting an hour of my time to the Bible a day and 2 hours on Sunday, and try and start to read the NT once a month, and the OT once every 4 months. they always say that every time you read, you learn something new!

i also think that reading some writings from the Church Fathers (like Antioch) is very important. although i don’t, i am going to try and start. i think that’s important.

That is wonderful! I feel the same as you as far as always learning something new. That’s excellent that you read the Bible all the way through so often.

 

[french]

Thanks!

although I have read it through all the way, i still have not read it in the 1 month/4 month things, but I am going to try

 

[lak611]

Thanks!

although I have read it through all the way, i still have not read it in the 1 month/4 month things, but I am going to try

I just figured you did or were close to reading it all the way through since you read an hour a day. That’s great though. You probably read a lot more than many people.

 

[french]

Haha yeah, but I just started doing that. So far though I am already about halfway through Genesis and already at Mark in NT!!! (I only started this hour thing two days ago lol)

 

[lak611]

Haha yeah, but I just started doing that. So far though I am already about halfway through Genesis and already at Mark in NT!!! (I only started this hour thing two days ago lol)

That’s wonderful. I will try to read more myself.

 

[french]

Awesome!!



God Bless!

 

[AngelicDoctor]

I pray part of the Divine Office every day. In addition, I read a portion of the Gospels as lectio divina/meditation. Lastly I do a quicker read (more for study) of 2 chapters in the Old Testament and 1 chapter in the New Testament epistles.
In about 2 years I can cycle through the entire Bible at a reasonable pace. I love it. Daily consumption of the Word of God makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Teeliumtrozzle]

I read a few chapters of the Bible every day.I read it because (A)I love God and the Bible is His divine message, and (B)the Bible is the most entertaining piece of litrature I’ve ever seen.
I have already finished all of the New Testament, as well as:
Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, Tobit, Judith, Esther, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai.

So now I’ve read more then half of it! I want to finish the whole Bible by September, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to, because theres still 24 books left.I read Joshua 1-6 this morning, and it was very interesting to read about Rahab and the Siege of Jerico.

I love the Bible! To me it is…
a Compendium of God, a Christians Code, a fountain of Wisdom, a Golden Library, and the most wonderful book in the whole world.

 

[french]

Angelic - that is awesome that you read it within two years! I wish more people would get into a schedule of reading the Bible and praying daily

teelimutrozle - That is great that you read several chapters a day! I too wish that there were more people like you

I just reread Joshua 1-5 today. I must say, it’s a very interesting book!

God Bless,

 

[lak611]

Angelic - that is awesome that you read it within two years! I wish more people would get into a schedule of reading the Bible and praying daily

teelimutrozle - That is great that you read several chapters a day! I too wish that there were more people like you

I just reread Joshua 1-5 today. I must say, it’s a very interesting book!

God Bless,

I’m reading Joshua too! Right now, I am up to chapter 11. I’ll probably read 3 more chapters before I go to bed tonight.

 

[french]

Awesome!

It is a great book… a little scary here and there lol, but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[Dwyer]

Well, I would have read it, but when I attended public school (run by the state) in the United States, my high school teachers made me to read some novel by Nathanial Hawthorne about a Protestant minister who commits adultery; a modern play about a Salesman who’s dissatisfied with his family and job and commits suicide; another play by the same modern playwright about Puritan ministers searching for witches and sentencing innocent people to death; some really sick and twisted modern English novel about a group of English private school students who get stranded on an island and start killing each other; and a memoir by Henry David Thoreau who lived in the woods near a large pond for a year or so and refused to pay his taxes to support the U.S. Mexican War, among other strange stories. Oh, and let’s not forget the poem Dover Beach by the hack poetaster Matthew Arnold.

Never had much spare time to read the Bible; although I did read Genesis and Exodus–finally at age 35.

 

[AngelicDoctor]

Well, I would have read it, but when I attended public school (run by the state) in the United States, my high school teachers made me to read some novel by Nathanial Hawthorne about a Protestant minister who commits adultery; a modern play about a Salesman who’s dissatisfied with his family and job and commits suicide; another play by the same modern playwright about Puritan ministers searching for witches and sentencing innocent people to death; some really sick and twisted modern English novel about a group of English private school students who get stranded on an island and start killing each other; and a memoir by Henry David Thoreau who lived in the woods near a large pond for a year or so and refused to pay his taxes to support the U.S. Mexican War, among other strange stories. Oh, and let’s not forget the poem Dover Beach by the hack poetaster Matthew Arnold.

Never had much spare time to read the Bible; although I did read Genesis and Exodus–finally at age 35.

Here here. I think that I went to a very similar public school, although I also received a heavy dose of Hemmingway as well. I actually do think that there is a benefit to reading modern literature (including American lit) because, it does highlight, to a great extent, the absence of God in our own modern culture and the psychosis that comes with such a situation. It does help you to understand the world that you seek to evangelize and engage. Still, the very fact that we were not required to read even part of the Bible (even from a purely scholarly, literary persepective) is sad. You might read Paradise Lost… but you won’t know what paradise was. You might be familiar with East of Eden… but not know what that is referring to. How do you understand Shakespeare or other important literary works if you are clueless when it comes to the Bible. I think that there is a textbook that tries to promote the learning of the Bible even in secular settings as part of what is required for an educated person (I don’t know who the authors are or how good it is):
bibleliteracy.org/Site/index.htm
(…but it seems like something that is needed).

 

[AngelicDoctor]

I recently read again through Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, and Judges. Now I am on 1 Samuel. I love the character contrasts between Saul once his sin leads to the loss of God’s favor and the beginning of his dramatic downward cycle just as David begins his ascent (though, he too will have his fall ). I think that any Catholic who does not try to read the Bible on a somewhat regular basis is cheating themselves out of a a lot of graces.