How Do Catholics Learn The Scriptures?

[mexolic]

There is the erroneous assumption that Catholics don’t read the bible. I read the New American Bible on occasion depending on what verses or topic I’m interested in. As a Catholic, what is your method of learning the scriptures? Group bible study, personal study, audio, daily or seldom? :coffeeread:

 

[Polycarp1]

There is the erroneous assumption that Catholics don’t read the bible. I read the New American Bible on occasion depending on what verses or topic I’m interested in. As a Catholic, what is your method of learning the scriptures? Group bible study, personal study, audio, daily or seldom? :coffeeread:

All of the above (except seldom.) Also there are three readings at every mass followed by a sermon.

 

[RPRPsych]

There’s the readings at the Holy Mass, of course.

Besides this, I have my own schedule for private reading and study.

Over the past three years, I’ve been reading the Bible from cover to cover (Genesis-Revelation) each year, using reference materials where necessary. Started with the Christian Community Bible in 2010-11, then the Jerusalem Bible in 2011-12, now at Ezekiel in the New American Bible (2012-13).

But, to each his own. I’ve tended to avoid group Bible studies in my town because they are either too (a) Protestant (full of dubious ideas such as the Prosperity Gospel and near-Sola Scriptura) or (b) Political (full of unnecessary socialist and “human rights” ideology that was nowhere near the Author’s intent.) If you can find a better one, more power to you!

 

[Reuben_J]

There is the erroneous assumption that Catholics don’t read the bible. I read the New American Bible on occasion depending on what verses or topic I’m interested in. As a Catholic, what is your method of learning the scriptures? Group bible study, personal study, audio, daily or seldom? :coffeeread:

On top of that, probably you may want to ‘pray the Bible’. There are tools for this along the line of ‘Lectio Devina’ - roughly understood as reading certain passage in the Bible and then to understand (a) what does it say, (b) what does it say today (c) What does it say to me and (d) my response to the word and then pray to God accordingly and reflect on the memory verse for the rest of the day.

While it is good to learn the Bible academically, for many of us who do not have the opportunity to do so due to various reasons, the Bible best remembered in our lives would be if we make is as way of life - to live the Gospel, so to speak. It is helpful if there are group of fellow Catholics who decide they want to do this to come together to share their lives and to be guided by the word of God. It would make the word alive as we live it in our lives.

God bless.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Mine is personal study. I go in spurts, where I study and read for hours, and then back to daily readings for a while.

I facilitate lectio divina about once a month, using the Sunday readings, with a small group of adults.

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

I first learned the scriptures by regular exposure to them at Sunday mass, then by a selection taken from them for CCD, then I sat down and read all the gospels in order. More recently I have joined two separate perpetual bible studies. One is led by a priest every Friday, and the other is a “Come lord Jesus”* group every Thursday.

*These are easy to start and require only about a 20 dollar per person for books. For a look at what the program entails you can watch these two videos one and two.

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

There’s the readings at the Holy Mass, of course.

Besides this, I have my own schedule for private reading and study.

Over the past three years, I’ve been reading the Bible from cover to cover (Genesis-Revelation) each year, using reference materials where necessary. Started with the Christian Community Bible in 2010-11, then the Jerusalem Bible in 2011-12, now at Ezekiel in the New American Bible (2012-13).

But, to each his own. I’ve tended to avoid group Bible studies in my town because they are either too (a) Protestant (full of dubious ideas such as the Prosperity Gospel and near-Sola Scriptura) or (b) Political (full of unnecessary socialist and “human rights” ideology that was nowhere near the Author’s intent.) If you can find a better one, more power to you!

Why not start one? If the environment is as bad as you say then it would seem there is a real need.

 

[RPRPsych]

Why not start one? If the environment is as bad as you say then it would seem there is a real need.

That’s a very good idea! Let me see if I can find a few more people who are interested, and then get the whole thing going. I do need to study a bit more first; while I do know my Bible quite well, I’m far from being a scholar or an expert.

 

[codefro]

There is the erroneous assumption that Catholics don’t read the bible. I read the New American Bible on occasion depending on what verses or topic I’m interested in. As a Catholic, what is your method of learning the scriptures? Group bible study, personal study, audio, daily or seldom? :coffeeread:

Start with Scott Hahn’s bible study series. It is excellent!!!

 

[Bookcat]

Reading…study…lectio divina…(and of course Mass)

 

[pwlj_christ87]

I am usually too busy in the morning and in a rush to read it then, however I do want to start making this a habit, to get my foot of on the right day and perhaps remind me that I need to take up my cross each day…

when I spare time in the evenings and no college work to be done, I use:

a) St Ignatius Study Bible New Testament ( it has a lot of detailed study notes on almost every passage in the bible written by Dr. Scott Hahn it is phenominal and really helped me understand many of the meanings highly recommend this.

b) The Catechism of the Catholic Church ( I flip to the needed paragraph when the study bible notes make mention of them and I am interested)

c) Pocket Bible - again I flip to scripture whre the Ignatius Study Bible gives additional references.

This in my opinion is a very good way to understand bible although it does take a lot of work and flipping through pages.

I have alwyas wanted to join a bible study group but I would only be interested in a catholic one and I dont know where to find one at the moment.

 

[fred_conty]

I study by underlining sentences that have meaning for me at that moment, or that impressed me.

I’ve found that I learn more with a pencil in my hand.

Just a thought.

 

[AnneElizabeth]

There is the erroneous assumption that Catholics don’t read the bible. I read the New American Bible on occasion depending on what verses or topic I’m interested in. As a Catholic, what is your method of learning the scriptures? Group bible study, personal study, audio, daily or seldom? :coffeeread:

I was taught when I was a Protestant to “stay in The Word”. That meant, just pick the Bible up, open it somewhere and at the very least read for as many minutes as you have to dedicate to it.

This has been good advice. Its true sometimes you find a spot where you don’t understand what is going on, but at least it has helped me get familiar with things in the Bible because sooner or later you ask “what does that mean?” or “what in the world is going on?” and you go on from there to put more time and study in it and before you know it you realize you know a whole bunch more about the Bible than you did before.

I wouldn’t advise doing a methodic approach just as you wouldn’t approach a person in some methodic way- although you may want to familiarize yourself with the various books and their groupings first.

The only ‘methodic’ way I would advise is to read the Psalms and Proverbs daily. I as a Catholic have tried to incorporate reading Sirach every day as well. I try and read a chapter a day and keep on doing so, so that it becomes something you really have learned. Jesus Christ knew the Psalms by heart. I think we should too.

I consider the Word of God to be Jesus Himself as that is what the Gospel of John states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Approach it with faith and thankfulness and eagerness to learn. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance!

 

[Highwayhound]

There is the erroneous assumption that Catholics don’t read the bible. I read the New American Bible on occasion depending on what verses or topic I’m interested in. As a Catholic, what is your method of learning the scriptures? Group bible study, personal study, audio, daily or seldom? :coffeeread:

First and foremost I learn about the Bible by attending mass. Did you know that if you attend Sunday Mass for 3 years you will have covered the majority of Bible. So, in my case I have been through the Scriptures 13 times.

A humorous little bit happened when I made some friends (non Catholic). They would refer to books of the Bible as ‘Corinthians’, or ‘Timothy’ and I did not recognize these. Why? Because I had always known them as, ‘The First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians’ and such. To hear them mentioned without the name of Saint Paul was odd:shrug:

IF one were to attend daily Mass for 2 years one would go through the Bible as well.

I have read the Bible front to back as well. Boy was the Book of Numbers a tad dry :yawn:

Becoming a catechist is also a great way to learn about the Bible because one really has to know their stuff. Otherwise the questions of the students will go unanswered.

God bless

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

Becoming a catechist is also a great way to learn about the Bible because one really has to know their stuff. Otherwise the questions of the students will go unanswered.

God bless

I teach fourth grade, so that might have something to do with it, but my class very rarely asks questions along the lines of, “where is that in the Bible?”. It is more important, I find, to know your faith than to be able to point out it’s biblical origins.