I am curious... Casual Bible Reading

[empacae]

Good day everyone,

As my title states… I am curious about something. I’m an avid reader. I take to reading more than I do any other media. Novels, periodicals, Missals, prayerbooks and of course, the Bible. The question is. I leave my Bible (NAB ver. 2000) on my night table, and often pick it up and read it at leisure. Usually a week before next Mass I’ll mark the pages to meditate on these for the following week. But I also will read a book or couple of chapters in some book (OT, Epistles or Gospel) and find myself daydreaming about particular passages. I have heard from Protestants and other Catholics how they pray before and or after reading Scripture for interpretation by the Holy Spirit. But as I said, I just pick up and read without any preempting prayer. I find the language simple and clear enough, and I often wonder if my day dreaming on a passage IS the Holy Spirit working it’s interpretation on me. I do pray though (the Rosary daily) but not before reading Scripture. It just seems to be a thing I pick up and go. Any thoughts about this. Am I not giving the reverence to ‘The Book’ as I should?

Your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated, thanks.

In Christ, Love,

emp.

 

[Fidelis]

Allow me to quote from the Vatican II document, Dei Verbum, section #25:

The sacred synod also earnestly and especially urges all the Christian faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the “excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8). “For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” [St. Jerome] Therefore, they should gladly put themselves in touch with the sacred text itself, whether it be through the liturgy, rich in the divine word, or through devotional reading, or through instructions suitable for the purpose and other aids which, in our time, with approval and active support of the shepherds of the Church, are commendably spread everywhere. **And let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, **so that God and man may talk together; for “we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying.”

I think, perhaps at God’s prompting, what you may intuitively being led to is the ancient practice of Lectio Divina. Here is a bare-bones description of it. I encourage you you find out more about it:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_divina

 

[empacae]

Allow me to quote from the Vatican II document, Dei Verbum, section #25:I think, perhaps at God’s prompting, what you may intuitively being led to is the ancient practice of Lectio Divina. Here is a bare-bones description of it. I encourage you you find out more about it:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_divina

Thanks Fidelis,

A most interesting read. I always knew there is more in content in the Scriptures than just the simple text that’s read. Sometimes it is revealed to me, and sometimes it goes no further than just the story told. But I shall heed more to this Lectio Divina, and maybe more truths will be revealed to me.

thanks again,

emp.