Is there a Bible in the house?

[mercygate]

I’m curious. Do people bring their own bibles to Mass? I don’t recall ever seeing this when I attended. I always took my own but I was the strange Mass attending Protestant.

I take my copy of the monthly publication, Magnificat, which has the readings for every day.

There is a fashion abroad now in the Church that the Word (scripture readings) are to be “proclaimed” – which means that people should listen and not read along. I find this idiotic. Is the Word less proclaimed because I follow in my missalette? What if I am hard of hearing, or what if my English isn’t all that good and I need the written back-up. (Rant over).

I have 14 Bibles at home, including Latin, Greek and Hebrew Bibles.

 

[demerzel85]

Hmm…why ever do you need the text of God’s Revelation to mankind when you can just gaze at the Word made Flesh?

 

[shirleytowers]

We have several bibles in our home.

There is a myth that Catholics are discouraged from reading the bible or that they just don’t, but it isn’t true. Everything in the Church comes from the Bible, and we are supposed to read it. What we aren’t supposed to do is substitue our interpretation for that of the Church or rely strictly on the Bible alone when there are other sources to consider as well.

Oh, and by the way, where do you think the Bible came from? The bible came from the Church and its founders.

 

[puzzleannie]

At home there are 12 bibles in arm’s reach of me right now, in English, Spanish, German and Latin. The German one was printed in the 1700s and brought to this country by my dad’s Bavarian Catholic relatives in the 1840s. Go Benedict! viva!

My dad studied the bible in his Catholic school, his mother read the Bible daily, I studied the bible and bible history for 10 yrs in Catholic school (begining in 3rd grade) along with the Baltimore catechism, my in-laws studied the bible in their respective Catholic schools, their parents read the bible daily in the family. the whole canard about Catholics not reading the Bible is an urban legend, a myth. Some do, some don’ts, just like Protestants - some read it and know it, some don’t.

In the Parish, For RE, adult, children and youth, we have available the NAB, RSV-CE, Jerusalem bible, and 3 approved Spanish translations. Each Confirmation candidate is given a Bible, and leaves with a Bible, Catechism, Rosary and pocket apologetics guide.

 

[djrakowski]

I am what I consider a Catholic-friendly Protestant. A friend of mine is not so friendly and to prove one of his point of argument tells me there aren’t any Bibles in the Catholic Church (other than that used in Mass by the Priest). Not knowing if this is true or not I thought to ask you folks. Are there Bibles in the pews? Does the priest emphasize Biblical reading?

In my parish, there are a number of Bible studies, and while preaching, the priests routinely refer to portions of the Bible not read at Mass that relate to the topic at hand. And, I have so many Bibles in my house, Protestant and Catholic, that I’ve lost count!

Where’s the rule that says there must be Bibles in the pew racks of every church building? I choose to follow along with the readings in the missalette, or simply listen as the scriptures are read.

 

[djrakowski]

Oh, and how could we neglect this:

**"**Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ" – St. Jerome

 

[djrakowski]

I’m curious. Do people bring their own bibles to Mass? I don’t recall ever seeing this when I attended. I always took my own but I was the strange Mass attending Protestant.

One time, I brought my Bible to Mass because I wanted to catch up on a few readings. But, there’s really no need. Flipping through the Bible to find the passages read at Mass is not nearly as easy as opening up the missalette to the appropriate day.

 

[puzzleannie]

I Does the priest emphasize Biblical reading?

Dei Verbum and other papal and church documents emphasize reading and study of the Sacred Scripture, there is an indulgence attached to it, and yes the priests emphasize it. It is foremost in Catholic tradition, however, to pray with Scripture. The entire Mass almost word for word is taken from Scripture. Fr. Stravinskas’ great little book from Our Sunday Visitor (osv.org) the Catholic Church and the Bible takes you through this. the other hinge of the liturgy, the official prayer of the Church, called the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours is entirely biblical being based of course on the psalms, OT and NT readings and canticles.

The Rosary, the popular prayer of Catholic laity is of course an extended meditation on the Gospels and principal mysteries of Christ’s life and mission. lectio divina, the ancient practice of reading, meditating, praying and contemplating the Word of God in Scripture was of course invented by the CAtholic church. Advise your friend to become aquainted with actual Catholic history and practice before casting nasturtiums.

 

[Black_Knight_MI]

The Missals contain the scripture readings for the day’s Mass, but either way you’re going to hear the Word of God. I always pull it out and bookmark them and follow along. At daily Masses I go to the site Milliardo gave you and print the readings out so I can follow along, since I’m too cheap to buy a daily missal.

Odd isn’t it? There were no Bibles in the “pews” of the early church, yet they laid down their lives for their faith in Christ.

As for Bibles here at home…how many would you like? If I don’t have 25 Bibles and New Testaments in several different translations then I’d be greatly surprised indeed! Are they read and used? Are ya kiddin’ me?
Blackie

 

[djrakowski]

The Missals contain the scripture readings for the day’s Mass, but either way you’re going to hear the Word of God. I always pull it out and bookmark them and follow along. At daily Masses I go to the site Milliardo gave you and print the readings out so I can follow along, since I’m too cheap to buy a daily missal. I’ve just subscribed to “Magnificat.” At $39.95/year for 14 issues (one for each month, and supplmental ones for Lent and Advent) it ain’t cheap. But, the material they contain is well worth the price.

 

[estesbob]

I am what I consider a Catholic-friendly Protestant. A friend of mine is not so friendly and to prove one of his point of argument tells me there aren’t any Bibles in the Catholic Church (other than that used in Mass by the Priest). Not knowing if this is true or not I thought to ask you folks. Are there Bibles in the pews? Does the priest emphasize Biblical reading?

No Bibles. It is ironic, however, that one who attends daily mass will hear more scipture read in a week that most protestants will in a year. If one attends Sunday mass only it probably takes them a couple of weeks to hear more sciprture read than Protestant hear in a year.

 

[Black_Knight_MI]

I’ve just subscribed to “Magnificat.” At $39.95/year for 14 issues (one for each month, and supplmental ones for Lent and Advent) it ain’t cheap. But, the material they contain is well worth the price.

I’m thinking that I’ll wait til they finish this next revamp pf the Missal by order to Rome and then get a daily missal.

 

[djrakowski]

I’m thinking that I’ll wait til they finish this next revamp pf the Missal by order to Rome and then get a daily missal.

Not a bad idea, but from what I’ve seen of daily missals, I prefer the format of Magnificat.

 

[estesbob]

Not a bad idea, but from what I’ve seen of daily missals, I prefer the format of Magnificat.

I purhcased the three volume set “New” Missal and after using it for a year I went back to my Daily Roman Missal. It was awkward to keep track of three volumes and the intoductions to each days readings(especially sundays) were so "spirit of vatican II) i quit reading them lest i go through mass seething in anger.

The Translation of the readings in the Daily Roman Missal(far superior IMO) is different but the rest is the same.

 

[Kurt_G]

I take my copy of the monthly publication, Magnificat, which has the readings for every day.

There is a fashion abroad now in the Church that the Word (scripture readings) are to be “proclaimed” – which means that people should listen and not read along. I find this idiotic. Is the Word less proclaimed because I follow in my missalette? What if I am hard of hearing, or what if my English isn’t all that good and I need the written back-up. (Rant over).

I have 14 Bibles at home, including Latin, Greek and Hebrew Bibles.

Hello, mercygate! I understand your “rant” over the recent emphasis on listening, rather than "following" the readings, as the Word is orally proclaimed. This is one of those topics which gets a 50/50 split in the circles I run with.

I now listen more than follow, but have already “peaked” at the Scriptures earlier. That makes the listening more fulfilling.

What we could **all **agree on, I believe, is that for the past 1900 years as near as we can research, (even back to Justin Martyr’s wonderful description of the mass in 140 AD) the Liturgy of the Word as celebrated in the Mass has never taken the form of this:
“… Now, let us all silently read the Scriptures given us for this day, as we meditate upon them for the next 4 minutes.”

but rather has always taken the form of a real live person coming forward and orally proclaiming:
“… A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah…”,
or
“… A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians…”

In other words, the Word of God is truly, literally “Living” in the Church’s Liturgy, because human mouths are literally proclaiming it in every single mass, every single day, in every single country on Earth (I’m not sure about Mars or Venus).

OK, I’m through ranting about that, I feel better now… thanks!
God Bless Us All!

 

[marytk]

Come to think of it, I don’t recall ever seeing a Bible in any of the 40 or 50 different protestant churches of various denominations which I’ve visited over the years, except for the one on the minister’s lectern.

Well I have to admit that there were Bibles in the pews of many of the churches that I have visited. Which would include the Presb. Churches my brother’s family has gone too. Free Methodists for weddings. and I guess some other churches for weddings and funeral. I can’t say ALL but in many there was a Bible and a Hymnal that I thumbed through

 

[KathleenElsie]

Lets see. I take a Missal to Mass it has the bible readings for week day and Sunday.

Now as for the Bible in our homes. Well there are seven of us and we each have two of our own (14 total) for daily use and prayer. We also have two study Bibles a Douay-Rheims and an old old one in Latin and Greek for the traditionalist in us.

Also when I find an old Catholic Bible for sale I purchase it and then give it to someone that can use it and does not have the means to get one. They are always given a good home.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

… Are there Bibles in the pews?

Not in the pews at my parish, but there are many Bibles in the classrooms and parish library.

Does the priest emphasize Biblical reading?

Absolutely.

See also here…**The Bible kept from ordinary Catholics? - **View

 

[Liberian]

Ingram,

As I sit here at my computer I have three complete Bibles in the same room with me, plus a Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, plus an eight-way parallel New Testament, plus a Strong’s Concordance, plus Thayer’s and Gesenius’ lexicons of the New and Old Testaments respectively.

The church where I attend does not have Bibles in the pews, but the missals that we have contain the Bible readings for the Sundays and feast days. That’s a good bit of Bible right there.

The Church in the past discouraged the reading of unapproved translations of the Bible. (Imagine what you would get from the edition–this actually happened–that left the word “not” out of the commandment against adultery!) But in today’s very literate society, we are encouraged to read the Bible.

• Liberian

 

[Syele]

One time, I brought my Bible to Mass because I wanted to catch up on a few readings. But, there’s really no need. Flipping through the Bible to find the passages read at Mass is not nearly as easy as opening up the missalette to the appropriate day.

Easy really isn’t such as issue as you may think. Protestant children are taught Bible drills, so finding the appropriate place is a well learned skill. It would not take me longer to find Hebrews 4:13 than it would for me to find page 397. I also sometimes find it beneficial to read bits before and after the reading provided .

BTW, I’m not Catholic and my church dosn’t have Bibles in the pews… we have a shelf in the hall with about 5 there in case someone dosn’t have one of their own. Why fill the Sanctuary with them if we all bring one too?