Morning Scripture

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WillyAg

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My wife and I only have time to work out if we get up at 4:30 am and get in a quick 45 min. workout… We have been wanting to also start reading the bible together and having morning prayer. So I thought that we could use our first 15 minutes of “wake up” time while waiting on the coffee to brew by reading a bible passage and saying our morning prayers. Any suggestions about a schedule of where to start reading? I guess I would prefere a Marriage oriented / better living reading plan. I’d rather not just start at page one… Thanks!
 
How about if you have a Bible on MP3? Can you listen to it while you workout? I do this if I run, walk, or bike. There are some good sources for this at no cost.
 
Zondervan used to publish a Couples’ Devotional Bible. It was primarily aimed at engaged or newly-wed couples, but I’ve previewed a used copy of it before and didn’t find the contents all that disagreeable for couples even approaching 25 years of marriage. Daily devotional readings are scattered throughout the text with other associated readings.

There’s nothing wrong with starting on page one. What hangs people up is when you start getting into the measurements, censuses and legal minutiae of the later Torah. If you’re not incredibly familiar with the Bible, starting with Genesis 11 and read through to Exodus 24 (skipping Ex 25 through 31) and picking up again would be good for some perspective. Lots of good stories for reflection in those introductory chapters. However, if you’re familiar with the “basic concept,” as it were, then I think the Wisdom literature (Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Proverbs, et. al.) is *prime *material for reflection and prayer.

Also, don’t forget, but the simple act of READING the Bible is a form of prayer, so never feel as if there must be some sort of separate prayer away from it. Not saying not to, but if you’re pressed for time, then reading a Psalm or two would suffice for morning prayer.
 
I would recommend getting a subscription to the monthly Magnificat magazine and praying the morning prayer there together.

If you are not familiar with Magnificat, it is basically an abbreviated version of the Liturgy of the Hours that priests, deacons and most religious are required to pray every day. It has morning, evening and night prayers, but the morning prayer consists of prayers, a psalm, a short reading from Scripture, the canticle of Zechariah, prayers of intercession, the Our Father, and a closing prayer.

Believe it or not, if you omit the optional hymn, said at a leisurely pace the entire morning prayer takes about five minutes (the Magnificat is also a missalette containing the Mass readings for every day. It has a lot of other nice features too, not the least of which is that the magazine itself is aesthetically pleasing to the eye). You can even get it as an iPhone app.

For more info, go to the website: Magnificat.

http://new.catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/magnificat.jpg
 
I have an audio bible that I listen to on my ipod, at work and in the car. I can say that I’ve now heard the text of the bible about 3 times in addition to my readings. It’s a great tool for busy people.

However, if you really want to read it together read a chapter a day. I don’t think it would take more than 10 minutes to read a chapter and you could have a quick 5 minute prayer together at the end.

I also say a quick prayer when I get into the car and before I leave the car and before I go to bed.

I’m pretty busy and have a long commute so I squeeze in the scripture and prayers as much during that time as I can.
 
There are several ways you can begin to read scripture as a couple.

The Magnificat has already been mentioned. This is a shortened version of the Liturgy of the Hours. It also has the daily Mass readings plus a daily saint of the day.

Two weeks ago was Bible Sunday. Father’s homily was about reading one chapter a day. In just over 3 years, you can read the Bible cover to cover.
It was while on Active Duty for Support with the Army that I learned that by reading three chapters plus five on Sunday, you can read the entire Bible in one year. Yes, I have done this several times from cover to cover.
You already mentioned that you would prefer a different method. One is to read two OT chapter plus a NT chapter. My brother owned a Christian Almanac which became mine when he died. It is full of interesting Christian historical facts, not necessarily from a Catholic point of view. It profiles a Christian historical personality daily. At the top of each daily page are three chapters from the Bible to be read. Again, by following the schedule provided, a person can read the Bible in one year.

I own Christian Prayer, the one volume edition of the Divine Office. I pray the Office of Readings along with Morning Prayer. The Office of Readings has a daily schedule of Biblical readings. Because I do not have the non-Biblical readings, I substitute a single chapter from a spiritual classic or more modern book to help me with my spiritual journey. At the moment I am reading St. Augustine’s Confessions.

Going back to the time schedule mentioned. You may pray the morning prayer, and evening prayer when time allows, from the Magnificat plus the daily Mass readings.
Or you could pray the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours.
 
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