Reading the Bible

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landon13

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Hello,

I was born and raised Baptist and spent so much of my time reading and studying the Bible; memorizing it, studying it, praying it. I even spent a lot of time studying Scripture to disprove Catholicism in arguments with family members. After a lot of Scripture reading and study I decided that the Catholic Church is the true Church that Christ established in St. Peter and that I was lacking truth that I could not find in Protestantism but that the fullness of truth was in the Catholic Church. I am going to start an RCIA program in August as well. My main deal is that from the time I decided a year or so ago that I was being called to the Catholic Church I feel that I have almost stopped a deep personal study of Scripture. I get caught up in the study of works of the Saints, of Catholic apologists, and the Catechism (which are all deeply rooted in Scripture) that I feel that I am not spending as much time in Scripture itself. I know that I get the Bible when I hear it at Mass or I pray it in the LOTH but I just don’t feel as much of the personal study of Scripture that I so cherished as a Protestant. Does anyone else have any experiences like this? Or how about ways to get back into the study of Scripture from a Catholic perspective?

Thanks.
 
landon13 said:
Hello,

I was born and raised Baptist and spent so much of my time reading and studying the Bible; memorizing it, studying it, praying it. I even spent a lot of time studying Scripture to disprove Catholicism in arguments with family members. After a lot of Scripture reading and study I decided that the Catholic Church is the true Church that Christ established in St. Peter and that I was lacking truth that I could not find in Protestantism but that the fullness of truth was in the Catholic Church. I am going to start an RCIA program in August as well. My main deal is that from the time I decided a year or so ago that I was being called to the Catholic Church I feel that I have almost stopped a deep personal study of Scripture. I get caught up in the study of works of the Saints, of Catholic apologists, and the Catechism (which are all deeply rooted in Scripture) that I feel that I am not spending as much time in Scripture itself. I know that I get the Bible when I hear it at Mass or I pray it in the LOTH but I just don’t feel as much of the personal study of Scripture that I so cherished as a Protestant. Does anyone else have any experiences like this? Or how about ways to get back into the study of Scripture from a Catholic perspective?

Thanks.
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I feel like since my decision to convert that I have not been studying scripture the way I use to. I typically had 3 or 4 Bible studies going at the same time. I was reading my Bible most of the time. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that wasn’t the Bible. As of now I am sans Bible. I had mine for about two years and have had to duct tape it on the outside and tape pages on the inside. It just got to where it was falling apart so much that it was difficult to use. I think coming into the Catholic church and having a protestant background doesn’t have it’s positives. I know Christ very well and am close to Him but now that I am drawing close to Mary, I am drawing closer to the Lord. But I can not allow prayer and Mas push out reading God’s Word. There is nothing that should replace that. I do read the daily readings on a app on my phone but that isn’t enough.
 
Just make it a rule to always start any spiritual reading for the day with the bible.
 
TwinMommy said:
I feel like since my decision to convert that I have not been studying scripture the way I use to. I typically had 3 or 4 Bible studies going at the same time. I was reading my Bible most of the time. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that wasn’t the Bible. As of now I am sans Bible. I had mine for about two years and have had to duct tape it on the outside and tape pages on the inside. It just got to where it was falling apart so much that it was difficult to use. I think coming into the Catholic church and having a protestant background doesn’t have it’s positives. I know Christ very well and am close to Him but now that I am drawing close to Mary, I am drawing closer to the Lord. But I can not allow prayer and Mas push out reading God’s Word. There is nothing that should replace that. I do read the daily readings on a app on my phone but that isn’t enough.
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Yeah, I get what you’re saying. My Protestant Bible was filled with notes from my childhood for ten-fifteen years worth of sermon notes &c., Now my Catholic Bible has a few verses highlighted but that is the extent of it. I just feel that converting to Catholicism I still have great devotion to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary but I feel that I don’t have time for studying Scripture. I wish that there was a very definitive way of studying the Bible from a Catholic perspective instead of a million and one ways to study it and no two are the same. And many Catholic ways of studying Scripture are not purely studying Scripture. Most say read it with the Lectionary or read it with the Catechism none just Pick up the Bible and read.
 
One can receive a plenary indulgence for reading the Bible for 30 minutes. Perhaps this is the most definitive answer for “how to read the Bible”. Aside from that, there are many ways to study Scripture. It is also good to know what the Fathers of the Church taught concerning a passage that you are studying. 🙂
 
landon13 said:
Yeah, I get what you’re saying. My Protestant Bible was filled with notes from my childhood for ten-fifteen years worth of sermon notes &c., Now my Catholic Bible has a few verses highlighted but that is the extent of it. I just feel that converting to Catholicism I still have great devotion to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary but I feel that I don’t have time for studying Scripture. I wish that there was a very definitive way of studying the Bible from a Catholic perspective instead of a million and one ways to study it and no two are the same. And many Catholic ways of studying Scripture are not purely studying Scripture. Most say read it with the Lectionary or read it with the Catechism none just Pick up the Bible and read.
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I did get a copy of the Catechism. My husband was fine with me buying that but wouldn’t let me get a Bible. IDK LOL I don’t know what a Lectionary is so will have to look that up.

I have found with no Bible study, it is hard to pick what to read. I am a very structured person so picking up a Bible and just reading is hard for me.
 
Zekariya said:
One can receive a plenary indulgence for reading the Bible for 30 minutes. Perhaps this is the most definitive answer for “how to read the Bible”. Aside from that, there are many ways to study Scripture. It is also good to know what the Fathers of the Church taught concerning a passage that you are studying. 🙂
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I still am not sure what indulgences are. Saw a documentary on the V aticin the other day and they were talking about a Pope, can’t remember who, from some time back that has spent way too much money for art in the Vaticin and do get money coming in, he sold indulgences.

Where would information on what the Fathers of the Church taught?
 
I sometimes get caught up with reading to many books that aren’t the bible and so I return to reading scripture when I feel this way. If you feel like you need to read scripture DO SO! Lol.
Discipline yourself to read daily if that’s what you want. The Church is not tellin you not to. There is such a wealth of Catholic information to be read its wise to take it easy and go slowly with it if its hampering you bible reading time.
 
What ever you do, don’t become one of the Catholics who doesn’t know scripture or read the bible. Persevere. Attending Mass once a week is more important then Reading scripture. Don’t let yourself get into the perdicament where attending reading the bible and attending mass conflict. If you find yourself with a lack of time to do both, give up worldly things, like TV. It’s not hard. I don’t have TV. I read A LOT!
 
Welcome home!!!

I would say this is because in non-Catholic denominations the bible is the biggest deal

not to say it isn’t the biggest deal in Catholicism but you have the (magisterium) church teaching and tradition the coincides with the bible like a three legged stool

so in participating and learning church teaching along with our Christian traditions you will have to use time in all 3 instead of the bible alone which is good but scripture is always important for it is the word of God and we need to learn and study it when we can - even if it is just reading the readings of the day
 
TwinMommy said:
I did get a copy of the Catechism. My husband was fine with me buying that but wouldn’t let me get a Bible. IDK LOL I don’t know what a Lectionary is so will have to look that up.

I have found with no Bible study, it is hard to pick what to read. I am a very structured person so picking up a Bible and just reading is hard for me.
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The Lectionary is the book which contains the bible readings Catholics use at Mass, it is a structured way of reading SacredScripture with the Church. However most lay people use a weekly or daily Missal as it also contains the parts of the Mass and the Mass prayers for various occasions.
 
Here’s what helps me:

I recently bought “Christian Prayer” (Liturgy of the Hours). I pray the Evening Prayer every night and make the best effort to pray the Morning Prayer before I go to work. Doing so is giving me a good introduction to the Psalms.

I recently bought all three New Testament harcover books of the Navarre Bible commentary (1. Gospels & Acts, 2. The Letters of St. Paul, 3. Revelation, Hebrews & Catholic Letters). These books are awesome! I just started reading Acts of the Apostles. What’s helping me so far is reading a full chapter and then going back and reading the commentary for that chapter. My progress is a little slow, but I sure understand what I’m reading thanks to the commentary.
 
As you begin to pray with Scripture, rather than just reading, which is often done by individuals merely for the sake of defending arguments, the deeper meaning of Scripture will become embedded into your soul. From this point it won’t be your intellect reading and discerning Scripture, but rather the Holy Spirit, revealing the hidden truths behind them.

Scripture will have meaning you never knew existed.

Jim
 
Catholic Scripture Study CSS (Inc) by Sister Marie Therese is awesome. It was patterned
after BSF Bible Study Fellowship that is non denom Bible Study. My friend (a Lutheran Pastor) used his Church as the host church. There were some 100 persons and he told
me 30% were Catholics and had no where else to study the Bible comprehensively.

Sister Marie Therese started CSS (Inc) and all materials are available via one CD.
It’s prepackages like BSF and you can easily lead it. I led a group of 10 and we did
a free will donation 1/2 way through and at the end to the cause.
It’s daily readings , I believe for 6 days a week and weekly meetings enough for a school year and summers off. You answer questions, a few a night to answer with the group.

Everyone in “My” group 🙂 Loved IT!
If anyone is in BSF, or looking for a structured program
PLEASE check ou the CSS by the nun Sister Marie Theresa; all info on line via google.
Be e leader and ask your priest if he knows some people who might be interested.
I did and he gave me 10 people city wide and we learned so much it was incredible.

It’s endorsed with all the Proper Catholic endorsements necessary for Catholic
use. Once again it’s prepackaged, great awesome study.

Mary (Theresa) LOL…l like her name this nun!
 
PeterJohn said:
What ever you do, don’t become one of the Catholics who doesn’t know scripture or read the bible. Persevere. Attending Mass once a week is more important then Reading scripture. Don’t let yourself get into the perdicament where attending reading the bible and attending mass conflict. If you find yourself with a lack of time to do both, give up worldly things, like TV. It’s not hard. I don’t have TV. I read A LOT!
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When I told friends I was converting that was one of the things thrown at me, that Catholics down read their Bible.
 
Theophorus said:
The Lectionary is the book which contains the bible readings Catholics use at Mass, it is a structured way of reading SacredScripture with the Church. However most lay people use a weekly or daily Missal as it also contains the parts of the Mass and the Mass prayers for various occasions.
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So the readings on the Laudate app are what you are talking about? I do not have a daily/weekly Missal but I am hoping at whatever Parish I go to they will have them. The one I was visiting did not.

The priest at the one I was visiting gave me a Missal from the pews which of course has the order of the Mass,prayers for everything and and hymns. It is awesome. Maybe that is not a Missal. IDK
 
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