Catholics and the Bible - We've Got a Lot to Learn
By Thomas O'Dea | Submitted On October 13, 2008
Growing Up
It's a funny thing about growing up Catholic. You learn your Baltimore Catechism, so you know the rules. You go to Sunday Mass, and learn quite a few prayers and songs. If you're an altar boy (as I was) you get to understand the Mass pretty well.
Many of us drift away in our young lives, and many make their way back to the Church. We feel special. After all, there are something like 1.5 billion of us around the globe, we have the Pope as our spiritual leader, a man respected by world leaders everywhere. We must be blessed.
Many of us, though, don't know anywhere near as much about the teachings of the Bible as our counterparts in other Christian faiths.
How Can That Be?
We go to Sunday Mass every week. But it lasts only an hour, has a limited number of readings included and even those are in a rotation that repeats a lot of the same readings year over year. Daily Mass offers a little more exposure to Scripture, but very few people attend and it's still not enough.
As anyone who has invested time in Bible study will tell you, there's an awful lot of information in those Books. Amazing stories, important teachings, a few conflicts and lots of food for thought and reflection.
Personal Responsibility
We need to take it on ourselves to read the Bible, to participate in Bible study with others, to talk with other Catholics and non-Catholics about what we learn, what we believe, and the things we struggle with as we try to live our faith.
I wish I had figured this out earlier in life, but the good news is it's never too late for the Good News.
No time to read the Bible? For your subscription to a daily 5-7 minute Bible recording straight to your inbox, please visit Listen to The Word [http://www.listentotheword.com].
Thomas O'Dea is a businessman who founded Listen to The Word to help people like himself, who need a little help making sure the priorities of everyday life don't overwhelm the priorities of living a good Christian life.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Thomas_O'Dea/118235
Catholic Bible Study Series: Introduction
By Eugenia Brown | Submitted On November 29, 2006
Thousands of years separate us from the time when Bible was written. The cultures in in which Bible came to existence no longer exist. Languages in which Bible was written are no longer spoken and the translations into almost any language loose something along the way. Literary styles that are present in the Bible have not been used in the modern literature. It is no wonder that studying the Holy Scripture can become a difficult task for both believers and un-believers alike, since in order to study Bible many other aspects of history, culture and even original languages have to be kept in mind. It is not to say that in order to understand Bible every one needs to read it in it's original form. Many translations available today are quite good, but here and there a "trip" to the original text may help to unveil meaning of certain word or phrase.
Which Bible translation/edition to choose?
Since so many English translations of the Bible available to us today, one can find difficult in choosing the right edition. As a catholic you should keep in mind few things when choosing the Bible for you and your family. You need to know if particular translation or edition is approved by Catholic Bishops. Generally this approval can be found some where in the first pages of the Bible, look for it near the credits to publisher or editor. While many translations and editions are approved by the different conferences of Catholic Bishops, Ignatius Bible is among the best for a catholic reader due to the following reasons. This is the only English translation of the Bible that was not influenced by feminist demands for inclusive language, the same language that Rome has rejected in the new Catechism. Ignatius Bible was acclaimed for decades as the clearest, most accurate and most beautiful modern translation of the Bible in English. In the further articles of this "Catholic Bible Study Series", texts from Ignatius Bible will be used as well.
How to read the Bible and where to Begin?
While it is possible to read the Bible as any other book, starting on the first pages and finishing with the last, this approach will not be easy and after few attempts you may give up reading the Bible all together. It is recommended therefore to begin with the parts of the Bible that are easier to read and have less complicated literary style. You may want to begin reading the Bible form the New Testament first. While Old Testament books such as Genesis or Psalms are easy to read, reading the New Testament first will offer you an opportunity to see through Old Testament in the light of Jesus' live, preaching, suffering and resurrection. You may have already heard that Bible contains so called "history of salvation". Since Jesus' mission is an essence of the history of salvation, and since everything that preceded him in the Old Testament pointed towards him, as Christian you will find a better appreciation of reading Old Testament and interpreting it through the "prism" of Jesus' life and mission.
In understanding the Bible, it would be also beneficial to have commentary or bible sturdy guides at hand. Many Church Fathers have written and commented extensively on Bible in the past, and even present day modern commentaries can be very helpful in reading and understating the Holy Scripture.
Eugenia Brown is a writer for Everything Catholic! [http://www.walk-with-christ.com]- website that promotes products from Ingatius Press, a Catholic Publisher. There you can find books and literature on variety of topics including Bible [http://www.walk-with-christ.com/category/bible/] and Bible Study Guides [http://www.walk-with-christ.com/category/bible-study-guides/].
9/19/2020, 11:04 AM
Catholic Bible Study Series: Introductionhttps://ezinearticles.com/?Catholic-Bible-Study-Series:-Introduction&id...
2 of 2
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Eugenia_Brown/59468
The Catholic Bible Dictionary by Scott Hahn - A Book Review
By Erika Ayala | Submitted On June 08, 2009
The Catholic Bible Dictionary by Scott Hahn is the most up-to-date dictionary on Catholic biblical terms in over a generation. In a person's lifetime, so many things can change. This change is also evident in the study of church scripture and historical texts, and how these are interpreted and made understandable to a more modern audience.
Thus, this bible dictionary is an invaluable text for any catholic who takes his faith seriously and wants to understand it better. Catholics are familiar with the bible, its passages, and its meanings. However, this dictionary will open up a whole new world of information and enlightenment that breezing through the bible during school and listening to mass readings won't give you.
In the same way, this book will be an interesting and entertaining read even for non-Catholics who are simply curious about the faith. The biblical facts and studies are all written in an easy to understand way, so that you don't have to familiar with the Catholic faith in order to appreciate this text. Who knows, some readers of this text may end up joining the faith as well.
On the other hand, for bible study students, this book can also be a reliable source of information, whether on the meaning of words, the historical implications and symbolisms of biblical events, and so on. There are so many so-called books and articles on the bible that are either incorrect or incomplete. Why settle for inferior sources when you can get this 100% correct and complete source on the Catholic bible?
And because this book is so reliable even members of the Catholic Church congregation could use this book, in case they need to make quick references about queries they may have regarding their homilies or research. After all, no one is so smart that he can memorize everything there is to know about the Catholic faith.
So whether you are a devout Catholic, a biblical scholar, a member of the Church hierarchy, or just someone curious about the faith, the Catholic Bible Dictionary by Scott Hahn can be your best source of information.
For more information, check other Catholic Bible Dictionary [http://www.greenbac.com/catholic-bible-dictionary-by-scott-hahn-review/] by Scott Hahn book reviews.
Erika Ayala works part time for a consumer review company.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Erika_Ayala/328334