Catholic Bible Study

 Have you ever been shocked to hear one of your adult children say something that was omitted from their upbringing that was clearly wrong?  For example, "My parents never taught us table manners."  Of course you did.  You never formally announced, "Now is our time to teach table manners."  But everyone was involved in the family meal, practiced table manners, whether the children knew they were being taught, or not.

This scenario came to mind when I was watching Noel Culbertson talk on the Journheey Home.  She very casually connected the Liturgy of the Word to her Southern Baptist Bible Study.

Eureka!  Of course, Catholics have always, since Apostolic times, had Bible study in the Liturgy of the Word.We just never realized it, much like my table manners explained in the first paragraph.  

The Liturgy of the Word has a reading from the Old Testament, a Psalm and a Gospel.  If you attend daily Mass, you will have completed reading the entire Bible in three years.  Catholics don't carry their Bible to Mass, they could, (because the Book, Chapter, and verse is announced at each reading) because there are Missalettes in each pew.  Missalettes have the readings in them.  I myself subscribe to Magnificat to get the readings and other spiritual commentary.

At the end of these readings, the homilest will give scripture commentary.  Most of the time, the homily will explain the readings and tie them together.  Sometimes, the homily is about something else of importance, e.i., war, disaster, etc.

So Catholics who think Catholics don't do Bible Study are like people who say they were never taught table manners.  

How to Study the Bible

 Laura's blog, Craving Graces explains several different methods of studying the Bible.  They are all excellent.  But what works for me is simply reading the verses and then reading commentary on them.  And not just one commentary.  I read several and then compare them.  Sometimes, I google the verses and read different commentaries that are referenced.  My favorite commentators are Alice Camille, Roger Karban, John Pilch, and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament.

Going Deeper

I picked up a Bible I once used in a Bible study class, awhile ago.  It was highlighted in three colors.  I had forgotten what the colors meant, but I figured them out.  I also remembered that reading with that highlighted method used to bring me deeper into the meaning of the scripture.

So this morning, I read the Readings of the day, and then highlighted them accordingly.  It took me an hour!  I never did get to Morning Prayer.  But I have to admit, this method is a Lectio Divina gimmick.  Before you know it, you see the scripture differently.

This is how you do it.  Read the scripture.  Highlight or underline in one color every time the verse is a command, e.i., "Do unto others..." (Luke 6:31)

Change to another color.  Highlight every time the verse states a truism, e.i., "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  (Matt 11:30)

Lastly, use a third color.  Highlight all promises, e.i., "...you will inherit the kingdom of God..."  (1 Cor 6:9)

Your Bible will be marked up, but it will be well used, and it's yours anyway.

Evangelizing with Names

Isaac Blessing Jacob
by
Govert Flinck 1638

Michelle was shocked this morning, to read how duplicitous, Jacob and his mother were, in Genesis 27.  She had named her son, Jacob, without knowing the Old Testament story.  However, she felt better after reading Genesis 29-36.

Bible Study is reading about Jacob in Genesis.  Michelle brought up the subject of names.  We moms discussed names, a bit.  They all decided they were going home to "google" their children's name.

Not me!  I KNOW how important names are.  With a name like Faith, you better believe that I put a lot of thought into naming my children.

Then this morning, I was reading Todd Aglialoro's Catholic Answers regarding naming your baby. He lists five rules to giving names: (1) Mary and Joseph are now the unusual names.  (2) Not too difficult names like obscure Old Testament figures.  (3) Middle names are important, too.  (4)  Use your head, think about the name for awhile.  (5) Take the name from the Bible.

I like # 1.  When you name your babies, Mary and Joseph, and people ask how to spell them, or if they are family names, etc., you are being given the chance to evangelize.  No, they are named after the Mother of Jesus, and the patron of the Catholic Church.  Thanks for asking.

Helping Lazarus

Father Al came to Bible study, tonight.  We were preparing for Sunday's readings (Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time).  The Gospel is about the rich man and poor Lazarus.  (Luke 16: 19-31)  We were wondering about life in heaven.  But Father Al, said to forget about that.  We should concentrate on making our lives blessings for others.

He has a point.

The Gospel calls us to heal, fix, and mend, and put everything in good order.

To fail to do so is to risk becoming as self-absorbed as the rich man in the parable.

Discerning the Word

One could study the Bible all their life and still not be able to fathom it.  When I think of my understanding as a teen, a young mother, and now as a grandmother, I am amazed at the different discernment I went through.  Surprising, also, is Bible exegesis.  It seems that the Bible grows, adjusts, and/or adapts to the time, culture, and/or need.

Recently I joined a Scripture Study for moms.  I'm the oldest. This has resulted in some new insights for me.  I'm so happy that I found this group.  I pray that I'm as valuable for them, as they are to me.

I'll take the story of Adam and Eve, for example.  Somehow, I had always blamed Eve for taking that apple.  I pictured her representing mankind.  We are weak creatures and easily seduced.

These young ladies introduced me to consider that the blame really lies with Adam.  Man was put in charge.  He was the keeper of the garden.  He was standing beside Eve, when the serpent appeared.  (I had to check three Bibles to assure myself that he was there beside her.)

The Bible I take to class is the Christian Community Bible.  I often cross check with the New American Bible, and the King James.  I checked all three and two intimate that Adam was beside Eve.  The King James version actually states that Adam was beside Eve.  Previously, I thought he wasn't.  I even pictured Eve looking for him with an apple in her hand.

The young ladies also pointed out, that if Adam was there beside Eve, why didn't he say something?  Why didn't he defend Eve?  Why didn't he defend God?  He was supposed to be protecting her.  And the most important question, why didn't he appeal to God, for help?

Because of Adam's inaction, he is the one responsible for the first sin.  Adam saw with his own eyes, God's goodness.  He saw God create Eve.  Adam had believed and trusted God; surely this should have enabled him to repel the serpent.  His unwillingness to say anything, or act, actually left Eve vulnerable. His silence influenced her.  His "NO!" would have ended everything.  Adam didn't help her.  Instead, she was alone in her reasoning.  And we know that it is not good for man to be alone.

This was interesting to me.  Both Adam and Eve were together in front of the serpent.  The serpent is speaking to both, although his attention is directed to Eve.  "He said to the woman, 'Did God really say...'"  Why did the serpent focus on the woman?  If Adam had the authority, then shouldn't the serpent go through him?  The Christian Community Bible has an interesting footnote:
             The woman temptress--isn't the reality, especially in a world where she is 
             riveted to an inferior state.  Perhaps the author in this remote age witnessed
             the exploitation of women and the art of exploited people to manage their
             masters.
The serpent saw that the woman was subordinate to the man, and he concluded that the woman would desire more autonomy.  Is the serpent correct?

Isn't that the original sin?  The disobeying of God's command was due to man wanting autonomy.  Adam and Eve chose their own "wants" over God, against the requirements of their respective statuses.   Adam's silence and inaction condemned them.

And for what?  Everything the serpent promised, they already had:

          You will not die.  They had that, already.  They were created for immortality
          Your eyes will be opened.  They had that, already.  Adam saw the woman...
          You will be like God.  They had that, already.  They were made in His image.
          Knowing good and evil.  They had that, and should have known it.  They knew that obedience                    
          to God was good because it meant life; they also knew that disobedience was evil, because it
          would cause their death.

Do you think Adam was intimidated?  I can just see Eve turning to Adam for some confirmation.  She keeps deferring to him and he doesn't respond.  At all!  The serpent seemed to have superior knowledge.  Are they too inexperienced in debate?  Was this a fair contest?

Wait a minute!  I'm looking at Adam and Eve like it's factual history.  It is not.  It certainly isn't a scientific treatise on cosmography.  Our Lord was talking simply to men of a certain time, and He used references in their experiences.  He made use of his writers' expressions and knowledge.  St. Thomas Aquinas interprets scripture as history written in mythic language--a poetic truth.  We are obliged to believe the fundamental truths expressed--that our first parents, tempted by the devil, committed a primal act of disobedience whose effects we still suffer (Catechism, no. 390).

I love to read the Word to prove my love and faithfulness to God.  I also have found, that the more I persevere, the more I understand, and my discernment grows.