Sunday, September 21, 2008 is Catechetical Sunday. On that day, those involved in passing on the Catholic faith through religious education programs will be formally commissioned for their ministry. The theme for this year is “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” Catechesis is not just for children or those involved in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). All of us are called to a lifetime of continuing education. There is always more to learn about our faith and how to best live out that faith. This year, the Bishops are inviting us to take a closer look at the role of the Bible in our lives.
The Bible can often seem intimidating and foreign. Unlike many of our Protestant brothers and sisters, we Catholics are much less likely to grow up memorizing scripture passages. We certainly are familiar with the Bible through the readings at mass and through learning Bible stories, but we don't tend to spend as much time with the Good Book itself. The Bible isn't as much of a friend as it could be.
How should one begin to delve into the treasures that are contained in Holy Scripture? It is possible, of course, to start with the Book of Genesis and read straight through. The Book of Leviticus (book three going in order), which focuses on all the Jewish laws, often causes many to surrender this method, however. Every word of God is important, of course, but some books are more central to the on-going story of salvation history than others. If you are going to go with a start to finish approach, The Bible Made Easy: A Book-by-book Introduction
by Fr. Timothy P. Schehr suggests tackling the following 14 books first: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Samuel 1 and 2, Kings 1 and 2, Ezra and Nehemiah, 1 Maccabees, the Gospel of Luke, and the Acts of the Apostles. For those who truly wish to study the Bible, many parishes offer formal Bible study groups. If your parish doesn't, consider calling around to other parishes in your area to see what is available, or perhaps offer to start one. The “Collegeville Bible Commentaries” published by Liturgical Press are often used in Bible study groups. Dr. Scott Hahn and his wife Kimberly have founded “The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.” On their website, www.salvationhistory.com, there are many Bible study courses offered that are free of charge and can be completed at one's own pace in the comfort of one's home.
Another popular method of incorporating scripture into one's life is to concentrate on the lectionary readings for the day. The advantage of this method is that the readings often focus on a central theme. They are available on-line at http://www.usccb.org/nab/". There is also a Daily Mass Readings podcast available at that same site. There are many guides that offer reflections to accompany the readings and to help apply the scripture of the day to daily life. Two popular guides are “The Word Among Us” (http://wau.org/) and “Living Faith” (http://www.livingfaith.com).
Yet another way of approaching scripture is to randomly open the Bible and see where the Spirit leads you. While this approach is not as formal nor as recommended at the others, it can often provide strength when you need it most.
Whatever approach one chooses, the important thing is to answer the invitation to integrate the Word of God more into one's life. God is waiting to talk to us through his gift of Holy Scripture. Will you answer the call?
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