A Practice of Fruitful Scripture Reading

Most Catholics take pride in the fact that Mother Church reads most of the Bible to her congregation over the span of three liturgical years. The liturgical year consists of a seasonal cycle (the Proper of Time) and a sanctoral cycle (the Proper of Saints), both of which are organized and published in a liturgical calendar.

The first part of the Mass (Liturgy of the Word) includes the scriptural readings (of the Year and Season), the Gospel Acclamation, followed by the Homily and then the Profession of Faith (Creed), and the Prayers of the Faithful. The scriptural readings comprise two readings on Sundays and Feast days (Typically, the first is from the Old Testament and the second from the New Testament); one reading on weekdays (usually from the Old Testament); the Responsorial Psalm (as a rule is sung after the first reading), and the Gospel. The beauty of the Mass is that Scripture is also sung throughout the hymns which are primarily based on the Bible. So, we can confidently argue the case that we do experience reading the Bible in the Mass.

The writing of St. Jerome way back in the 5^th Century reminds us,

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

This is why the Church encourages us to read the Bible for personal devotion and to study Scripture outside of the Mass. There are many parishes (and retreat centres) around the world with excellent Bible studies. Also, some TV Networks like EWTN have programs that help many Catholics spend a bit of time engaging with scripture. We can again argue that the Catholic Church is the most biblical in all of Christianity because It celebrates, lives, and teaches everything through the Scriptures.

Just coming from the Month of the Rosary, we must acknowledge that the Catholic faith also embraces many devotional practices that are profoundly scriptural. However, we must understand that they differ from the individual reading and interpretation of the Bible. The Church indeed has a membership of all kinds of people with varying degrees of education, piety, and enthusiasm. People in every stage of the spiritual journey are welcome in this universal Church, but this should not be the excuse we give for not knowing the Bible. We must remember always that Scripture is our encounter with Jesus, the Word of God (John 1:1 & John 1:14), and the Eucharist is taking the Word of God into our very selves.

What Does it Mean to Practice Fruitful Scripture Reading?

• Reading the Bible should be part of our daily prayer lives. In the Roman Catholic Church priests are required by canon law to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) each day; deacons are required to pray the morning and evening prayers of the Office; religious communities’ practices of the Divine Office vary according to their rules and constitutions; the laity are also exhorted to take up the practice, and as a result, many have begun reciting portions of it. This is one way of praying with the scriptures under the leadership of Mother Church.
• When we read the Bible, we should begin and end with prayer. The Bible is neither a novel nor a history book. Therefore, reading the Bible should be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Reading these inspired words should grow us deeper in our relationship with God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13). We should come to understand our place in the community the Lord God has called us to in H When we begin reading, our hearts and minds must be open to hearing the Voice of God in the words we read. When we end, we pray that the Word of God bears fruit in our lives by helping us to become more holy and faithful to the Lord Jesus.
• To get the whole story, ensure to select a Catholic Edition of the Bible. This includes the Church’s complete list of sacred books along with introductions and notes for understanding the text. It also has an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page, indicating that the book is free of errors in Catholic doctrine.
• Remember that the Bible is not a book! It is a Library of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books bear different genres, which you must consider so that you understand what the author is trying to convey. The literary tools used by the authors also vary, depending on the intended audience and the perception of the author. The subject of study ranges from royals to prophets, poets to instructors, from struggling new faith communities to believers’ accounts of the preaching and passion of the Lord Jesus.
• We must know what the Bible is and what it is not. The Bible presents the story of the relationship between God and the people He has called to himself. It should not be read as an academic book looking for history, science, or politics. In the Bible, we have eternal truths that God teaches for the sake of our salvation.
• The Bible should be read in context. The true meaning of the text is based on what happens before and after a given text helps us to understand the true meaning of the text. We should not fixate on a single verse and interpret it as a part; the whole is more significant than the part.
• Despite being organized in two distinct parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament shed light on each other so that we come to understand God’s plan for humanity.
• When we read and reflect on sacred Scripture, Catholics join other faithful people who have taken God’s Word to heart and have put it into practice in their lives. However, we read the Bible within the tradition of the Church so that we benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.
• We must seek what God is saying to us personally. The words we read were not written for the people who lived in them times in a faraway land. No, the words are addressed to each one of us and applicable to each of our current circumstances. First, we read to understand what the text says and how the faithful understood its meaning in the past. Then, we ask what God is saying to us (me in particular) in the present.
• But reading Scripture is not in itself enough. We must meditate on the message of the Word and put it into practice in our lives (James 1:22). If we don’t, then Scripture remains simply as words on a page and our work then remains undone. The word must be living and effective (Hebrews 4:12).

Sometimes we hide behind other people citing incompetence in interpreting the meaning of the scriptures. St Paul warns of the danger of remaining ignorant and incompetent of Scripture (1 Timothy 4:1). Keeping in mind that we are all prone to human error, it is not healthy (spiritually, emotionally, and even physically) to follow any one person’s preaching more than we seek the Lord Jesus Christ for ourselves (Micah 3:5 & Ephesians 4:14). The Bible repeatedly warns us of many false and deceitful prophets claiming to understand the Bible. It is never always easy to pick them out of a crowd (Matthew 7:15, 2 Peter 2:18,19 & 2 Corinthians 13). It, therefore, helps us to discern God’s Truth if we study God’s Word for ourselves daily and prayerfully, and then listen to the voices of educated Biblical scholars.

Is Scripture Reading Useful for Living the Faith?

In the letter to the Romans, St Paul teaches that since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20). To Paul, scripture was not only inspired by God; it was breathed by God, which makes it useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Our lives are purposed to bring glory and honour to the name of God.

The Lord Jesus dwelt on earth and willingly took our sins up on the Cross so that our spiritual lives could change forever. It is in Christ and through His Word that we come directly to the Father in prayer. By His Holy Spirit, we take in a supernatural power to live out the attributes that St Paul writes about. If we live by this Spirit, we must keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).

Everyone who believes in and accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour possesses the very Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 1:22). The supernatural God-breathed elements of scripture are unlocked in our salvation so that we interpret, embrace, and apply it in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit is at hand to help translate that which we cannot put in our words of prayer and to also discover what God’s word says as we daily read and study it (Romans 8:26).

Is all Scripture Trustworthy to the Hilt?

This depends on the approach we take with God’s Word. If taken with wisdom and humility, we will properly understand what God is saying and how it relates to our life situation. If we pursue the study of God’s word diligently and prayerfully study it in Christ, we will be able to trust all of Scripture (Psalm 56:3-4). The Holy Spirit works to help in this process. He makes present study guides, study Bibles, Biblical commentaries, and voices of credible Bible scholars so that we can prayerfully seek God’s counsel and find His truth. Scripture becomes reliable, relatable, and relevant in the life of the Catholic who remembers that Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:1). His death on the Cross broke the slavery of sin in our lives. Living the Word means we no longer have to be slaves to sin but can live free lives in truth (Romans 65:6 & 1 Corinthians 6:12). We must have faith that there is no circumstance under which this freedom can be taken away from us (John 8:36). Scripture is God-breathed, and we have His Spirit dwelling in us (Ezekiel 36:27 & Romans 8:11). When we need wisdom, understanding, or knowledge of the Word, He is there to guide us (Romans 8:14 & Psalm 139:7-10).

Take-Home Message

In the words of John Piper, the more of God’s Word you know and love, the more of God’s Spirit you will experience. The sovereign God in His omnipotence has set in motion our purposeful existence in this life. He remains always in control. He knows our all and is compassionate to us (Psalm 103:14). He surrounds us with His love and allows us access to Him through prayer and His Word. He seeks a relationship with us and makes it possible in His reliable, relatable, and relevant Word. You and I will benefit when we choose to inculcate the practice of fruitful scripture reading.

All Bible quotations are from NASB

This article is inspired and adapted in part from “Understanding the Bible” (https://www.usccb.org/bible/understanding-the-bible).