Open the Book!

A lot of non-Catholics view people of the faith as not being Bible-readers. Catholics always respond with, "We read the Bible! Every Sunday we read the Old and New Testament, the Psalms and a gospel passage." And don't forget the prayers and acclamations that are full of Scripture like the Holy, Holy (a combo of Is 6 and Ps 118:26), the Our Father (Mt 6:9), and the Gloria (Lk 2:14).

Do you dive into your Bible at home though? Daily? I hope your answer is an enthusiastic "Yes!" and for many people, I'm sure it is. But I bet most of us would answer with, "Yes, but not as often as I should."

I have to admit that while I've been reading a lot more of the Bible than I ever have, I sometimes go into my reading time with the same attitude that I do with exercise. I know I need to do it. I know it's good for me. Sometimes the actual discipline of sitting still and being quiet can be tough though. BUT, just like a workout, once I start, I'm in it 100% and loving every minute of it. And, just like exercise, I see results!

A member of the USCCB wrote an article entitled, "The Bible is for Catholics." It's a great reminder of why and how we should read the scriptures. I encourage you to read the article here. Here are a couple of points that hit home with me:

- Prayer is the beginning and the end. At the start of your reading time, ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and your mind. At the end, pray that His Word will bear fruit.

- The Bible isn't a book, it's a library. It's really fascinating to me that the Bible contains history, prophecy, poetry, advice and of course real life accounts. To know the genre of the book you're reading will help you understand the content.

- Reading isn't enough. If what's in the book stays in the book, then you're wasting your time. It must be put into action.

St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." I can't speak for you, but I want nothing more in life than to know Jesus better. We've got the way right in front of us. We just have to crack it open.

-Abby