...God himself is the author of Sacred Scripture. For this reason it is said to be inspired and to teach without error those truths which are necessary for our salvation. The Holy Spirit inspired the human authors who wrote what he wanted to teach us... (Compendium #18).This same Word spoke the heavens and the earth into existence and sustains all life.. It's worth paying attention to.
Why do we believe that Scripture is so holy?? Wasn't the Bible compiled by fallible human beings? What about apparent inaccuracies or contradictions? Unfortunately, I don't have strong answers to any of these questions (if you want strong answers, listen to Catholic Radio). The way I see it, Jesus Christ is Lord. He attested constantly to the validity of the Scriptures (Old Testament), and established a Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, who attested to the Gospels and letters later added (New Testament). In other words, Christ and the Church teach us that the Bible is sacred. That's enough for me (see "Magisterium" tab). To add, it's interesting to see that Scripture is considered sacred by almost all Christian denominations.
So where does one begin to access this immense collection of holy literature?
All Scripture is important, but the Church teaches that the four Gospels are central.
...Within the New Testament the four Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are the heart of all the Scriptures because they are the principle witness to the life and teaching of Jesus. As such, they hold a unique place in the Church (Compendium #22)There are many ways to access these Gospels. You might want to start with the Sermon on the Mount. The Church teaches that it is one of the "Paths that leads to heaven" (along with the Commandments and teachings of the Apostles). She also teaches that it is the principle expression of God's law, and that the Beatitudes, presented in the beginning of this sermon, are "at the heart of Christ's teaching" (Catechism 1716, 1724, 1965).
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| Carl Bloch |
You many also want to consider the daily readings. What's nice about the daily readings is that they are pretty much the same world-wide. These are the readings that are heard in countless different languages at almost every mass, from the most humble village churches in Central America to the grandest cathedrals in the big cities of Europe. No matter where you are in the world, no matter what language is being spoken, you can always hear this same Word being spoken just before the greatest of sacrifices takes place, the Holy Eucharist.
Here are some resources that make accessing the daily readings easy:
- United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) - Pretty much the standard (Auido Version)
- EWTN Daily Readings -Nice Saint quotes included
- Dailyscripture.net - I love this one because the author breaks it down for me.
- The "Laudate" app, already installed on the ipad, is also a great resource. It basically embeds the USCCB readings and Dailyscripture.net material within it.
- The Sunday bulletin has the readings. You can cut them out and place them in your Bible (so old-fashioned! ; D)
- Of course, Fr. Barron's material on the Sunday readings is always great.
As far as the Old Testament is concerned, if it's going to deter you from accessing any Scripture at all, then put it off for now. Learning the Gospels is of most importance. These four short books are packed with the spiritual food we need to guide our lives in Christ. It's contents should be practically memorized so that we can recall them, by the Grace of God, at the right moments in our lives.
Here's some extra stuff the Church teaches on Sacred Scripture from the Compendium:
20. What is the Canon of Scripture?
The Canon of Scripture is the complete list of the sacred writings which the Church has come to recognize through Apostolic Tradition. The Canon consists of 46 books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New.
21. What is the importance of the Old Testament for Christians?
Christians venerate the Old Testament as the true word of God. All of the books of the Old Testament are divinely inspired and retain a permanent value. They bear witness to the divine pedagogy of God's saving love. They are written, above all, to prepare for the coming of Christ the Savior of the universe.
22. What importance does the New Testament have for Christians?
The New Testament, whose central object is Jesus Christ, conveys to us the ultimate truth of divine Revelation. Within the New Testament the four Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are the heart of all the Scriptures because they are the principle witness to the life and teaching of Jesus. As such, they hold a unique place in the Church.
23. What is the unity that exists between the Old and the New Testaments?
Scripture is one insofar as the Word of God is one. God’s plan of salvation is one, and the divine inspiration of both Testaments is one. The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfills the Old; the two shed light on each other.
24. What role does Sacred Scripture play in the life of the Church?
Sacred Scripture gives support and vigor to the life of the Church. For the children of the Church, it is a confirmation of the faith, food for the soul and the fount of the spiritual life. Sacred Scripture is the soul of theology and of pastoral preaching. The Psalmist says that it is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). The Church, therefore, exhorts all to read Sacred Scripture frequently because “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Saint Jerome).
