I first met Tania
in 2011. Sixteen at the time, she and her family attended the same parish in
Tacoma, Washington as my wife and I. Her mother and Tania also attended the
Bible study I led at the church. But I became more closely acquainted with her
after she asked me to be her confirmation sponsor. I agreed because I sensed
she wanted to know God – not just
know about God.
My wife and I
met with Tania many times over the next several months to discuss the lessons
the parochial vicar had assigned the confirmands from their textbook. I also assigned
her additional readings and memorization work from the Scriptures to supplement
what she was learning in the confirmation class.
After her
confirmation, Tania asked if we could continue our Bible study lessons. For the
next year and a half Tania, my wife, and I met about once a month. We studied Romans,
Colossians, Galatians, and St. John’s gospel. She also memorized dozens of additional
Scripture texts. I felt it a great privilege to watch her grow in her faith.
Tania is now
a student at a Catholic college in the Midwest. In a recent email she told me
she was attending a campus Bible study. Part of her letter read: “One of the
girls teasingly called me a Protestant because I have various scripture
passages memorized that I [brought] into the conversation.”
Though
pleased to know Tania is still studying and memorizing Scripture, her
classmate’s comment stirred a different emotion. In the ten years I’ve been in
the Catholic Church I’ve often heard from young and old alike the same seriously flawed message: Catholics don’t need to read the
Bible – and we certainly do not need to memorize it. That’s what Protestants
do.
How tragic that such a dreadful delusion continues to circulate in the Church, a delusion
that leads so many Catholics down the wrong path – especially since the Church
teaches quite the opposite. For example, here are only a few statements in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church that illustrate her judgment about this matter:
In Sacred Scripture . . . the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them." (paragraph 104)
The Church "forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. (paragraph 133)
The Church often looks to the Blessed Mother as a model of holiness and humility. Equally important, we ought to emulate her devotion to Sacred Scripture, for we know the Mother of God was very familiar with God’s word. For example, her Magnificat is only ten verses (Luke 1:46-55), but in it the Virgin quotes or alludes to no less than thirteen Old Testament Scriptures:
My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all
ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is
his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown
might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown
down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has
filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel
his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his descendants forever.*
I hope Tania’s college classmate – and everyone reading this sentence – will take seriously the Church’s admonition about the surpassing value of regular study and memorization of God’s word. If we do – and only if we do – we will learn the Scriptures truly are a lamp to our feet and a light to our path in this darkened world. (Psalm 119:105)
* Here
are the passages Mother Mary quotes or alludes to in her Magnificat:
Genesis 17:7
Genesis 17:19
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Job 5:11
Psalm 34:2
Psalm 35:9
Psalm 138:6
Psalm 103:17
Psalm 98:1
Psalm 118:15
Psalm 107:9
Psalm 132:11
Habakkuk 3:18
3 comments:
I think that our pastors have fallen down on the job by not encouraging CCD teachers to link Catholic teaching with the Bible. No greater help to a continuing love affair with God exists than reading and meditating on the Bible. Also, not only Mary studied the Bible, Jesus started Scripture study at the local synagogue in Nazareth as all the rest of the young Jewish boys of His time.
It's because Catholics don't know our heritage, and because we're too accustomed to thinking that once a week at Mass is enough in practicing our Faith that we say stupid things. The Bible is all the Protestants have. We have not only the Bible but the sacraments as well. Why are we shutting the Bible up in a trunk in the attic, as it were? And who are we to look down on Protestants? No greater way of evangelizing exists than to be able to approach a non-Catholic through what he values most. But we are clueless, for the most part, about evangelization.
Barb, I have repeatedly said and written the same thing for at least ten years. But you have said it better than I ever have. Thank you for your encouragement. It is nice to know other Catholics are seeing and feeling the same thing.
Barb, I have repeatedly said and written the same thing for at least ten years. But you have said it better than I ever have. Thank you for your encouragement. It is nice to know other Catholics are seeing and feeling the same thing.
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