Need An Idea For a New Year's Resolution? How About Reading the Bible?

Well, the New Year is upon us and with it comes the traditional time for the making of (what we hope will be) life-changing resolutions. The most common of these, of course, is losing a significant amount of weight (or at least enough weight to get into at least some of the clothes that are gathering dust in your closet. I have a theory about my closet that something in there is causing my clothes to shrink, but I need to develop my thesis a little more before I can publish). Another common resolution is that of finally getting organized: planning meals, finances, general time management, and not unexpectedly running out of clean underwear usually fall under this heading.

Well, if you've seen my physique or my underwear drawer, you can safely assume I'm of no help to anyone in either of these first two areas. But one resolution I do have some suggestions is also a common one this time of year: to start reading the Bible in a meaningful way. 

Right away we can dismiss the most common mistake people make in this area: resolving to start at Genesis and read all the way to the end of Revelation. This is an almost sure recipe for failure. Most people who blithely and with good intent start out in this manner, almost invariably get bogged down in Leviticus or so (around the third book of the Bible) when they run into all the long chapters of dietary laws and prescriptions for animal sacrifice. With eyes glassed over, they end up laying the Bible aside to resume it's previous function as a dust collector. Don't do this.

If you go to the web-page connected to this blog, you can find an article I did on "Getting Started" in reading the Bible. I'd still recommend reading that if you haven't already, but I have another idea specifically for the New Year that I'd like to share as well: starting a study of the Gospel According to Matthew.

Why Matthew? Well, as you probably know, the Church's three year cycle of Scripture readings proclaimed at Sunday Mass focuses on a different Gospel each cycle. Last year, Year C, it was the Gospel of Mark; next year (Cycle B) it will be Luke; this year (Cycle A, which actually started back on the 1st Sunday of Advent) most of the Gospel readings we will hear will come from Matthew (the Gospel of John is mixed in with the other Cycles, mostly Cycle C since Mark is the shortest synoptic Gospel, and on special feast days).

If that last paragraph is a little confusing, the gist is that this year we will be hearing Matthew's Gospel at Sunday Mass. What better way to gain a firmer grasp on these Scriptures than to establish a solid grounding before you hear them? If you visit this blog often (or the associated  web-site or the Facebook pages) you already know you can find a study and numerous resources for each Sunday's readings. It is important, however, for us to read the biblical books in their larger contexts so that we can get more of a "big picture" understanding of what the sacred writer (and the Holy Spirit) is trying to tell us. If you are Catholic, it is also of the most critical importance that your primary resources for biblical studies be Catholic resources. This is because, as helpful as many of them are, non-Catholic studies are often lacking in the Catholic perspective that comes with 2000 years of Holy Spirit-guided magisterial teaching and the insights of the great Saints of the Faith. And even the best of non-Catholic biblical resources can be marred by faulty theological world-views such as Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, and the worst of them contain anti-Catholic or false comments about Catholicism. If you have a solid grounding in the teachings of your own Faith, you can avoid being confused or misled by alternative interpretations.

There are several terrific Catholic resources for studying the Gospel of Matthew available--both free and for purchase-- that I can recommend. I'll limit myself to six of what I think would be the most helpful resources for someone just starting out:

Reading the Old Testament in the New: The Gospel of Matthew  

How did the New Testament writers read the Old Testament in light of the coming of Jesus Christ? This course offers an in-depth answer to that question, focusing on the use of the Old Testament in the Gospel of Matthew. Free online course offered through the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

The Gospel of Matthew "The King and His Kingdom"

Host - Dr. Tim Grey and 4 students from the Augustine

In this 13 part series, Professor Tim Grey and 4 students from the Augustine discuses the first Gospel in the new Testament: St. Matthew’s. We’ll learn the genealogy of Jesus, the meaning of His parables, and his message of love. Free mp3 download from EWTN.

The Gospel According to Matthew

Host: David Higbee of St. Irenaeus Ministries.

An 18 part series examining the Gospel of Matthew. Almost a passage by passage study; lots of biblical background and practical application. Free mp3 download.

Mystery of the Kingdom: On the Gospel of Matthew

Mystery of the Kingdom is a refreshing Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew that focuses on the “kingdom of God.” Why is the kingdom at the heart of Jesus’ teaching? What were Jesus’ contemporaries expecting? What did Jesus actually say about His kingdom? What is the relationship between the “kingdom” and the Catholic Church we see today? Book by Edward P. Sri

Catholic Commentary On Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew

This engaging commentary on the Gospel of Matthew is the fifth of seventeen volumes in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS), which will cover the entire New Testament. This volume, like each in the series, relates Scripture to life, is faithfully Catholic, and is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry. Catechism references and questions for reflection. Book by Edward Sri and Curtis Mitch. As a commentary, it is a valuable permanent reference for your Scripture study library.


The Navarre Bible Commentary: The Gospel According Matthew

Part of a 12 volume set of the New Testament with extensive explanations of the meaning of the scriptural text and its implications for everyday life. The commentaries draw on a rich variety of sources - Church documents, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the work of prominent spiritual writers, particularly Saint Josemaria Escriva, who initiated the Navarre Bible project. The commentary appears on the same page as the Bible text, which is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Each volume is self-contained with extensive introductions and notes to Old Testament prophecies. The Navarre Bible commentary is considered by many to be the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.


The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible on the Gospel of Matthew

This Ignatius Catholic Study Bible on the Gospel of Matthew is based on the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, with insightful commentary by renowned Bible teachers, Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. This thorough study takes you on a journey through the Gospel of Matthew with actual biblical text and the Church’s guidelines for understanding the Bible as your guides. The ample notes on each page by Hahn and Mitch deepen your study with fresh insights alongside time-trusted interpretations from Fathers of the Church. The additional geographical, historical, cultural and theological notes create a clear picture of what St. Matthew often assumes his reader is aware of. Also included in this Ignatius Catholic Study Bible of The Gospel of Matthew are topical essays, word studies, charts and maps. An easy to use cross reference section and study questions at the end of each chapter help to engage you as an active participant in your growing knowledge and understanding of the Gospel of Matthew. These tools along side an introductory essay discussing questions of authorship, date, destination, structure and themes make this study of the Gospel of Matthew a true gift to the Faith. (This individual volume is now found in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament--which I also highly recommend-- but for individual study on Matthew, this is an option.)

There are many other good resources I could recommend, but these, in my opinion, are the best of the best that are readily available and highly accessible. May your study of God's Word this year, whatever form it takes, bring you many blessings and bring you closer to Our Lord and His Kingdom. Happy New Year!

"Due To Technical Problems Beyond My Control..."

Just a quick note: I'm having technical problems in posting this Sunday's "Sunday Scripture for Catholics" resource on my main website. If anyone needs a copy of it, please e-mail me directly from the website and I will send you a Word document. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Meanwhile,I've also started a new thread about this week's Sunday Readings in the "Catholic Answers" forums which I will be updating frequently throughout the weekend.

My Review of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible

Recently (for my birthday, in fact) I recieved a new Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament from my lovely wife. Well, it's kind of new and it's not. If you are familiar with this Catholic study Bible, you know that it has been a work in progress for the last several years, being released in booklet form one or two (sometimes three) New Testament books at a time. Bible geek that I am, of course, I own that entire collection. I've found them extremely helpful, with my favorite Scripture translation (the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition), and edited by two of my favorite popular Biblical scholars, Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. Now these books have been gathered together in a one volume Catholic New Testament study Bible--probably the best one on the market today.

This one volume study Bible has all the great notes that the booklets did (think of it as a Catholic version of, for example, the NIV Study Bible), with good cross references, insightful and infomative footnotes, references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other Church documents, as well as quotations from the Early Church Fathers and other great saints). It has a pretty good index and concordance in the back, as well as some full color maps. There are lots of informative sidebars and in-depth articles throughout that discuss important biblical words, concepts and interpretation issues.

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The text is very readable and set up nicely, with the side-bars, articles and some small black and white maps scattered throughout the text. There is a little margin on the sides for scribbling notes (more room than my NAB anyway), and it has very helpful headings for key passages. The size is somewhat on the large size--bigger than most personal Bibles. They could probably get away with a somewhat smaller font and less white space between the biblical books, so I'm hoping they might come up with a more compact version in the future. One thing they lack that the booklets had were questions for study and personal reflection on each book of the New Testament. Ignatius Press, however, has made these available on their promotional website, found here.

I wasn't going to get one of these, resolving to keep using the booklets until the entire Bible was finished (they are releasing the Genesis booklet this month), but now that I have the one volume New Testament, I'm glad I do. It is available in a number of formats; I asked for the inexpensive paperback edition ($14 on Amazon), because I consider it my temporary copy until the entire work is published-- and it will probably be worn out by then. When it finally is completed, it will be without a doubt, THE gold standard of Catholic study Bibles for the average Catholic who treasures God's Word in the Scriptures.

For more reviews on this study Bible, see the following:

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Absolutely No Spin

Catholic Bibles

"The Imitation of Christ" On Reading the Holy Scripture

From "The Imitation of Christ," the spiritual classic by Thomas a' Kempis which has nourished untold numbers of souls for centuries, including great saints like St. Therese of Lisieux:

The Fifth Chapter
READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURE

TRUTH, not eloquence, is to be sought in reading the Holy Scriptures; and every part must be read in the spirit in which it was written. For in the Scriptures we ought to seek profit rather than polished diction.

Likewise we ought to read simple and devout books as willingly as learned and profound ones. We ought not to be swayed by the authority of the writer, whether he be a great literary light or an insignificant person, but by the love of simple truth. We ought not to ask who is speaking, but mark what is said. Men pass away, but the truth of the Lord remains forever. God speaks to us in many ways without regard for persons.

Our curiosity often impedes our reading of the Scriptures, when we wish to understand and mull over what we ought simply to read and pass by.

If you would profit from it, therefore, read with humility, simplicity, and faith, and never seek a reputation for being learned. Seek willingly and listen attentively to the words of the saints; do not be displeased with the sayings of the ancients, for they were not made without purpose.

What Was the Story of "The Tower of Babel" All About?

In the Catholic Answers "Quick Questions" newsletter I receive by e-mail each day, there was an interesting question asked and answer given about the familiar story in Genesis 11. I don't think I've heard this particular interpretation on the event, so I thought I'd share:

Q: “ What was the sin of the tower of Babel?"

A: A Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture explains Genesis 11:1-9 as follows:

The inhabitants of the city started to build a great stage-tower zigguarat, which they raised to some considerable height and then were unable to complete. The massive remains were a visible reminder of the ineffectual attempt which tradition recorded to have been accompanied by discord and consequent migration of many of the population. This meager historical record explains why the sacred writer did not mention the nature of the sin which led to the frustration of the grandiose design. But his deep conviction of God’s overruling government of the world taught him that the attempt had been displeasing to God and the narrative suggests that the sin was one of overweening human pride and self-sufficiency.

The story has been widely understood to tell of a miraculous intervention by which different languages were introduced and the population thus became unable to understand one another. But it must be noted that the different groups among not only the Japhethites and Chamites, 10:5,20, but also among the Semites, 10:31, are already recorded to have had their various languages, and as the two former groups are already out of the story, the origin of languages is not recorded here. Moreover, the word for "languages" is lason which is that used in 10:5, 20, 31. In our passage this word is not found. That used is sapah, "lip," which also signifies "utterance." The natural meaning here is that the people at first in complete harmony "all saying the same thing" fell out among themselves and could not agree upon a common policy; and as a result of the discord (and possibly of fighting) there was a migration. Already in the fourth century St. Gregory of Nyssa was quite emphatic that God did not miraculously impose different languages on mankind. (192-193)

The Jerome Commentary on Genesis 11:1-9 says:

The evil is in their desire to "make a name" for themselves (cf. 12:2) rather than in the attempt to build a tower "with its top in the heavens" . . . Human smallness, not divine impotence, is emphasized in the Lord’s descent (vs. 5). The plural in verse 7 may reflect the concept of God’s royal court, an early idea in Israel. The punishment had been anticipated in verse 4. The name of the city, Babel, is here associated with the Hebrew root bll, "to confound." The great city and its (implied) defeat thus becomes synonymous with man’s revolt against God and its consequences. (17)

For more information about the getting Catholic Answers "Quick Questions," go here.

New Books!! Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture Series

Well, I finally got around to spending my two Amazon gift certificates I got for Christmas, one from my wife and one from my sister/brother-in-law. I'm aways in a quandary as how to spend (or is it redeem?) these things; not because I don't appreciate them, but because I appreciate them so much and want to spend them on just the Right Thing. I know there's lots of things on Amazon that I could get (CD's, DVD's, mp3 downloads and whatnot), but it usually (OK, always) comes down to books. Alright, so I'm a dyed-in-the-wool bibliophile: sue me (or write a good book about it so I can read about it). Should I buy one, immense (usually hard-core scholarly) reference tome that I've had my eye on for a long time but could never justify putting out that kind of change for, or do I go with two or three smaller, more immediately interesting, books that I might read and enjoy once (maybe two or three times if they're really good) and then find a place for them on my already bulging and overflowing bookcase?

This time, I decided to do both (minus the gathering dust on the bookshelf bit). As Providence would have it, Baker Academic recently came out with the next two volumes of their Catholic Commentary On the Sacred Scripture series. These two new volumes cover Paul's Letter to the Ephesians and Second Corinthians (I also was able to order volume 3 of a scholarly Scripture journal "Letter and Spirit," but that is for a another blog, perhaps).

I already have the first two volumes in the Catholic Commentary series (the Gospel of Mark and First and Second Timothy/Titus) and they are excellent for a number of reasons.

First, they contain scholarly rigor, without being stuffy of obscurely academic. They are meant for the Catholic layman and Bible student to use and understand, but it meaty enough nourish your mind and offer some direction to dig deeper with further study.

Second, it is the only completely orthodox Scripture study series I know of (which, in itself, is a major bonus) that uses the New American Bible (NAB) translation (the text of which is included in the Commentary. Now, I don't use the NAB as my translation of preference (preferring the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition), but I do use it as a secondary reference. More importantly, most Catholics do use the NAB exclusively as that is the translation (more or less) we hear at Mass on Sundays. Using this translation makes this commentary more accessible to the average Catholic. It also helps me and others who lead Catholic Bible studies attended by fellow Catholics who might use the NAB exclusively.

In addition, you will find numerous infomational sidebars, footnotes, cross references and (a few) pictures and charts. For example, the Gospel of Mark volume has sidebars on "the temple," "exorcisms," and "Herod and Herodias," to mention just a few. The "Reflections for Application" at the end of each major section are especially helpful for personal and small group study.

Finally, the books in this series are also completely Catholic in their viewpoint (with citations and references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal encyclicals), but not so much so that non-Catholics won't find them useful as well. In fact, I was interested to find that this series recieved some favorable reviews on Protestant blogs. You can see those here and here.

Anyway, I'm REALLY looking forward to receiving my next two volumes of this series, due to arrive later this week. Thanks, Sweetheart--thanks, Joy and Ruben!