LEARNING TO READ THE BIBLE

 Take up your Bible and read what it says on the cover: The Holy Bible or, perhaps, The Holy Scriptures. The word Bible comes from the Greek word biblion, which means book. And that is significant. Obviously, this must be a very special book to merit the plain title: The Book. The words, The Holy Scriptures, tell us that this is a holy book, a divine book authored by God himself. It is a book, therefore, which we must handle with great reverence. It must surely be with clean hands and with clear eyes and a pure heart that we address ourselves to the reading of Holy Scripture.

GOD SPEAKS TO US

 Believe me; all that I am telling you here is of supreme importance. If you do not rise from the human to the divine author, if in this human words you do not hear and recognize the sacred word of God, then you will never, never become a true Bible-reader. However much we respect St. Paul for his wisdom and holiness, if we thought that his Epistle to the Philippians represents merely his own words and ideas, we would never occupy ourselves with them as much as we do. But knowing that this epistle is the word God, and that St, Pauls words are merely the instruments of the Holy Spirit; we receive them with the utmost reverence and say: Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.

 I have now given you the first key that you will need for opening this treasure-chest of Scripture. Whenever you begin to read the Bible, first say to yourself reverently and earnestly: God is now speaking to me. Yes, this is every bit as much the word of God as when God first promulgated the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai amidst thunder and lightning. Then the people were so terrified and beside themselves with panic that they said to Moses. Tell us the message; we are ready to obey you. Do not let us hear the Lord speaking; it will cost us our lives (Ex. 20:19). It is the same God who is speaking to us whenever we open our Bibles, but he does not speak to us in thunder and lightning. He speaks as Christ spoke in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). In Holy Scripture the great, almighty God speaks to us in human fashion.

OUR FATHERS LETTER

 But for us Christians there is something far more intimate still in Gods word to us in Holy Scripture, for God is our Father. The Scriptures are his letter, a Fathers letter to his children who are living far from home, in a land that is not their own. Do you realize what that means? Imagine yourself living away from home in some far-distant country, and every now and again a letter reaches you from home. Would you not treasure such a letter? You would carry it about with you, surely, and read it over and over again. It would have a tremendous influence upon your life. We should put ourselves in that position when we begin to read the Bible, and say to God: Speak, Father, for your child is listening.

 The Scriptures are also the word of Christ, the Son of God, and our elder Brother. In the Gospels we have a great many of Christs actual words, but, quite apart from that, the whole of Scripture is a kind of Incarnation. Jesus Christ comes to us in his word. As the Son of God he is the very Word, the Logos, of the Father. Every word of Holy Scripture is, as it were, an image of this Word of God. Hence, when we read the Bible we are is a certain sense like the Mother of God, who bore the Son of the eternal Father in her womb. That is why our Savior puts the hearer of Gods word on a par with his own Mother. When the woman in the Gospel praised Christs Mother saying, Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you, Jesus replied: Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11:28).

UNITED WITH CHRIST

 As often, therefore, as we Christians open the sacred Scriptures, we are united with Christ, and like his holy Mother bear the Word of God within us. Think how carefully Mary wrapped her divine Child in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Think how tenderly she nursed her babe and looked after him. We must do the same with every word of Scripture, as though it were the divine Child himself. It is with a mothers care and love that we must read the sacred Scriptures.

THE HOLY SPIRITS ROLE

 But the Holy Spirit, the third Divine Person, is also intimately connected with the Bible. He, as we know, is its author. He inspired it, shed the light of His divine radiance upon it, and kept it from error. He too is our teacher. It is he who teaches us to understand the sacred Scriptures. Hence, before you begin to read the Bible, always remember to say a prayer to the Holy Spirit. There is a beautiful prayer which reads:-

 Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten my heart and my understanding. Help me to recognize the eternal truth as I read it, to love God more fervently, to serve Him more loyally; through Christ our Lord Amen.

 The Bible, as we know, is true and free from all error, but that does not mean that it cannot possibly be interpreted in a wrong sense. Indeed, there is hardly a false teacher who does not appeal to the Scriptures in an effort to bolster up his errors. That is why the Church, the custodian of the Scriptures, guards them so jealousy, lest they be distorted and falsely interpreted. The Holy Spirit will see to it that they are always kept from error and interpreted rightly.

PROPER DISPOSITIONS

 It is most important, therefore, that we come to the reading of Holy Scripture with the proper dispositions of soul. The Bible is no story book, nor is it just another pious book intended merely to edify. It is the holy word of God, the letter from our heavenly Father, the image of Christ the eternal Word. The Holy Spirit is its author and also the pledge of its genuineness. Prepare, then, to read the Bible with great reverence. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.

SPIRITAUL ADVANTAGES

 What profit do we get from reading the Bible? Clearly, if I am not convinced that there is great spiritual benefit to be had from reading the Bible, I will be most disinclined to submit myself to the discipline which regular Bible reading demands.

 Now my contention is that reading the Bible has all sorts of advantages for ones spiritual life. Let us then see what these are.

 The Scriptures, as we have seen, are really and truly the word of God; God is speaking to us in the Bible. And by that I do not mean that God once spoke to somebody many years ago and we are now reading an old letter from a friend. The Bible is the living, actual word of God-to me and to you. When you are reading the Bible you are not just reading something which God spoke in the dim and distant past. God is speaking to you now, Bible reading is a conversation with God; we are actually in contact with Him, and how greatly ought we to prize that fact! When you say your prayers you are speaking to God; when you read the Bible God is speaking to you-not as a stern Judge, but as a Father.

 How fortunate we are to be able to hear Gods words! And what does he say to us? He tells us all sorts of things. The Bible speaks to us about our true homeland in heaven and about our Father. It is our consolation in this earthly valley of tears. When we feel low and depressed, one single word of the Bible can often serve to raise our spirits. Though I should walk with the shadow of death all around me, I will not be afraid of any harm (Psalms 22:4) Kant once said that this one verse had afforded him more comfort than all books in the world.

INSTRUCTION AND CONSOLATION

 St. Paul too had something similar to say about the practical value of Holy Scripture: Whatever things have written (in Scripture) have been written for our instruction, that through the patience and the consolation afforded be the Scriptures we may have hope (Rome. 15:4)

 In all lifes situations, whether you are light-hearted or sad, always go to the Bible; go, that is, to your heavenly Father. He will raise you up; he will tell you what you should do. For the Bible is the one book that is invariably true, invariably frank. It does not flatter you, it does not hide you. It tells you the truth, complete and unadorned. Make a hard and fast rule, therefore, to read the Bible for a quarter of an hour every day. It will be your time for conversing with God. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.

CHARACTER FORMATION

 There is a proverb which says: Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are. We are all strongly influenced by our surroundings. That is why it is so important for a child to be brought up in a good environment and be kept away from evil companions. If, therefore, we constantly associate with God in the Holy Scriptures, we will most certainly be influenced for good and kept on the path of virtue. Bible reading forms our characters. Nothing could be clearer. Listening to Gods words every day, you will bring your life into conformity with them, and strive to put them into practice. The Bible will be your rule of life.

MANS GREAT EDUCATOR

 And, as you know, it is a very high ideal that the Bible sets before us. It teaches us virtue and nobility of character. It aims at bringing the best out of us, curbing our selfishness and our passions: the lust of the eyes, the flesh, and the pride of the life. For thousands of years now the Bible has been mans great educator. And you too can be educated in this school, provided you attend it regularly every day.

 A twofold work goes on in this school: the work of a father and of a mother. With what infinite patience and love does a mother try to keep her child on the path of virtue. However wilful or disappointing her child may turn out to be, she always knows how to set things right again. But the father too has his part to play. Sometimes he has to be stern and even chastise his child. The Bible has both these roles to play. Sometimes, as our Savior said Gods word is a seed planted in the soil of our hearts. It is small and seemingly insignificant, like a grain of wheat. You cannot actually see it grow. You have to wait a long time for it to germinate. Then, gradually, it becomes a plant and blossoms and brings forth fruit.

AIDS TO BIBLE READING

The Holy Spirit is our first companion and aid. He, as we know, is the author and originator of Holy Scripture. He must therefore also be our helper if we are to read the Bible with profit. We must pray to Him, therefore, before we begin to read, and pray to Him once more after we have finished reading. It is he who will prepare the soil of our souls to receive the word of God. It is He who will make it germinate and grow. He will be the sunshine and the rain, to make this plant grow sturdy, taking in the nourishment he supplies and yielding an abundant harvest for the Christian life.

 The Holy Spirit is the best teacher of the Bible. He will enlighten our understanding so that we may grasp the meaning of Gods words. He will fire our hearts with joy and longing and wholesome sorrow for sin. He will indicate those passages of Scripture which are important for us and our lives. He may fix a certain passage of Scripture in our minds, constantly drawing out attention to it, so that we may derive much profit from it. Our first companion, then, is the Holy Spirit; his is the help that we must assure before all else.

THE STUDY GROUP

 A further aid to Bible reading is the study group. However much trouble you may take in preparing yourself to read the Bible profitably, you will still have much to learn. Nobody can be proficient all at once. You are still only a beginner, but the priest who leads the study group has spent years studying the Bible. It is his constant occupation. Moreover, in virtue of his ordination he has a special grace enabling him to proclaim Gods word properly. Submit to his teaching, and he will show you how to understand those passages of Scripture which you find difficult. He will reveal to you the deeper meaning of Gods words. The aim and object of any Bible study group is to teach you to read the Bible yourself. So never miss the opportunity of attending such meetings.

 If none such has as yet been formed in your parish, see what you can do about starting one. Discuss the matter with your parish priest or the assistant, and see what can be arranged. Contact your friends whom you know to be regular Bible readers. They will form the best nucleus of any study group, for their minds are already attuned to the right way of reading and understanding the Bible. They will also cooperate better than other people in taking part in the discussion and asking questions. Believe me, the Bible study group is a very great aid to the Bible reading

LIFE-LONG COMPANION

 These, the, are two important aids in Bible reading. With these to support you, you can go courageously on your way. Do not be deterred if at first you find you do not understand very much. Things will gradually become much clearer and plainer to you. Gradually you will learn to overcome your inability to understand, and the feeling of strangeness and mystery. Persevere in your reading, and soon you will come to love the Bible more and more. It will be your life-long companion.

 There are many people who imagine that they can get along quite comfortably without the Bible, that it is luxury reserved for specialists with antiquarian interests. There is a short answer to this widespread misconception. The Bible is the Word of God, and when God speaks he has all his children in mind, not only scholars.

 This is not to say that the Bible is an easy book. The Word of God comes to us in human form, and unless we realize all that this involves we shall be in constant danger of misunderstanding it.

  (The above article, LEARNING TO READ THE BIBLE, is a condensed English version of WIE LERNE ICH BIBEL LESEN? by Dr. Pius Parsch, published by Klosterneuburger Bibelapostolat, Klosterneuburg bei Wien, Austria. The English translation is the work of Reverend H. E. Winstone, M. A., St.Edmumds College, Ware, England.)

Reference: THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ( Copyright 1971 )