Wednesday, December 02, 2020

Read the Bible with Me!


Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! I'm reading the Bible clear through this year, and I invite you to read along with me. But first, let us pray: 

I praise you, my God, with all people.
May they thank and adore you!
You have written your greatness in creation,
your Law in consciences,
your eternal promises in the Bible.
You are eternally faithful and always lovable!
As I read Sacred Scripture today, open my mind to hear your voice and understand your loving message.
Amen.

Today's three chapters are Genesis 10-12

There are two particularly significant biblical events in today's chapters. The story of the Tower of Babel is an interesting commentary on human miscommunication. Although we all have one common origin, we fail to understand each other. (Even speaking the same language doesn't seem to help sometimes!) God will address this disunity in his own way, making people "one family" again as was his original plan. He starts with one unlikely person: a childless senior citizen named Abram. 

In the New Testament, we will see these threads come together powerfully: The confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel will be undone at Pentecost, when people from different countries are able to understand the message of the Gospel. And through Baptism, the family of Abraham includes people from different nations.

Start reading here: Genesis 10.



If you are looking for a solid but approachable companion to the Bible, I can wholeheartedly recommend A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament by Brant Pitre and John Bergsma. Although the authors are top-level Scripture scholars, they write for "real" readers. Notes include recent findings from archaeology and ancient manuscripts.

2 comments:

Engeltina Knickerbocker said...

My heavens! Great day in the morning, fare thee well, fare thee well. It's early today but may as well be reading the Bible if can't sleep.

Sister Anne said...

It was the only way I could make sure the subscribers on the East Coast (and in Europe!) would get the readings on time for the morning!!! Sweet dreams...