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 16-18. 

Andrei Rublev's Trinity icon. The
tree tells us that this is the meal at
Mamre. The central angel is
identified with God the Father.

We are in a pivotal section of the Abraham narrative, but it doesn't start out in a very inspiring way. Sarai, Abraham's wife, gives her maid to Abraham as a concubine, but then abuses her when she becomes pregnant with Abraham's son. Abraham himself is certainly not faultless here! What happened to his faith in God's promise? When Hagar runs away, God sends an angel to her. Hagar the slave-girl is the first woman in the Bible to receive promises from Heaven. Then God appears to Abraham and foretells the birth of Isaac. Now it is Sarai's turn to hope in a promise. 

Later we see Abraham standing before God as a bold and persevering intercessor. The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents him as a model of prayer.

Start reading here.

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.