Tuesday, December 08, 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 28-30.

We have been reading about Abraham and Isaac. With today's stories, the focus shifts definitively to Isaac's son Jacob

In the central chapter we find the famous dream of "Jacob's Ladder" with angels going up and down on it between heaven and earth. Jesus will refer to himself in these terms: "You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man" (John 1:51). Jesus (a descendent of Jacob!) is the Mediator between heaven and earth, God and humanity.


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.

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