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: 

My God, I adore and thank your loving and wise Providence, manifested on every page of Sacred Scripture. You have always been close to sinful and erring humanity, and have indicated the way and given hope. Amid the shadows of error and corruption, you kindled the light of your truth; amid universal corruption, you are the Just One; amid so much idolatry, humanity in every corner of the earth has cultivated a sincere worship of you.
Let my reading today increase my trust in your goodness, your mercy, and your unfailing faithfulness.

Today's chapters are 1 Samuel 20-22 and Psalm 31.

The friendship of David and Saul's son Jonathan is a model of manly affection. The two young men sought each other's flourishing. David's life depended on Jonathan's faithfulness, and Jonathan trusted David to keep his own family line alive. (David would go even further, bestowing Saul's entire heritage on Jonathan's surviving son.)

Today's Psalm is an extraordinary match for the story in Chapter 20 of David's flight from the murderous Saul. While David escapes, the innocent priests of Nob would suffer in his place. Jesus will refer to this incident, but not to lament the unjust killing of the priests. Instead, when some Pharisees reproached Jesus over his hungry disciples' shelling grain to eat (on the Sabbath day), he pointed to David's example of overstepping the Law in the face of human need; see Mt 12:1-8. 

Start reading 1 Samuel here and the Psalm 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 John Bergsma and Brant Pitre. Although the authors are top-level Scripture scholars, they write for "real" readers. Notes include recent findings from archaeology and ancient manuscripts, and how each book of the Bible has been understood by the Church Fathers and used in Liturgy.