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: 

God of my fathers, Lord of mercy,
who have made all things by your word
and in your wisdom have created people 
to rule this world that you have made,
and to render judgment in integrity of heart:
Give me Wisdom, the attendant at your throne, 
and reject me not from among your children;
for I am your servant, the child of your handmaid, 
a weak human being,  
and lacking in comprehension of your Word and your will.

Send your Wisdom from the holy heavens,
from your glorious throne,
to be with me, to guide me,
to enlighten me, to lead me to you.
(Based on Wis 9)

Today's chapters are Job 37-39.

In the first six verses of our reading today, Elihu orates about the power of God's voice. Little does he (or anyone else) expect to hear that voice at the beginning of the next chapter!!!

God's opening lines are magnificent poetry (look at verse 7!!!). Chapter 38 is a series of rhetorical questions that allow us to meditate on the splendors of creation, and to remember what we prayed in the words of Psalm 33, "by the word of the Lord the heavens were made" and what we first learned in the opening lines of Genesis, "Then God said, 'Let there be light' and the light was." 

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 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.