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 Sirach 34-36.

It has struck me more than once in these weeks of reading the Wisdom books how many times the inspired writers insist on social justice issues. Here it is again in Sirach (34:24-27; 35:17-19). 

One who slays a son in his father’s presence—
whoever offers sacrifice from the holdings of the poor.
The bread of charity is life itself for the needy;
whoever withholds it is a murderer.
To take away a neighbor’s living is to commit murder;
to deny a laborer wages is to shed blood.
...
He does not forsake the cry of the orphan,
nor the widow when she pours out her complaint.
Do not the tears that stream down her cheek 
cry out against the one that causes them to fall?

We will learn from the prophets how severely God will severely judge individuals and nations that ignore or exploit the desperate. Not even the Chosen People will be exempt from catastrophe. Finding such calls again and again in the Scripture, I am convinced of the urgent need for these pleas to be "de-politicized" by all who believe in the God of the Bible. 

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.