Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! We've been reading the Bible clear through this year. We are finishing the New Testament, so read along with me. But first, let us pray:
Father,
When the fullness of time had come, you sent your Word in the One who said, “Whoever sees me, sees the Father.” No revelation can surpass this until Jesus comes again. By your gift, the Church continues to receive unfathomable riches from the inheritance handed on from the Apostles and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.
Let the Spirit who inspired the writing of today's pages "guide me in the truth and teach me" to follow Jesus ever more closely, until he calls me to follow him to the Kingdom where he lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Today's chapters are 2 Timothy 3-4 and Titus 1 and (because it is Sunday) Psalms 146 and 147.
In 2 Timothy, Paul seems to be facing death. He looks at Christ, the true judge, and tells Timothy to do the same when sufferings seem to be overwhelming. Even Paul's unforgettable declaration, "I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day" is as much for Timothy (and us!) as it is a renewal of Paul's own faith and trust in God.
As we begin the Letter to Titus, recall that the ship carrying Paul as a prisoner anchored at "Fair Havens" on the south coast for quite some time (Acts 27:1-12). Was it then that Paul began to make contacts with the locals, creating a foundation for the Church he would later visit with Titus, leaving Titus there as "overseer" (bishop)?
Today we begin the closing doxology of the Psalter. This set of five Psalms is another set of Hallel Psalms (like Psalms 113-118): Every Psalm from now until the end of our Bible series will begin and end the same way: Hallelujah!
Psalm 146 is structured in a way that draws our attention to the Lord's unfailing faithfulness and care. The divine Name is repeated over and over, giving the impression that God is more real to the Psalmist than the mighty ones of the earth who seem to have so much power, but who end up mere "dust." Only the LORD "will reign forever. Hallelujah!"
It is said that, in the 16th century, when the Pope first heard about the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, he responded in the words of Psalm 147 that God "has not done thus for any other nation" (Ps 147:20). The Psalm is divided into three sections, but with an underlying theme of God as the creator and sustainer of the universe. The final section emphasizes the power of God's word and wisdom (including the synonym, "command").
Finish reading 2 Timothy here and start reading Titus here and the Psalms here.
N.T. Wright's Paul: A Biography is the book I would recommend to someone who wanted to read one (only one) book that combined the life and letters of St Paul. Written by a noted Scripture, this is a flowing narrative that is scripturally enlightening and historically sound. Wright gives the reader a way of following Paul through the Acts of the Apostles and the writing of his letters, making Paul the person that much more approachable, and the letters themselves more readable as a result of having a social and historical context.
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