There are different ways and purposes in reading the Bible. Someone can do a private Bible reading for personal spiritual growth, study, prayer, enlightenment, or do it in small groups of believers, community, inside of a celebration, and so on. However, we should remember that the Bible is not a book. It's a library with a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries.
What are the ways of reading the Bibles?
The right way to read Sacred Scripture is to read it prayerfully, with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is God’s Word and contains God’s essential communication to us. [Youcat, № 16:]
The Bible is like a long letter written by God to each one of us. For this reason, we should accept the Sacred Scriptures with great love. It is important to read God’s letter without picking up details while paying no attention to the whole message.
Prayer at the beginning and the end.
Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel or a history book. We should begin and end with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit not only to open our hearts and minds to the Word of God but also to bear fruit in our lives.
We do not read alone. By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, [we] join those faithful who have taken God’s Word to heart and put it into practice in their lives.
What is God saying to me?
This question is addressed to each of us in our own unique situations. When we read, we need to understand what the text says and how the faithful have understood its meaning in the past.
Reading is not enough. If Scripture remains just words on a page, our work is not done. We need to meditate on the message and put it into action in our lives. Only then can the word be “living and effective”.
Do you know other ways of reading the bible? Please post your answer, comment or question in the comment sections and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the upcoming posts.
