^{Photo by Tara Winstead}

Catholics have been gifted the opportunity to access the Bible. It is God who allowed us to be in touch with His divinity and have us learn more about the doctrines of the faith. Let’s find out the deficiency of reading Scripture and why it’s essential to study it.

St. Jerome, a prolific figure during the first century early Church, lived as a hermit for years to endure personal battles with his sins. Eventually, God used him to translate Scripture due to his gift of intellect and language.

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ,” he says. The fact that he emphasizes Scripture reading as part of our faith should make us ponder immediately. Why should Catholics read the Bible and make it a routine in our lives?

The Bible is God’s living Word.

Ancient texts throughout history have been written and read aloud to various audiences. These ancient texts have been a valuable source of knowledge for these people, which begs the question: what makes the Bible different?

The answer is simple. The Bible is the living Word of God, which doesn’t have any equal, and will always be relevant beyond all times. And because the Bible is a living testimony of God, we also encounter Christ through the Scripture.

Sunday shouldn’t be the only day for reading.

The best time and place to hear the Scripture is during the Holy Mass. At that time, various chapters and passages from the Old and New Testaments are professed. The Scriptures are also done in songs or hymns, with prayers that contain references from the Word.

However, it shouldn’t be enough for us to do away with a Sunday of interacting with the Word of God. Let’s make it a habit to read the Scripture regularly so we can periodically take what God’s message is for us. Reading the Bible on days other than Sunday makes us well-equipped with what’s to come.

The Word of God is our solid foundation.

Despite our hectic daily lives, we need divine guidance; and one of the ways we can get it directly is by reading the Scripture. It wouldn’t hurt to take some time to read it daily so we can be rooted and grounded in Him; reading the Scripture also gives us encouragement to power through the most challenging times in our lives.

When our days are stressful, we must remember where to ask for help. As God’s children, we can ask for wisdom and understanding to help us thoroughly comprehend Scripture. As a result, our faith is solidified, and we are constantly reminded of who we are in the Lord.

Reading the Scripture also reminds us of Christ and His presence, which never fails to encourage and accompany us in this faith journey.

The Scripture is God’s reminder of the great covenant.

Since our forefathers in the faith, God promised to be with us, as we are His people. Though the Bible also recorded the insolence and disobedience of the Jews, that didn’t compel God to take back what He promised us. It may have been discouraging to know that even if they tried to break the covenant, God’s promises are unbreakable and always authentic.

However, He made a new covenant when Christ came into the world. He made himself the gateway to eternal life, the daily bread that gives us complete spiritual sustenance. The Bible is the ultimate testimony of the Lord’s unbreakable promise that is crucial in interpreting His message.

We can pray better by reading the Scripture.

Coming to the throne of grace was an honor and privilege bestowed by God to His people. We can petition our grievances and sorrow by prayer and present our requests to God. Reading the Scripture teaches us how to pray better, what to expect while waiting for God’s answers, etc.

The Bible helps reveal the depths of our hearts and soul and heavily reflects the trials and sufferings many people of faith endured while still being consistent and diligent with their prayers. We see their reluctance, doubts, and frustrations, but at the same time, we witness their joy, knowing that God is with them wherever they go.

Sometimes, we feel like God left us every time we repeatedly pray about something that hasn’t been granted yet. We take His silence as rejection and His absence as abandonment. Reading and faithfully digesting God’s Word helps us understand what we must do to respond appropriately.

Let us dive deep into the Scriptures with Bramwell.

As St. Jerome worked hard to translate the Bible into what it is today in the modern Church, we have to exert effort to understand it on a deeper level. Catholics read the Scriptures by Bramwell is a beautiful book to start studying the Bible’s theological aspects, which can strengthen our faith.

The precious words imbued in the Scriptures need us to analyze the context carefully on a graduate level. We need to study Scripture in terms of prayer, liturgy, and theology to understand its messages according to Pope Benedict’s Verbum Domini.