The Catholic Church & The Bible

[StColette]

The Catholic Church & The Bible

I've seen this argument many times that the Catholic Church and its members do not hold the Bible in high enough esteem to their liking. So in response to their opinions on the views of the Church regarding the reading of Holy Scripture I began to write the following short article on the Catholic Church and the Bible.

Sacred Scripture has been entirely the backbone of the Catholic Church. Through reading and studying scripture the basis of the Catholic faith was formed and bound. There are those that would say that the Catholic Church holds the Bible at a second position next to Sacred Tradition. They are mistaken in this conclusion because one can not have one without the other.

"Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God . . ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 97. Note, all citations in this article are from this Catechism).

This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it. Through Tradition, "the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes." "The sayings of the holy Fathers are a witness to the life-giving presence of this Tradition, showing how its riches are poured out in the practice and life of the Church, in her belief and her prayer." (Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 78 )

"Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal." Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own "always, to the close of the age". (Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 80 )

Sacred Tradition affirms the fact that we must uphold the teachings of the Sacred Scripture and within the Sacred Scripture we learn that we must follow Sacred Tradition. Examples of Bible verses upholding Sacred Tradition are as follows:

2Thes:2:15:
15 (2-14) Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle. (DRV)

2 Thess. 3:6, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us."

1 Cor. 11:2, "Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you."

Another assumption that is made concerning the Catholic Church's usage of the Bible is during Mass. While most Protestant services are strictly driven toward only concerning themselves with Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Mass combines both Sacred
Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Many will argue that the Catholic Mass is not in any way biblically based. The following will indeed shed light on the fact that they are mistaken.

Bible used in every part of the Catholic Mass

The Entrance Rite:
· Sign of the Cross (Matt 28:19; cf. John 14:13-14; Acts 2:21)
· Formal Greetings:
· A- “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (2 Cor 13:14)
· B- “The grace and peace of God our Father…” (Eph 1:2)
· C- “The Lord be with you.” (2 Tim 4:22; cf. Matt 1:23; 28:20)
· Lord, Have Mercy (Matt 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31)
· Glory to God (Luke 2:14; cf. Rev 4:11; 5:11-14)
· Prayers & Amen (Neh 8:6; Ps 41:13; Rom 16:27; Heb 13:20-21; Rev 7:16)
The Liturgy of the Word:
· Alleluia (Psalms 146-150; Rev 19:1-6)
· Profession of Faith (Mark 9:24; John 11:27)
The Liturgy of the Eucharist:
· Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8);
· Blessed is he… (Ps 118:26; Mark 11:10)
· Words of Institution (Mark 14:22-24; Matt 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20; 1Cor 11:23-25)
· Memorial Acclamations:
· A- “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” (cf. 1 Thess 4:14-15; 1 Cor 15:3-23)
· B- “Dying you destroyed our death…” (1 Cor 16:22)
· C- “When we eat this bread…” (1 Cor 11:26)
· D- “Lord, by your cross and resurrection…” (Luke 4:42)
· Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4; cf. Mark 14:36; Gal 4:6)
· Doxology: "for the kingdom, the power, and the glory..." (after Matt 6:13 only in some biblical manuscripts; cf. Rev 4:11)
· Greeting of Peace (John 14:27; 16:33; 20:19-20; 20:26)
· Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36; cf. Rev 5:6-13; 22:1-3)
· Communion Preparation: “Lord I am not worthy…” (Luke 7:1-10)
Non-Liturgical Prayers:
· The Hail Mary:
· “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28);
· “Blest are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42; cf. Deut 7:12-13; 28:4)

( found on the following website [url="http://www.campbellcounty.com/~ourlady/What%20Is%20The%20Order%20Of%20The%20Mass.htm"]Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church[/url])


Those outside of the Catholic faith presume that Catholics do not read Holy Scripture or they believe that it is the Church's belief that we are not entitled to read the Bible. It has been the necessary requirement of the Catholic Church since its early beginnings. Even at the earliest of ages we are required to study and read scripture in order to become a knowledgeable adult. As St. John Chrysostom (344/354 -407 AD) states:

"To become adult Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures"

As St. John Chrysostom has clearly stated, reading the Bible is not just for the adults but for the youth because they will one day become the leaders of the faith. Another such person who had such concern for the education of the Catholic youth was
Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914 AD). He states:

"Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels - not merely from time to time, but every day."

Yet again we see that it is not only the adults that must make a habit of reading the Bible but also the youth of the Church. By planting the seed of faithfully reading the Bible will cause good fruits to sprout from these children. They will be taught from an early age to care, love, and be faithful to their Heavenly Father.
Through reading the Bible we come to understand God more clearly. We read how God loves His children that He has created. Pope St. Gregory I (died 604 AD) says:

"The Emperor of heaven, the Lord of men and of angels, has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly. Study them, I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator. Learn the heart of God in the words of God, that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal, that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys."

St. Gregory goes so far as to beg us to read Scripture. Pope St. Gregory I is well informed of the importance of Sacred Scripture and how Sacred Scripture brings us closer to God. Through the Bible we learn to hope and pray for the joys of Heaven and of some day being in the presence of Our Father. Another important figure that held the same view of the Bible's importance was St. Isidore (560-636 AD). St. Isidore's link between praying and reading the Bible is easily understood yet highly profound ideas. St. Isidore once said:

"Prayer purifies us, reading instructs us... If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us."

For those who sometimes doubt that God actually answers our prayers, it is easy to see by the opinion of St. Isidore that the answers are within the Bible. To not take the opportunity and hear the Word of God is in itself ignoring God. One can not just read the Bible and leave it at that. Everyone has the capability of reading the Bible, but it is important to also reflect on what the Bible is teaching us. Through reflection we gain understanding of what passages from the Bible are trying to tell us.

It is the opinion of many Saints and Doctors of the Catholic Church that through Holy Scripture we are more deeply connected to God. To show an eagerness to learn the Word of God and to take it deep within our hearts is more fulfilling then just simply reading the passages. Like I've stated before, it is easy to sit and read the Bible yet it is the reflecting over the passages that you have read that is truly important. St. Isidore elaborates on this topic:

"The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it... Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears; it never reaches the heart. It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose. But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding, his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart."

Through truly putting our hearts, minds, and souls into reading Scripture, we in returned receive a more clear understanding of God and the grace in which He bestows upon us.



Many members of the Catholic Church are responsible for the wide spread teaching of the Bible and making it more accessible to the uneducated. The first copy of the Bible that was translated into the English language was done so by St. Venerable Bede. To think this was first step into distributing the Bible into the English language, which we each use so widely now. Even though the translating from Latin into English did not solve all the problems entirely. There were still those that could not read English let alone read Latin. It was a remarkable feat by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD) in which the "Biblia Pauperum" was created. "Biblia Pauperum" is translated into meaning "The Bible of the poor". This Bible contained drawn illustrations of major events in both the New and the Old Testament. It allowed those who were not educated to become more intimate with their understanding of God and His word.

There are some that argue that the Catholic Church tried to keep the Bible away from the common people. St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s understanding nature to create a version of the Bible so that even the uneducated shows us that the Church was definitely not keeping the Bible away from the common people. St. Venerable Bede played a part in the spreading of the Gospel because he translated the Bible into English. In later years in the Church Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 AD) restated the opinion of spreading the Gospel. He said:

"The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation (the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ"

Pope Leo XIII strongly tells us that it is the opinion of the Church that the Bible be accessible to everyone. Truly this does not seem like the Catholic Church is trying to keep Sacred Scripture away from the people.

As the Catholic Church is the one true Church of God it is rightly said that it would never shy away from holding the Sacred Scripture in a high and lofty position. For as St. Jerome says:

"Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."

The Church is most definitely not ignorant of Christ because of its devoted teaching of the Word of God. The Church will continue to see that Sacred Scripture is a major factor in understanding God. The Catholic Church follows God and His words strictly. More easily understood in the words of Pope John Paul II "The Church's teaching, liturgy and life spring from this source and lead back to it ..."


God Bless,
StColette

[phatcatholic]

excellent work colette!

this is going in the "sola scriptura" entry

pax christi,
phatcatholic

[MorphRC]

^ BUMP

Great Article Angelies

[StColette]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Jul 1 2004, 02:06 AM'] excellent work colette!

this is going in the "sola scriptura" entry

pax christi,
phatcatholic [/quote]
Ty

[StColette]

[quote name='MorphRC' date='Jul 1 2004, 02:07 AM'] ^ BUMP

Great Article Angelies [/quote]
ty Morphiekins

[homeschoolmom]

very gooooood...

[MorphRC]

[quote name='StColette' date='Jul 1 2004, 06:48 PM'] ty Morphiekins [/quote]
yw

[MorphRC]

LOL Oy that drool emotion is disturbing ON A MAJOR LEVEL!