"He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures." Luke 24:45
I just completed my second year of Bible study and feel a huge sense of accomplishment! I have now studied, in depth, The Gospel of John and The Acts of the Apostles. The rewards have far outweighed the effort I put into it and I look forward to our class starting again in the fall.
When I signed up for it 2 years ago, I had no idea how it would change my life. I had no knowledge of scripture beforehand and frankly, if I tried to crack open the Bible, I would be bored to tears. My only exposure to God's Word was at Mass and it didn't sink in for me. It sounded pretty foreign and out of date to my modern ears. Ok, I know I am not making Catholics look good here, but hear me out!
Ordering my materials for the class, an RSV Bible, our binder with all the study materials, and a Catechism was exciting! I will embarrass myself even further here and admit that I had never read the Catechism of the Catholic Church either. I would love to blame this entirely on the RCIA program I attended before converting, but I would be lying if I didn't say I might have had some reservations about what I may find inside that huge thing, ha! But nobody told me either that what I was professing to believe when I got confirmed was all in there either. I probably would have changed my mind if that were the case!
Anyway, I did my homework for the first class and a lot of the questions pertaining to the gospel reading would refer me not only to the Bible but to the Catechism as well. I realized "Wow, you mean the Catholic Church and all these "rules" it has actually has a lot to do with the Bible?" I was intrigued. I literally couldn't put my Catechism down for a couple of weeks. I felt like I had discovered a gold mine. Seriously. Then, when I was in class I noticed God's Word really started speaking to me, almost jumping off the page and right into my heart. It was like a door was opened that previously I didn't have the key to. The Bible, the Church, Christ Himself. It all started to seem cohesive and relative to my life. From that moment on, I craved God's Word and the Sacraments for the first time in my life. And even more profound, I felt the presence of Christ in my life. Learning about my Faith made me realize what a gift it is and made me want to learn more. Two years later, I feel the exact same way.
Another thing I didn't anticipate was the friendship and support I would experience with the other women in my class. These women, especially the class leaders, were like no women I had ever known before. They were wives and mothers, completely and lovingly dedicated to Christ and their vocations, always trying to better themselves. I was drawn by their example and it made me re-evaluate how I was living my life. Was I living what I professed to believe? Was I striving for holiness? I've read that true friends help you get to heaven. If that is true then these are some of my best friends, even if I only see them once a week for an hour. We have laughed and cried together and really inspired each other to be authentic Christian women.
The one thing I've learned that I would like to get out there. If you are a Catholic and you aren't reading or studying the Bible you are not going to have the tools you need to be a faithful Catholic Christian. Yes, Sacred Tradition is important, vitally important, but the Bible is just as important. Consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church to see how they are related to each other and how they form the foundation of our faith. I think Bible Study, whether in a group or alone, is indispensable to growth in the spiritual life of a Catholic. Especially so you can defend your faith and the biblical truths of Catholicism. There are many great resources to help you; here are a few of my favorite resources; the last two books are by Patrick Madrid, a wonderful Catholic Apologist:
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible
Where Is that In the Bible?
Does the Bible Really Say That?
Other resources:
http://www.cssprogram.net/ This is the Scripture Study Program for Catholics that is highly recommended and that we use at my church.
http://www.catholic.com/ A major Catholic apologetics site, with lots of forums for discussion. They also have a wonderful book catalog.
"Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ." - St. Jerome, 4th c.
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