To all catholics. Your the ones who can answer this.?

Question

To all catholics, its time to ask a question.
I ask sincerely, out of completely good intention.
Do priests/other catholics encourage you to read God's word?

Do you?

Did you do so fully?

Here is a life changing verse: John 3:16.

If this is bashing, then i dont know what isnt.

Answer 1

Yes.

Catholics are encouraged to read the Bible.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: The Church forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful to learn ‘the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,' by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures.

‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.'

Additionally we all listen to the Word being proclaimed and explained in every Mass.

In every Sunday Mass there are at least four Bible readings
+ First Reading - usually from the Old Testament
+ A Psalm is prayed by all
+ Second Reading - usually from a New Testament Epistle
+ Gospel Reading
+ then the priest bring them all together and helps us apply them to our lives in the homily

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Hello Don, there was a time before the second Vatican Council when we Catholics were not instructed as much as we are today to read the Bible,back then it was considered more appropriate for the laity to have the word announced and explained by our Priests during Holy Mass, this was and still is called, the Liturgy of the Word, and in my experience few Catholic families had Bibles, thankfully that has changed for the better and I and all my friends who practice their faith would have a Bible at home or in the car.
yes John 3:16 is a powerful argument against those who deny that God is loving and compassionate, He has already given us the greatest gift of all in His beloved Son, also I am very fond of the Prodigal Son which is so very encouraging to me.
God bless you.

Answer 3

I am not Catholic; but may I reverse the questions upon the asker; and try to communicate here presently one of the BIG differences that caused religious confusion for me for too long.

The Catholics until now (partially) apply the '2 or more witnesses' principle (Matt. 18:16, 2 Cor. 13:1). (The Jews had this principle given to them also (Deut. 10-20). Fully applying it, one may find the 'old testament' (which was done away when Christ died on the cross; Hebrews) was the law of Moses. (Several witnesses and scriptures available), not Genesis-Malachi (which violates 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
May this response be confronting not bashing.
.

Answer 4

Yes definitely, the word of God it's at the center of any christian life and the catholic church promotes this aspect intensely by many channels and ways. I teach cathechism and there is not one single class that we don't use the bible. We gave all the students their own bibles, preety neat ones and I encourage them to read it every day.

That catholics don't read the bible and that priests don't let us do it it's a myth that has survived since the days of the reformation and has been unfairly preserved because it's definitely not the case.
The Holy Scriptures are at the center of our liturgical and daily living, along with the faith in Jesus as the head of the church.

God bless

Answer 5

Yes. I've had priests and lay Catholics encourage Scripture study. In fact, two weeks ago, our priest encouraged reading Scripture during his Homily! Our parish has a couple of Bible studies, and the parish we attending before we moved had many! It's taken a while, but the Catholic Church is getting it . . . lay people NEED to read Scripture!

Yes, I do read Scripture. Not as much as I should, but that's between me and God. As for doing it fully, I'm not sure what you mean by that. Thanks for the great verse . . . salvation is a great thing, isn't it!

Answer 6

Most Roman Catholic churches have regular Bible studies, most diocese (regional authorities) have some arrangement or another with local or nearby institutions of higher learning to provide correspondance or online Biblical course work. Anyone who reads the Catechism will find that every major point is backed up with multiple Biblical references as well as references to the writings of the various teachers of the church, including but not limited to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, whose "Summa Theologicae" is still considered a stronghold of the faith in countering the errors of the Reformation.

In short, yes. The Roman Catholic Church highly and in all ways encourages Biblical scholarship to the best of each person's discernment and capabilities.

Answer 7

Do priests/other catholics encourage you to read God's word?
Yes.

Do you?
I try. Need to get my bible out for Advent

Did you do so fully?
I try. I"m not good at it.

Here is a life changing verse: John 3:16.
Here's how bad I am, which verse is that again?

Oh, and you weren't bashing. It was a question.

Answer 8

I am a Priest - I qualify - so - I'll say:

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) Yes

4) John 3:16 is a wonderful verse. And John 3:5 talks clearly of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism: "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Answer 9

Question 1 - Yes...

Question 2 - Yes...

Question 3 - Depends on what your definition of "fully" is...

Life changing verse, true (but eternal life where), I'll give you Several more...

Mat 12:36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

Joh 6:54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Joh 6:55 "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.
Joh 6:56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.
Joh 6:58 "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever."

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

Answer 10

I think most Catholics would agree with that.
Everyone reads the bible from time to time. It is just that everyone has their own interpretation.