Do You Read It?
“‘Classic’ — a book which people praise and don’t read.” ~
Ah, me. I do believe that you know me well enough to know exactly where I am going with this quote, don’t you? Yes. What “classic” first came to mind when I read this? The Bible, of course.
How many Catholic homes have a Bible on display? It might be sitting prominently on a coffee table or in a place of honor on a book shelf. If, especially on the bookshelf, you went up to the Bible and rubbed your finger on the top, how much dust do you think you would raise?
Bibles. They are definitely classics. And they are probably the most under-read classic in any Catholic household. Notice that I am saying Catholic. There are many Christian homes that have a Bible as well. Those Bibles would be relatively worn out from the constant use that they received. It is in the culture of other Christian groups to read the Bible. For some reason, Catholics think that the little bit of Bible that gets read to them at Mass on Sunday is sufficient.
It is not.
We need to be “well read” when it comes to the Bible. Whenever you read any book, you come into contact with characters. The characters might inform you. They might shock you. They might frighten you. It all depends upon the genre of literature from which you are reading. No matter what genre, though, you have a feel for the character.
When it comes to the prophets or the great kings of old, do you have any feel for them? You will not if you never read about them in the Bible. And if you have no appreciation or feel for the Old Testament “characters”, you will not be able to have an appreciation for the New Testament people — not even about Jesus.
We need to take the time to read the scriptures. They inform us about our faith and its great and rich history. If we do not read those rich stories of our faith, we are living in a vacuum. Take the time to familiarize yourself with your history. Read the Bible.
FAITH ACTION: Not going to sugar it: take some time to read from the Bible today.