National Bible Week begins on Sunday, Nov. 15

From AP, CNS, RNS, Staff and other sourcesNovember 09, 2015

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Association of Catholic Publishers is encouraging families, parishes, and schools throughout the United States to participate in National Bible Week, beginning on Sunday, Nov. 15, and continuing through the following week.

During the middle of this week, the church celebrates the 50th anniversary of the promulgation of "Dei Verbum" (the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation of Vatican II) on Nov. 18. Catholic publishers are encouraging parishes to connect with various Bible studies and products to help Catholics take up the exhortation of "Dei Verbum," that the Scriptures be “open wide for all the people of God.”

"The Bible: A Book for the Family" is this year’s theme for Bible Week, building on the Synod of Bishops on the Family and Pope Francis's visit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.

Catholic biblical scholar and author Stephen J. Binz has offered three ideas for Catholic parishes to observe Bible Sunday, Nov. 15. These three elements connect the parish and the home, encouraging families to bring their Bibles to Sunday Mass and then bring them home to be read regularly. Here are his three steps:

1) Invite families to bring their own Bibles to Mass on Sunday, Nov. 15.

2) After the homily, the celebrant offers a Blessing of Bibles. This short ritual of commitment may be downloaded at the bottom of this page: http://store.pastoralplanning.com/thbist1.html

3) Invite everyone to bring their Bibles back from Mass to be enthroned in their home. The link below provides a history of Bible enthronement, an explanation, and a ritual for Catholic homes. This link may be emailed to every family in the parish, posted in the parish bulletin and on the parish website and social media: http://pastoralplanning.com/TBS/Enthrone_the_Bible_at_Home.pdf

The U.S.C.C.B. offers many articles, rituals, and suggestions for National Bible Week, and the Association of Catholic Publishers offers resources and ideas from publishers for incorporating National Bible Week into parishes, schools and other Catholic institutions during the week of Nov. 15.

From AP, CNS, RNS, Staff and other sources

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Brian McDonough

8 years 5 months ago

If you want to read how mainstream Francis's Social Justice writings are, compared with other Popes, consider reading the 600+ page text, "PAPAL TEACHINGS ON ECONOMIC JUSTICE," which is found at the very, very bottom of this page on the web site of the Conference of Major Superiors Of Men: www.cmsm.org/CMSM_Alert/Apr10/ The Conference of Major Superiors Of Men published the text online here: www.cmsm.org/documents/PapalTeachingsonEconomicJustice.pdf If you want to read how Biblically mainstream Francis's Social Justice writings are, particularly on the issue of immigration, consider watching and listening to the following 4 YouTube videos which have musical accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthew192124 Francis is as Communist, Marxist, Liberal and Progressive as the Old Testament, the New Testament and at least 9 Popes before him.

William Rydberg

8 years 5 months ago

Whenever, I have acquired a Bible its been my practice to show and briefly discuss with my Parish Pastor. I usually never fail to ask for a blessing. Just seems right. However, there is a whole world of Liturgical Experts in the Church. I would strongly recommend that someone look in to the introduction of what may appear to some as a new Liturgical Ritual. Seems to me that in the context of Mass in the Extraordinary Form the Book of Gospels was never Incensed, but rather held separately. Like a lot of the old ways, things change, but there actually might be a reason?

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