WHAT IS MY CHILD LEARNING THIS MONTH?
This month, your child gains a general understanding of salvation history, the structure of the Old and New Testaments, and how to navigate the Bible. We focused on God divinely revealing Himself throughout history, and establishing covenants with His people, ultimately leading to Jesus who fulfills all the previous covenants and establishes his eternal covenant through His death and Resurrection.
Terms we went over:
Divine revelation: God's communication of Himself, by which He makes known the mystery of His divine plan, a gift of self- communication which is realized by deeds and words over time, and the most fully by sending us his own divine Son, Jesus Christ (see Catechism of the Catholic Church §51-53)
Covenant: A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being involving mutual commitments or guarantees. The Bible refers to God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses as leader of the chosen people, Israel. In the Old Testament or Covenant, God revealed his law through Moses and prepared his people for salvation through the prophets. In the New Testament or Covenant, Christ established a new and eternal covenant through his own sacrificial death and Resurrection. The Christian economy is the new and definitive Covenant which will never pass away, and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ (see Catechism of the Catholic Church §54-67)
BRINGING THIS SESSION HOME
The Bible is amazing... but sometimes confusing and hard to read. How can we understand the whole story? Many young people have questions about how the Bible came to be and how do we know everything contained in it is true and not a book of fiction. Watch this video to learn more about the story of the Bible, and discuss with your children.
The Bible in 10 Minutes (feat. Fr. Mike Schmitz)
WHAT IS THE BIBLE?: The word "Bible" comes from the Greek word biblia which means "books". Therefore, the Bible is not just one book but MANY books that have been combined and put together as a collection of ancient writings about God. The Bible is split into two main sections known as testaments. Testament means "agreement".
The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew Scriptures, contains stories about the old agreement God made with the Hebrews. Most of what is contained in the Hebrew Scriptures deals with the agreements God made with Abraham and then with Moses and how the Hebrews (also known as Israelites) either followed or abandoned that agreement throughout their history. The New Testament, also called the Christian Scriptures, contains the stories and teachings about the new agreement between God and His people based on the teachings and life of Jesus. It begins with four Gospels on the life and ministry of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Christian Scriptures also contain an account of the Apostles after Jesus ascended into Heaven and letters written by key Christian leaders to individuals or communities instructing them on the faith. There is also a book of revelations by John the Apostle.
WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?: It was written by numerous people, most of them Hebrews. There are some books in the Bible that we are unsure of the author's name. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a teenage shepherd boy in a cave about a mile inland from the Dead Sea. Over 972 texts or scrolls were found between 1946 and 1956. They are some of the earliest writings ever discovered of books contained in the Bible. It is believed this particular group of writings belonged to a group of Jews known as the Essenes. The scrolls date back to 480 BC to the most recent of AD 318.
WHEN WAS THE BIBLE WRITTEN?: It was written over a time period of 1,100 years: from approximately 1,000 BC to AD 100.
HOW MANY BOOKS ARE THERE IN THE BIBLE?
That is going to depend on which version you are using.
Catholic Bibles have a total of 73 books that were approved by the Council of Hippo in AD 393. The Hebrew Scriptures would total 46 books and the Christian Scriptures 27 books.
Protestant Bibles would have only 66 books in total (39 in the Hebrew Scriptures and 27 in the Christian Scriptures). At the time, the Protestant Bible was created the books they left out were never found in either Hebrew or Greek, the language of the people at the time the books would have been written.Therefore, the Protestant leadership removed them until they could be found in the original language following the example of the Jewish leaders who had done the same thing centuries before. Several of the books have since been found in either Greek or Hebrew and are being authenticated.
PRAY TOGETHER
A great way to begin to use scripture in your daily life is by praying with them. This way of praying with scripture is known as Lectio Divina.
WHAT IS LECTIO DIVINA?
Lectio Divina (Latin: “divine reading”) is a way to pray with the Bible. Reading Scripture allows us to notice God speaking to us more readily in the events of each day; it invites us to live more deeply and helps us become better listeners to God and others. It is different from a Bible study; we are not doing research or analyzing it, but listening to how God is speaking to us intentionally, personally, and lovingly.
HOW DOES LECTIO DIVINA WORK?
Lectio Divina can be done either individually or within a small group (like your family!). Lectio Divina follows four steps:
- Lexio (lex-ee-oh) This step is reading and listening to the word of God.
- Meditatio (med-it-tots-ee-oh) This step is meditation, or reflection, on the Scripture passage.
- Oratio (or-ot-see-oh) This step is responding to God’s message to you from the Scripture passage.
- Contemplatio (con-tem-plot-see-oh) This step is contemplation. In silence, rest in the unconditional love of God.
For a detailed list, please click here to learn how to pray Lectio Divina.
Before beginning Lectio Divina, the following is encouraged:
- Decide on a Bible passage you will focus on. You may decide to choose one of the daily readings or a reading for the upcoming Sunday.
- Find a location that brings you peace and solitude.
- Choose a time of day where you will not be distracted by others.
- Make sure you have at least 20 to 30 minutes for the process.
- Before opening your Bible, say a short prayer asking God to reveal himself to you through this reading.
LET’S PRAY LECTIO DIVINA TOGETHER
Pray with Lectio Divina using Jeremiah 1:4-9, using the guide above. If you want, pray this with your teenager or with your family.
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Alas, LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.”
