Two Ways to Read Scripture
Catholic men need to read Scripture - regularly.
No, you can't wait until you're retired and have more time, or until you get over this busy time at work, or after the kids grow up, or any of the gazillion other excuses we come up with to avoid spending a few minutes each day reading Scripture.
Okay, so you know this is true, but you still have trouble actually doing it every day: Join the club! And just count it as yet another one of those "nothing worth while comes easy" things. But wait. It's even more than that. It's really essential. You've got to do this. Simple reason: God wrote the Scriptures. It's His Holy Word, written just for us. And when I say "just for us" I mean exactly that: for each and every one of us- specifically and individually. Here, let's see how. Start with two ways we busy Catholic men need to read Scripture. Ready?
1) 15 minutes a day - preferably in the morning, or, if it's better for you, at night before bed. I don't know about you, but those are just about the only two times during the day when I can rely on some peace and quiet. I usually go for morning.
2) Think about what you're reading. If it comes down to reading less than the whole chapter of one of the Gospels so you can think about what you're reading, then do that. Don't rush. Try to let some of it "sink in."
Now here's a simple example of why this is really essential stuff. It's got to do with that computer crash I wrote about the last couple of weeks.
So after my second bout of frazzle-ness - the time where, in spite of all my talk about offering things up, and looking to Our Lord in the midst of our trials, I still forgot about Him and let myself get completely discombobulated, as well as acting like a creep on top of it all - after all that, the next morning I was reading Philipians 2 where St Paul says:
And I'm thinking how my whole reaction to this trial was self-centered. I wound up displaying bad temper and being rather nasty to some other folks, including family members. Ah, St Paul, where were you when I needed you? Oh, right, you're right here, speaking to me, just like you spoke to the Phillipians 2,000 years ago:
But wasn't I looking after the interest of my clients who were expecting this work to be done? Sure, but what about those "innocent bystanders" who were subjected by my ill temper: they certainly didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. Okay, I get it.
What's that? It's not really sinking in yet? Oh, I see:
Believe me, I spent more than just a few moments thinking about this after I read it. Oh, and by the way, I've read this passage dozens of times before (not bragging, just fact). Yet this one time, these particular words struck me as never before. Sure, I felt guilty about the way I behaved. But I also experienced the hope that you only experience when you understand just who Jesus Christ was and what He did for us - the stuff we're supposed to be focusing on in a special way during Lent.
So, see, reading a few minutes each day and making sure you actually understand what you're reading, letting it sink in, well that brings the Scriptures to life - to your life. And even though us Catholic men at work really are busy every day, whatever is going on with you, I think you'll find it all makes a lot more sense when you take those 15 minutes every day to read Scripture and really let the words sink in.
No, you can't wait until you're retired and have more time, or until you get over this busy time at work, or after the kids grow up, or any of the gazillion other excuses we come up with to avoid spending a few minutes each day reading Scripture.
Okay, so you know this is true, but you still have trouble actually doing it every day: Join the club! And just count it as yet another one of those "nothing worth while comes easy" things. But wait. It's even more than that. It's really essential. You've got to do this. Simple reason: God wrote the Scriptures. It's His Holy Word, written just for us. And when I say "just for us" I mean exactly that: for each and every one of us- specifically and individually. Here, let's see how. Start with two ways we busy Catholic men need to read Scripture. Ready?
1) 15 minutes a day - preferably in the morning, or, if it's better for you, at night before bed. I don't know about you, but those are just about the only two times during the day when I can rely on some peace and quiet. I usually go for morning.
2) Think about what you're reading. If it comes down to reading less than the whole chapter of one of the Gospels so you can think about what you're reading, then do that. Don't rush. Try to let some of it "sink in."
Now here's a simple example of why this is really essential stuff. It's got to do with that computer crash I wrote about the last couple of weeks.
So after my second bout of frazzle-ness - the time where, in spite of all my talk about offering things up, and looking to Our Lord in the midst of our trials, I still forgot about Him and let myself get completely discombobulated, as well as acting like a creep on top of it all - after all that, the next morning I was reading Philipians 2 where St Paul says:
Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests but to the interests of others.
But wasn't I looking after the interest of my clients who were expecting this work to be done? Sure, but what about those "innocent bystanders" who were subjected by my ill temper: they certainly didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. Okay, I get it.
What's that? It's not really sinking in yet? Oh, I see:
Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Believe me, I spent more than just a few moments thinking about this after I read it. Oh, and by the way, I've read this passage dozens of times before (not bragging, just fact). Yet this one time, these particular words struck me as never before. Sure, I felt guilty about the way I behaved. But I also experienced the hope that you only experience when you understand just who Jesus Christ was and what He did for us - the stuff we're supposed to be focusing on in a special way during Lent.
So, see, reading a few minutes each day and making sure you actually understand what you're reading, letting it sink in, well that brings the Scriptures to life - to your life. And even though us Catholic men at work really are busy every day, whatever is going on with you, I think you'll find it all makes a lot more sense when you take those 15 minutes every day to read Scripture and really let the words sink in.
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