January 31, 2021

Small Lived Experiences of the Faith
Based on Signs of Life by Scott Hahn

This Week's Focus:
January 31 (4th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Theme:  Bible Study & Spiritual Reading
Chapters in the Book:  16 & 17 (pages 111-123)  

Sunday Readings:  ENGLISH     SPANISH

Tami Maurer, Coordinator of Religious Education
Grades K-2
Video:  God's Story:  The Bible
Activity & Craft:  Bible Snack

Grades 3-5
Video:  The Bible Guides Us (NOTE: we don't endorse the NLT translation nor some of the video's other source materials, but the rest still merited sharing.)
Activity:  Books of the Bible Game

Grades 6-8
Video:  A Catholic Teen's Explanation of How She Studies the Bible
Activity:  Activities that Support Catholic Scripture Studies in Families (from Sadlier Publishing Company)

Chad Grube, Director of Adult Faith Formation & Evangelization

"Throughout the history of the Church, numerous saints have spoken of the need for knowledge of Scripture in order to grow in love for Christ.  This is evident particularly in the Fathers of the Church.  Saint Jerome, in his great love for the word of God, often wondered:  'How could one live without the knowledge of Scripture, by which we come to know Christ himself, who is the life of believers?'.  He knew well that the Bible is the means 'by which God speaks daily to believers'.  His advice to the Roman matron Leta about raising her daughter was this:  'Be sure that she studies a passage of Scripture each day... Prayer should follow reading, and reading follow prayer... so that in the place of jewellery and silk, she may love the divine books'."

            -- Pope Benedict XVI in his apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini

Resources

• Resources on FORMED
  • Lectio:  Prayer with Dr. Tim Gray
  • Opening the Word (Weekly tools to help you enter into the readings for Sunday Mass)
  • The Elements of the Mass:  The Word of the Lord with Fr. Douglas Martis
  • Why is Sola Scriptura Unreasonable from Catholic Answers
  • Why Are Protestant Bibles Smaller from Catholic Answers
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls by Dr. John Bergsma (VIDEO)
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls by Dr. John Bergsma (AUDIO)
  • Audio Bible
  • You Can Understand the Bible:  A Practical Guide to Each Book in the Bible by Peter Kreeft (E-BOOK)
     
• Outside Resources
  • Ways to Read the Bible by Fr. Mike Schmitz
  • How to Pray with the Bible by Fr. Mike Schmitz
  • Praying with the Bible by Fr. Mark Toups
  • Reading the Bible with Jeff Cavins
  • The Bible in a Year - A Daily Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz & Jeff Cavins
  • What Spiritual Class Books Should Every Catholic Read by Bishop Robert Barron
  • The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality - Spiritual Reading (Pillar 6) by Matthew Kelly
  • Dei Verbum (Vatican II Document on Divine Revelation)
  • Verbum Domini (Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Benedict XVI on the Word of God)
  • Christian Classic Ethereal Library - Source for downloading spiritual classics for free