Page 6 - Lessons and Activities on the Bible

INTRODUCTION
In e Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis wrote, “ e study of the sacred Scriptures must be a door opened to every believer. It is essential that the revealed word radically enrich our catechesis and all our e orts to pass on the faith” (175). Even the youngest believ- ers have the right to access the treasures of sacred Scripture. After all, Jesus did say, “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14).
God’s great gift of the Bible shows us who Jesus is: the Son of God and our Savior. It presents salvation history, culminating in the teachings and life of Jesus. It is our story and our children’s story. What’s more, the Bible is a channel to encounter God, to hear God, and to speak to God.
Unfortunately, for way too long, Catholics lagged behind in knowledge of the Bible. In overreacting to Protestants, who believed only what was in Scripture, the church discouraged Catholics from reading the Bible. We heard Scripture readings at Mass, but these were in Latin. Finally, in 1943, Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Divino A ante Spiritu, gave impetus to studying the Bible. Catholic biblical scholars ourished. But
it wasn’t until 1974 that the rst Bible-study program for ordinary Catholics in the United States was published (Little Rock Scripture Study). Today many parishes o er some form of Bible study. Understandable versions of the Bible appeared, including
in 2013 the rst complete Catholic Bible for children from grades one to four ( e Children’s Catholic Bible). Now, with the church’s emphasis on new evangelization, familiarity with the Bible has assumed even greater importance.
7
Twenty-Third Publications Sample