Favorite Bible Bits

He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."  Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.  (1 Kings 19:11-12) [NRSV]

This particular translation/version of Elijah's encounter on Sinai/Horeb, for me, encapsulates and contains not only the "presence" of God; but the very profound "peace" of God. Have a happy, blessed and anticipatory Advent, Jim Creed, Class of 2019.

If you have a favorite Bible verse and would like to share it, along with a sentence or two about why it is your favorite, please email BJ at catholic.biblical.school@aohct.org.

Favorite Bible Bits

Submitted by Linda Ward, Class of 2015

One of my favorite Bible verses is taken from Psalms 25:4-9, a prayer for forgiveness and guidance. (NABRE)

"Make known to me your ways, Lord;
     teach me your paths.
Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
     for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your compassion and your mercy, O Lord, for they are ages old.
Remember no more the sins of my youth;
     remember me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, Lord."

If you have a favorite Bible verse and would like to share it, along with a sentence or two about why it is your favorite, please email BJ at catholic.biblical.school@aohct.org.

Pope Francis On Moving Forward in Mercy

Excerpted from

APOSTOLIC LETTER

Misericordia et
misera

5. Now, at the conclusion of this Jubilee, it is time to look to the future and to understand how best to continue, with joy, fidelity and enthusiasm, experiencing the richness of divine mercy. Our communities can remain alive and active in the work of the new evangelization in the measure that the “pastoral conversion” to which we are called[3] will be shaped daily by the renewing force of mercy. Let us not limit its action; let us not sadden the Spirit, who constantly points out new paths to take in bringing to everyone the Gospel of salvation.

[Aside: Did you realize that we sadden the Spirit when we limit the paths to the Gospel of salvation? What a daunting realization!]

. . .

7. The Bible is the great story of the marvels of God’s mercy. Every one of its pages is steeped in the love of the Father who from the moment of creation wished to impress the signs of his love on the universe. Through the words of the prophets and the wisdom writings, the Holy Spirit shaped the history of Israel as a recognition of God’s tenderness and closeness, despite the people’s infidelity. Jesus’ life and preaching decisively marked the history of the Christian community, which has viewed its mission in terms of Christ’s command to be a permanent instrument of his mercy and forgiveness (cf. Jn 20:23). ... I greatly desire that God’s word be increasingly celebrated, known and disseminated, so that the mystery of love streaming from this font of mercy may be ever better understood.

Advent Blessings!

Fr. Tom Stegman, Lecturer in the Catholic Biblical School, with Pope Francis this October

National Bible Week Quote of the Day

Ken Foisie, CBS Class of 2010 sent this to Jill Costa today:

I loved your quote and it inspired me to submit one of my very favorites. As a matter of fact, I'm leading an adult Bible study in three parishes. We are currently in the midst of the Divided Kingdom and the Exile - of course, full of doom and destruction - and I wanted to conclude the last session on an upbeat note. So I turned to one of my favorites from one of the least quoted of the prophets, Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV), for inspiration. This verse, I feel, really gets us inside the heart of God.

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save;  He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing."

Can you imagine that? He's mightier than all our sins, a Savior who saves, and loves us and is so excited about being reconciled to us that it makes Him burst into song! Wow.

So whenever I'm feeling down or disappointed, I often go to this verse and the picture of God's love for us.  It's every reason to rejoice.

We love hearing about the great work you all are doing in your faith communities to bring God's Word to others. Thanks, Ken, for your post today!