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READING THE BIBLE
(Pray to the Holy Spirit before reading Scripture!)
"You will find your Lord in the Bible, and that is why your contact with the revealed text has a special meaning. It is contact with God who loves you and desires to affect you with his grace.
"This contact leads you to inner conversion, its greatest purpose. You should, therefore, not read the Bible just to satisfy your curiosity, or to gain knowledge, or to find a solution to a problem that is nagging you, although this will be needed at times. You should take advantage of this form of contact with the Lord in hope that He will bestow the grace of conversion on you.
"If you enter into a person to person relationship with Christ, who is present throughout the inspired text, this text will permeate you.Then you will begin to listen intently to the Word of God, understand better the thoughts and desires of Jesus, and begin to know him even better. Saint Jerome warns, "Ignorance of the Holy Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." Listening intently to the Word of God will influence your choices and decisions. You will want them to be in accordance with his teachings and desires.
"Reading of Scripture is fundamental to your growth in faith and your sharing in God's life. It is looking at oneself and surrounding realities as though through the eyes of God." [Father Tadeusz Dajczer d. 2009] Source: [Magnificat, January 10th, 2017, page 139]
Love, Jeanne
