For so long we have been harboring the wrong notion that Catholics do not use the bible. If we see people roaming around carrying bibles, we can be sure they are not Catholics. The practice is still true in this era and generation, for Catholics are not even required to own a bible. While other sects are using the bible in their activities, Catholics do not as they are just made to listen to the Word of God during Holy Masses. The faithful are not obliged to carry the Holy Bible during liturgies. Studying the Word of God is not part of the liturgy unlike other sects where bible reading is done as part of their activities
While young Catholic kids are made to attend Catechism before receiving first communion, other sects expose their kids to the bible based on their misconstrued explanation of the faith. We adhere to the teaching authority of the Catholic Church and do not delve studying the bible on our own personal interpretation. Other sects are too assuming in making private interpretations and teaching the word of God to their followers without consulting the Church majesterium as to how bible is to be reflected on and understood.
It is precisely the wrong practice of reading the Bible and delving into private interpretations that do not conform to the teaching of the Catholic Church that was built and established by Jesus Christ that had caused the proliferation of many sects. The Church which Jesus Christ entrusted to Peter had been given the authority to teach the faith when the apostles were commanded to go and preach the good news. No one of the apostles was told to write the teachings. This is why the Holy Bible came much later as a compilation of product of the discernment of the Catholic Church. It was compiled from manuscripts that were scattered in different places and times.
Sects that make the Holy Bible the fundamental source of their faith and teaching are lost in their chosen path. The fundamental truth that these non-Catholic sects miss or just refuse to recognize is that the Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ long before the Holy Bible was completed. This means that the Catholic Church had already been preaching the Good News immediately when the apostles received the command to preach which was too long before the Holy Bible came into being.
Knowing the bible is knowing Christ. This is why people has to read the bible, or for those who cannot read, listen to the readings. The Catholic Church that compiled all the sacred writings into books, chapters and verses had set the daily readings for a three-year cycle. Attending masses daily and listening to the readings is tantamount to have read the entire bible. One does not read it selectively and not in its entirety, otherwise, it would result to personal misinterpretation.
In doing our personal reading, we only have to reflect the word of God and how it touches our daily life. We should refrain from making personal interpretations as we have no training on hermeneutics like our Catholic priests. We encounter many people who try reading and interpreting the bible and they sound like false preachers.
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