National Bible Week

National Bible Week 2016

Catholics have come a long way in our understanding and appreciation of the Bible. For too long, Catholics were not encouraged to read and pray Scripture. Since the Second Vatican Council, (and especially the publication of Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), our Church has encouraged us to delve more deeply into God’s Word. With that in mind, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is once again inviting Catholics to participate in National Bible Week, November 13–19, 2016.

This is a great opportunity for your parish to promote reading, studying, and praying with Scripture. The USCCB has put together a number of fine resources to assist you in celebrating National Bible Week.

Your parish can kick off the week by designating Sunday, November 13, as Bible Sunday and invite parishioners to bring their own Bibles to Mass for a blessing and then take their Bibles home to be enthroned. This would be a good Sunday to make available copies of the Bible for parishioners to purchase.

To promote Scripture study, see Six Weeks with the Bible and other Scripture resources from Loyola Press.

The Bible Blueprint by Joe PaprockiA great way to promote knowledge of the Bible among your parishioners is to provide them with a copy of my book, The Bible Blueprint: A Catholic’s Guide to Understanding and Embracing God’s Word. The book has a free downloadable Leader Guide and is also available in Spanish. You can purchase The Bible Blueprint for only $5 each when you order 10 or more.

Finally, consider hosting a parent-child session on Introducing Catholics to the Bible, using the instruction packet here. That also includes a handout on “10 Ways to Make the Bible a Part of Your Everyday Life,” an experience of lectio divina, and Bible bookmarks.

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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