August is now only days away, which means I will back in school in a matter of weeks. All I can say is, boy does the summer go by fast! While I have completed a number of the tasks that I set out to do back in June, some remain unfinished. The same thing could be said about my summer reading list, but this year I gave it a valiant effort. Time does fly!
Needless to say, Catholic Bible news is a bit low right now. There are, of course, many good things to look forward to in the coming 6-12 months. Just to name a few: More NRSV editions from HarperOne, Post-synodal exhortation on the Scriptures by Pope Benedict, and hopefully some news on the NABRE. So, I look forward to discussing these, and many others, with you as the months pass.
But until then, I thought I would devote this post to finding out what your favorite Scripture verse is. My favorite comes from Romans 5:8, which says: "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." When I first began to take my faith seriously, almost 10 years ago, that verse really hit me and has remained important in my prayer life ever since.
So what about you? Is there a verse (or verses) out there that really speaks to you? Perhaps there is one that was important to you at a particular moment or event in your life.
What is your favorite verse questions always stump me because the minute you start thinking about it, a lot of verses start streaming into your head. I picked this one from the Wisdom of Solomon, because I read it at my father in laws's funeral mass and it has stuck in my mind: 'But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.'
ReplyDeleteI agree that I can never say "It's THIS one verse..." because God's Word speaks to every part of my life and in every circumstance. But I guess fundamentally it would be 2 Cor 12:9 because once I reverted (at age 22) to the faith of my Baptism I had to struggle like Augusine with leaving a lifestyle that had wrapped its siren hands around every fiber of my being:
ReplyDelete"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Thanks for asking.
Micah 6:8
ReplyDeleteHe has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
What makes this verse even better is the NOAB note attached to it: 'In this single sentence the prophet sums up a century of brilliant prophecy'
James 1:2 has always been my favorite verse.
ReplyDeleteI've touched upon this question here and here. ;-)
ReplyDeleteComing from a Calvinistic Protestant upbringing, with Jonathon Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the hands of an angry god" ever present, I am currently enjoying Sirach 2:18
ReplyDelete"Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, but not into the hands of men; for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy."
Brad
With a nod to John 17.21 (‘that all may be one’), my favourite passage is Apocalypse 21.3-5:
ReplyDeleteAnd I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold the dwelling of God with men, and he will dwell with them. And they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was sitting on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new!”
Brad,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendation of Sirach 2:18! I'll be dwelling on that scripture for days and weeks to come.
Matthew 6:25
ReplyDeleteI think that one verse has served as the basis of my entire life up to this point.