Pope Francis: The Pope from the End of the Earth

I am looking forward to getting a review copy of this book on our new Holy Father Pope Francis. Authored by Thomas J. Craughwell and published by our friends at Saint Benedict Press, this edition "includes over 60 full-color photographs, a fascinating in-depth biography, Foreword by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, first homilies as Pope, and supplemental sections on Catholic beliefs, practices, and traditions." If you are interested in purchasing this volume, consider clicking on the image above and your humble Catholic Bible Blog author will receive a small commission.  Pre-order price is currently $16.06.

"On Englishing the Bible" Contest

I am happy to report that Joshua, Stuart, Keith, and Dennis will each receive a brand new copy of Msgr. Knox's On Englishing the Bible.  Please send me an email, which you can find along the sidebar, with your full name and address and I will get them out to you this week.

Fr. Barron on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (One of my favorites!)

Knox Bible Audio and Other Musings

The website Sonitus Sanctus has MP3 audio of selections from the Knox Bible read by Irish Jesuit priest Fr. Hugh Thwaites.  The selections include full readings from the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Apocalypse.  For more information about Fr. Hugh, who passed away last year, you can go here.  I love hearing the Knox Bible read with an Irish accent!

As I continue to read through the Knox Bible, I am increasingly grateful that Baronius Press has re-published this fine translation.  It really has opened my eyes to a different way of looking at some passages.  When I first received the new edition in October, I spent enough time with it in order to review it, but without really "digging in to it" so to speak.  Life was way too busy at that point. That has changed over the past month, and I have had some time to just sit with the Knox Bible and read.  What I have found is that I find reading from the Knox Bible to be amazingly refreshing.  We often spend time debating on this blog issues concerning the Big Three: the RSV, NRSV, or NAB(RE).  Yet, it takes reading something like the Knox Bible to realize how similar the Big Three really are.  Sure there are issues that come up like technical vocabulary as well as inclusive language differences, but having spent some serious time reading through the Knox Bible it is clear that the Big Three are far more similar than different.  

Here is an example: 
'Take your standard from him, from his endurance, from the enmity the wicked bore him, and you will not grow faint, you will not find your souls unmanned.' - Heb 12:3 (Knox)

"Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,* so that you may not grow weary or lose heart." -Heb 12:3 (NRSV)
(* Hebrews 12:3 Other ancient authorities read such hostility from sinners against themselves)

So, I plan on continuing to use the Knox Bible for everyday reading from the foreseeable future.  For study, Verbum (Logos) Bible Software has got me covered there.  But I must say that I would really like to see the Knox Bible show up in some more New Media outlets.  Having it on Bible Gateway (and New Advent) has been great, as well as its inclusion on some devotional Bible apps.  But why not a Knox Bible app?  Or even a complete Knox audio Bible?  

Bible Edition Review: Baronius Press Pocket Douay-Rheims

“And thou shalt say in that day: I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me.” –Isaias 12:1

Within the past few weeks, Baronius Press has released its fourth impression of their Pocket Douay-Rheims.  For some time it had been unavailable, but fortunately that is now not the case.  As you would come to expect with any publication from Baronius Press, the overall presentation is of the highest quality.  The gold gilt edged pages and the classical-looking page layout (with only minimal ghosting) make this pocket Bible a true pleasure to read and carry around.  In many ways, this is the nicest pocket Catholic Bible that I have seen, probably along with the Cambridge Pocket RSV New Testament and Psalms. 

 As you will notice below, where I list the features found in Bible, this pocket Bible is packed with stuff.  The maps and engravings are printed on a very thin glossy paper, which add a nice touch, without hindering page turning.   I have pointed out in the past some Bibles that include glossy inserts and how they have a tendency to kind of get-in-the-way.  Those who regularly attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass will appreciate the inclusion of the Mass readings for Sundays, Holy Days, and Saints Days.  The Table of References is nice two page addition which can be of help for doing apologetics or study. Also included are three Papal encyclicals, although I wouldn’t have mind having Dei Verbum included.  As it has been noted by others elsewhere on this blog, if they are going to include Divino Afflante Spiritu, why not include Dei Verbum as well. 

Again, this is a really wonderful pocket Bible.  My only, although slight, disappointment is that the cover is made of a rather stiff bonded leather.   While this may allow for greater protection of the pages from being bent, it does hinder the Bible’s ability to be opened flat on a table.  This may change in time with regular use, but at this point I am unsure. Perhaps someone else who owns this edition will be able to chime in.

Everything else about this volume has the feel and look of a well-crafted Bible that will last a lifetime.  As their website state, Baronius Press strives “to raise the quality of traditional Catholic books in order to make them more appealing to a wider audience. In an age of mass production and cost cutting overriding aesthetic beauty, Baronius Press is re-typesetting (rather than producing facsimiles) classic Catholic books, to obtain clear text which is easy to read. These are then published in high quality bindings that are beautiful and durable.”  I hope they continue to produce high quality Bibles, and I would love to see them produce a pocket edition of their Knox Bible in the future.

The Features in this Bible include:

-1512 Pages

-4.25" x 6.85"

-Bonded, Flexible Leather bound cover (black, white, & burgundy) with stitched edges

-Enlarged text from previous edition

-Gold gilt edged pages and 2 ribbons.

-Completely retype-set to reproduce the original 1899 edition

-Eleven colored maps digitally redrawn by hand and fully colored

-32 beautiful engravings that recreate key moments in Biblical History

-Family Register section

-Three Papal encyclicals: PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS, SPIRITUS PARACLITUS, & DIVINO AFFLANTE SPIRITU

-Historical and Chronological Index of the Old and New Testaments

-A Table of References to Catholic Doctrines

-A Table of Epistle and Gospel Readings for the Extraordinary Form Mass for Sundays, Holy Days, and Feast/Saint Days

The Baronius Press website contains sample pages for you to look through.

Thank you to Baronius Press for providing a review copy

"On Englishing the Bible" Giveaway

The fine people at Baronius Press have provided me three brand new copies of On Englishing the Bible by Msgr. Ronald Knox to give away to my loyal readers.  As you know, this collection of essays by Msgr. Knox is not available for sale, but instead comes bundled with the newly published Baronius Press Knox Bible.    In this 64 page paperback edition, Msgr. Knox "describes his account of the ordeal, which manages to be both illuminating and full of his wit. Anyone wishing to know more about Knox's translation – and the problems involved in rendering the sacred Scriptures into the vernacular – will be fascinated to hear from the translator himself how he tackled this mammoth project."  All of my quotes from the "Knox on Translation" series of posts comes from this delightful little book.  It seems good to have a contest like this, since February 17th was the 125th anniversary of Msgr. Knox's birthday.


Contest Rules:
1) If you have a blog, please advertise this contest on your site. (If you don't, you can still enter the contest.)

2) This contest is only for people who are in the North America. (Overseas shipping costs remain too high for me right now. Sorry.)

3) To enter, you must select a favorite single verse from the Knox Bible and explain, in only one or two sentences, why you are drawn to that rendering by Msgr. Knox.  Your entries are to be submitted in the comment section of this post.

4) The contest ends on Sunday, April 28th @ 11:59 PM EST. I'll announce the winners on Monday morning.  At that time, the winners must contact me, via email, with their address within one week to receive their prize.

5) One entry per person. If you post anonymously, you must leave a name at the end of your comment entry

Thank you, again, to Baronius Press for making these three copies available to me.

Contest Winner

The winner of the 'A Year With The Bible' devotional is Dennis. Dennis, please send along your complete name and address to me and I will get your new book out to you as soon as possible. My email: mccorm45 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Yeah, We Already Knew This!

"A Year with the Bible" Contest

This contest will feature Patrick Madrid's "A Year of the Bible" published by the fine people at Saint Benedict Press.

Join Patrick Madrid and discover the majesty and power of scripture in "A Year with the Bible: Scriptural Wisdom for Daily Living." Beautifully bound and embossed, this daily devotional offers rich passages from the Bible accompanied by thoughtful meditations by Madrid, world-renowned writer and scholar. This vibrant and spiritual collection is the perfect daily companion, packed with the wisdom of the Scriptures; the Word of God. A Year with the Bible is a worthy introduction to Scripture, a daily devotional, a tool for deeper prayer, this book is as versatile as it is beautiful. Premium Ultrasoft with two-tone sewn binding, ribbon marker and gold edges.

So here are the rules:

1) If you have a blog, please advertise this contest on your site. (If you don't, you can still enter the contest.)

2) This contest is only for people who are in the North America. (Overseas shipping costs remain too high for me right now. Sorry.)

3) To enter, please put your name in the comment section of this post.  Winner will be drawn randomly.

4) The contest ends on Sunday, April 21st @ 11:59 PM EST. I'll announce the winner on Monday morning.  At that time, the winner must contact me, via email, with their address within one week to receive their prize.

5) One entry per person. If you post anonymously, you must leave a name at the end of your comment entry

Summer Conferences: National Catholic Bible Conference

Join us for the 2013 National Catholic Bible Conference! Learn from Catholic Bible study experts how to read, Scripture, how to apply its wisdom to your daily life, and how to share its riches with others. This conference takes place in Philidelphia and begins on June 21st.  It has an amazing list of speakers, including Scott Hahn, Michael Barber, Mary Healy, as well as Bishop Arthur Serratelli, Chariman of the USCCB Ad hoc Sub-Committee for the Review of Scripture Translations. Pricing: Early Bird Registration: $140 (Save $25!) Individual Registration (after 4/30/13): $165 Clergy/Deacon/Religious Registration: FREE Conference Meal Plan: $30 You can register for this conference here.

7 Questions: Valent Richie

Valent Richie has designed a wide range of Catholic devotional apps which can be purchased on ITunes.   My wife and I often pray using his Scriptural Rosary app, which includes readings from the Knox Bible.  I am thankful that he was willing to take the time to answer the following "7 Questions."

1) What got you interested in producing Catholic apps?

I got interested in producing Catholic apps because I want to solve my own problems. For example, I want to pray the Scriptural Rosary using my iPod touch or iPhone, but accessing websites is not really user friendly. Hence, I develop my own app first and I become passionate in building the app. Thank God that I have the resources necessary to develop apps.

2) Could you talk a bit about the various apps you have developed?

I have developed Scriptural Rosary app, a rosary app with scripture verse in each beads of Hail Mary. For people that prefer a kind of shorter version of rosary, there is Little Crown app. There is also daily meditations for thirty days for various topics, such as Life of Mary, St. Joseph, and Purgatory. And also there is Short Prayers app that helps user to pray with the daily reminders feature (with location based reminder under testing at the moment). And there is few more apps available in the App Store, such as St. Philomena, St. Philip Neri, Advent, and Lent meditations by St. Thomas Aquinas.

3) What goes into the developing an app?  Are there licensing issues that you have to deal with?

I think the content is the most important stuff that goes into developing an app, because the content needs to be inline with what the Catholic Church teaches. So I usually use the contents that have Imprimatur or writing of the saints. I like to read, so I often discover new stuff from The Internet Archive that is in public domain and free to use. Because of this, so far I have not dealt with licensing issues.

The next one would be translating the content into various languages. This is quite challenging because I depend a lot on the users offering help to translate the content, such as into Spanish and French.

4) There are, of course, a number of Catholic apps available, what would you say makes your apps distinct from the others?

I would say what makes my apps distinct are the ease of use, simplicity, and reminders feature. I want each of my apps to solve a particular problem that helps users to strengthen their faith or pray more.

5) What kind of feedback have you received regarding your apps?

I have received many kinds of feedback, positive and negative. But thank God most of them are positive and encouraging me to continue to develop Catholic apps. For example, when Pope Francis was elected, the Scriptural Rosary app is not updated yet and it has prayer for the Pope that should be updated to mention Pope Francis name. Several people gave feedback and asked when the app would be updated, which was a great encouragement for me because it showed my app was used by people.

The App Store also has review feature where users can submit their reviews, and the reviews have been very encouraging for me. But yeah, sometimes I also feel a bit down whenever people post 1 star review because they are not happy for various reasons.

6) Are there any future Catholic apps that you are working on currently?  

There is one daily reflection app that is still pending approval from Apple. I also want to work on meditations on Catholic dogmas app and intercessory network app, where people can post and pray for prayer intentions, if God is willing. Please pray for me!

7) Do you have a favorite verse of Scripture?

There is a few, but one of them is Psalm 51:17, to remind myself to have a humble and contrite heart, because I often offend God with my sins and I need a humble and contrite heart to avoid the temptations around me. 

Who Should be the Patron Saint of this Blog?

Who Should be the Patron Saint of the Catholic Bibles Blog?

• Dr. Gregory Martin
• Bishop Richard Challoner
• Msgr. Ronald Knox
• Dom Bernard Orchard

Freeblogpolls

More polls: Ögonlaser

I have decided to start again for two reasons: 1) St. Jerome is an obvious choice, so I would rather pick someone less obvious; 2) Theophrasus reminded me of Dr. Gregory Martin so I wanted to include him. Sorry for the reboot!

Knox on Translation

"If you translate, say the Summa of St. Thomas, you expect to be cross-examined by people who understand philosophy and by people who understand Latin; no one else.  If you translate the Bible, you are liable to be cross-examined by anybody, because everybody thinks he already knows what the Bible means." -from On Englishing the Bible

Sunday Knox: Revelation 5:11-14

Yeah, we are going all Knox, all the time here!  I have enjoyed it, I hope you have as well.  This week's selection comes from the second reading for this coming Sunday's Mass.  Enjoy!

Knox:

“Then I heard, in my vision, the voices of a multitude of angels, standing on every side of the throne, where the living figures and the elders were, in thousands of thousands,^[a] and crying aloud, Power and Godhead, wisdom and strength, honour and glory and blessing are his by right, the Lamb that was slain.^[b]  And every creature in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in it,^[c] I heard crying out together, Blessing and honour and glory and power, through endless ages, to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Then the four living figures said, Amen; and the twenty-four elders fell prostrate, worshipping him who lives for ever and ever.^[d]”

a.    Apocalypse 5:11 The Greek has, ‘in ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands’.

b.   Apocalypse 5:12 ‘Godhead’; the Greek here has ‘riches’, and it seems likely that the Latin version arose from a faulty reading.

c.    Apocalypse 5:13 ‘And on the sea, and all that is in it’; this is perhaps the best account to give of the Latin text here, but it is curious that ‘on’ and ‘in’ should be rendered by the same preposition in Latin. The Greek text seems to be ‘every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them’; it is hard to see that the last six words add anything to the sense.

d.   Apocalypse 5:14 The last seven words of this verse are of doubtful authority in the Greek, and are missing in some Latin manuscripts.

 NAB:

“I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen,”
and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

* [5:11] Countless: literally, “100,000,000 plus 1,000,000,” used by the author to express infinity.

Answering Msgr. Knox in 2013

On page 34 of the the Baronius Press edition of On Englishing the Bible by Msgr. Ronald Knox, he says, regarding his translation of the Bible: "My own idea has been to secure, as far as possible, that Englishmen of 2150, if my version is still obtainable then, shall not find it hopelessly 'dated'."

As of the writing of this post the year is 2013, which if my math is correct is still closer to the 1950's than to the year 2150.   Do you think the Knox Bible, as of right now, is "hopelessly dated?"

Anyone Want a Poorly Conditioned Knox Bible?

I really do love my Baronius Press Knox Bible, mostly due to the wonderful page layout, the nice binding and cover, and the overall enjoyment I get from reading it .  Yeah, I really just enjoying sitting down in my favorite chair and simply reading from the Knox Bible.  Sure, there are an occasional word or two that show up in the translation that cause me to appeal to a dictionary, but overall it is a smooth read.  (And while I have mentioned on this blog on numerous occasions my dislike for the "thees" and "thous", for some reason it doesn't bother as much when reading the Knox Bible.)


So, this leads me to the post at hand.  I own a 1965 Burns & Oates leather bound Knox Bible.  It has a page layout that is very similar to the Baronius Press edition, while also containing 4 drawn Bible maps and a list of the Mass readings for Sundays and Holy Days according to the Extraordinary Form.  I have no need of this edition anymore, and to be honest the Lord has been encouraging me to pass along some (if not most) of my Bibles to those who could really use them.   

Here is the catch, the binding is in pretty bad condition.  In particular, the spine has fallen off, although it still opens fine and the pages are in no danger, at the moment, of falling out. I am sure that this would be a perfect candidate for an expert rebinding.  In addition, it is also a bit thinner than the Baronius Press edition.

So, I want to give this Bible to someone who would truly treasure it.  Yet, I do not know how to do this!  I don't really want to do one of my typical "contests" so, if you are interested and truly desire this Bible, just send me an email: mccorm45 (at) yahoo (dot) com.  All I ask is that you explain why you would really like this Knox Bible edition.  I will email the person I decide to give it to.  There will be no post about who gets it.

Also, I thought this would be a good time to provide some links to some of my favorite Knox Bible-related posts.  So, enjoy them! 

Baronius Press Knox Bible Review

"7 Questions" with Dr. John Newton of Baronius Press

Jonny's Guest Review of the Knox Bible

Sunday Knox

Knox Bible Official Website

Knox Bible at Bible Gateway

And yes, my daughter will hand the Bible over at some point!

Easter Contest Winner

Congrats to Dan Barriball who was randomly selected to win the book and Bible. Dan, just send me an email with your address and I will get the books sent out to you this week. Thanks to all who entered.

Baronius Press Pocket Douay-Rheims Available

The Pocket Douay-Rheims from Baronius is now available again for purchase!  It comes in a black (and white) leather, flexible cover and is 4.25" x 6.85".  The price is $39.95.

Features:

• Leather bound cover with stitched edges
• Gold gilt edged pages and 2 ribbons.
• Completely retypeset to reproduce the original 1899 edition, making reading much easier.
• Eleven coloured maps digitally redrawn by hand and fully coloured
• 32 beautiful engravings that recreate key moments in Biblical History
• Family Register section
• Included in this edition – Three Papal encyclicals regarding the importance of the Holy Bible.
• PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS - Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII - On the Study of Holy Scripture
• SPIRITUS PARACLITUS - Encyclical of Pope Benedict XV - On St. Jerome
• DIVINO AFFLANTE SPIRITU - Encyclical of Pope Pius XII - On Promoting Biblical Studies, Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of Providentissimus Deus

Easter Contest

Once again, a happy Easter to all of you.  In celebration of the greatest of all feasts, I want to offer a contest.   The winner will receive a brand new copy of Dr. John Bergsma's Bible Basics for Catholics and a beautiful compact black bonded leather NABRE w/ zipper closure.

So here are the rules:

1) If you have a blog, please advertise this contest on your site. (If you don't, you can still enter the contest.)

2) This contest is only for people who are in the North America. (Overseas shipping costs remain too high for me right now. Sorry.)

3) To enter, please put your name in the comment section of this post.  Winner will be drawn randomly.

4) The contest ends on Monday, April 8th @ 11:59PM EST. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday morning.  At that time, the winner must contact me, via email, with their address within one week to receive their prize.

5) One entry per person. If you post anonymously, you must leave a name at the end of your comment entry

The ESV Study Bible Personal Size

Igantius Press.......go and do likewise!

HarperOne E-Bibles on Discount until April 8

This includes the NABRE and NRSV editions, with prices ranging from $1.99-$3.99 each.  I just picked up the NRSV-CE for $3.79!  For more info go here.

Summer Conferences: Renewal Ministries Catholic Bible School

Back in the day I attended the Renewal Ministries Catholic Bible Study School each Summer.  I found them to be both academically and spiritually nourishing.  I highly recommend this conference!  Bishop Jan Liesen is a real treasure and a humble servant of the Lord........and he knows the Scriptures really really really well!

Dates and Location:
June 27-30, 2013
Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center
North Palm Beach, Florida

Main Speaker:
Bishop Jan Liesen

Bishop Liesen is bishop of Brada in the Netherlands.  Formerly, he was a librarian and professor of New Testament Exegesis, Biblical Theology, and Hebrew Bible at the Seminaire Rolduc in Kerkrade, Netherlands. He received his doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome.  He is a distinguished member of the International Theological Commission.

(Other speakers include Debbie Herbeck and Laurie Manhardt)

Theme:
The Voice of the Bridegroom


Cost:
Tuition, room, and board is $350.00