Questions from a Reader

I got a copy of the '91 NOAB NRSV on ebay. It's the 'special Cokesbury edition' with thumb indexes. It's great! Almost new quality, no markings. The only thing is, and I knew this when I bought it, it has the original owner's name deeply embossed on the front cover. 

So here's a question for you or your readers: what's the best way to remove or cover up an embossing on a bible cover? I'm thinking of getting a stick on engraved name plate to put over it.

Second question: Putting my name on a bible seems a bit presumptious to me. Got any ideas for a short name or scripture snippet to use instead? (Ie 'Holy Bible' but that's a little boring.)

Thanks!

OBOY: A Reader's Question

Inspired by Carl Hernz recent NABRE post and the OBOY series, reader Eric was interested in seeing what actual Bible most of you read.  He provided me a series of questions for you to try and answer.  I would be interested in hearing back from you as well.  See if you are able to describe, using the questions below, your Bible.

Main Question = What is your "most used" Bible for reading pleasure/prayer/reflection?  This does not necessarily have to be your favorite translation, your favorite Bible or a study Bible...

Why do you prefer it over your other Bibles (if you have others)? 

What do you consider to be its most important feature?
Was it a gift or did you purchase it for yourself?  If it was a gift, does the sentimental value contribute to your use of it?
What is the layout - single or double column?

Does it have illustrations or is it solely text?
What fonts are used?  Is font choice, kerning (spacing between characters), line spacing or color scheme important or irrelevant?

What is the weight of the paper?

How is it bound and/or what format is it in?
What are the overall dimensions?
Who is the publisher and when was it published?

What is the translation?

A Reader's Question

Greetings, I wasn't sure were to post my question (if you'd be so kind as to answer it)? I was looking for a commentary for using the NABRE for Lectio Divina, is there any spiritual commentaries you'd recommend?

Any thoughts?  My initial thought would be the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture.  Although it isn't specifically a spiritual commentary, it certainly has that component in it.  

A Reader's Question

"I have a bit of a strange question that I wondered if you or your readers might have an answer for. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to reinforce a paperback Bible? Originally I was trying to make due with my Lighthouse App with the Ignatius Study Bible add on, and my Ignatius Study Bible NT, since for various reasons I never recieved my paperback bible during RCIA last year, but I mostly was figuring I only had to make due until October when the Didache Study Bible was supposed to be out. Well of course I found out it was postponed thanks to your blog, and I've also in the meantime finally recieved said paperback Bible through a retreat at church. I have always been scared to death to try to use paperback Bibles because they tear up and get bent so easily (I still can see one from a youth convention in 1996 in my mind all torn up from attempting to use it as my school Bible) - but I didn't know if anyone had any ideas that would at least make it usable at home? And prevent it from needing to go in the recycling bin?"

Any thoughts?

A Reader's Question

 I have an older (mid-1990's) TAN Books Douay Rheims with the padded leather cover.  A number of years ago, it was on the seat of my truck in the winter and a sudden stop sent it flying onto the floor, which was wet from melted snow.  While the cover was fine, the pages absorbed some of the moisture and ended up waving and stiffening up.  I dried the Bible as best I could, but couldn't stop the page warping.  This Bible is special to me because it was a confirmation gift from my sponsor (complete with a note of encouragement on the inside of the cover).  Would you (or any of the others who read the blog) have any suggestions on how to flatten the pages and restore them to a softer/more flexible manner?

Any ideas?

A Reader's Question

A reader recently asked the following question about the Little Office of the BVM, which I do not have the answer to. So I thought I would throw it out to you, my fine readers.

Do you know if the Fr. Agustin Bea's Amplior Edition of the Little Office conforms to Summorum Pontificum & can be considered as 'public prayer' of the Church?

So what do you think (or know)?

A Reader Question

From time to time I receive a question from a reader that I think would make for an interesting discussion on this blog. The following comes from a reader who is the DRE of a parish and in charge of the parish's RCIA program.

He provides a little background information before getting to his main two questions:

One of my DRE joys is being chief catechist and bottle-washer for RCIA. Each year we provide everyone in the process a Bible and a CCC. The small white Doubleday hardback of the CCC is fine and not excessively expensive. The Bible, for the past 10years, has been the NAB in the Fireside Study Edition with flexible cover.

It met all our criteria:

1. We wanted everyone to have the same edition for our classes because we use the Scripture a lot for instruction and being able to give out page numbers saves us oceans of time in a class that is usually 95% Bible illiterate. They know a lot more about how to find their way around a Bible by the time Easter comes, but use 10 references in a class and wait for everyone to locate 2 Maccabees, then 1 Corinthians, then…well, we did that one year and vowed never again.

2. Translation as close as we can get to what they will hear year after year in the Mass. And a translation that is standard for Catholics in the US. [It irritates me no end that the bishops don’t insist that our liturgical texts and personal Scriptures agree, but that’s a different topic.]

3. Easy of use.

a. Those page numbers we need are prominent and easy to find in the upper right and left corners of each page.

b. Equally important, the verse numbers are also prominent and easy to see (bolded throughout the text, all along the left in poetry).

c. It also has blacked-in tabs along the sides, which helps us help them begin to locate some larger books (such as Psalms) we use each meeting.

d. Reasonable size print. Good contrast between print black and page whiteness.

e. Footnotes on the page with the verses they refer to. Ditto with cross references.

f. Paper quality and thinness that allows a 1400 page Bible and 200 pages of extra materials to measure 1.25 inches thick. Handy to carry, not too heavy, too.

g. The 200 extra pages include Dei Verbum, brief intro to how we got the Bible, chapter and verse divisions, etc., in the front. At the back it has an encyclopedic dictionary chock full of useful Catholic definitions, devotions, and general knowledge, 3 year reading cycle, and maps.

4. Quality—made to last for many years. It’s not a top-of-the-line Bible, but it is far from shabby or disposable-looking. A paperback Bible is no way to show them we consider the Bible important. We like to send them off with this basic formation tool in a near-permanent form.

5. Affordable. Buying in bulk we could get them for around $16-$18 apiece (plus shipping).


1) What do others use for RCIA?

2) What, if anything, are they going to do now that all the publishers are issuing new Bibles NABRE-form?