Random Spot Check: Matthew 16:16-18

For this week's spot check, I decided to go with a portion of the Peter's confession about Jesus at Caesarea Philippi. This time, I have chosen five Catholic translations, none of which should be hard to determine. Can you figure out which one is which? Which one do you like? So, here we go with Matthew 16:16-18:

1) Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

2) Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

3) Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

4) Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.

5) Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.

Thank You to My Unofficial Bible Patron

Just wanted to take the time to thank reader Tim for being my unofficial Bible patron. He recently sent me two very cool Bibles:

New English Bible w/ Apocrypha 1970
*Oxford Pocket Text Edition in Moroccoette binding, gold edges and India paper.

King James Version: New Testament and Psalms
*Oxford burgundy east Indian Calf binding in India paper.

YouCat

This is a great resource. I wish I had the money at the school to get every student a copy.

Lifeteen Catholic Teen Bible

Thanks to reader Brad for pointing me to this. It appears that Lifeteen has published their very own youth Bible. At this point, I do not know much about it, other than the info provided at their site. The product description reads:

New American Bible for Teens Features: An overview of all 73 books of the Bible * How to read Scripture * An overview of the Covenants in Scripture and their significance * A glossary of Biblical terms * Quotes from Saints on Scripture A Distinctly Catholic Resource * Tradition and Scripture explained * A guide to the Rosary and Scriptures * Biblical basis for all seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church * Practical apologetics * Relating Scripture and the Mass * The full cycle of Sunday readings

I'll try to supply more info on this youth Bible once it becomes more widely available.

Writing in Your Bible

So, do you write in your Bible? How about in your study Bible? I remember when I first decided to start writing in my Bible, to be honest, it took some time, since I was a little apprehensive about writing in a book that contained the Holy Scriptures. Perhaps that hesitance was a Catholic thing? Not sure. However, once I started to write in my Bible, it opened up the Scriptures to me in a new way. I began feeling like I was interacting with the text on much greater level than before. Not only was I scribbling additional notes and commentary that I found to be useful, but also thoughts and inspirations that came through my reading. Over time I came to develop a system of how I personally annotated my Bible.

I am curious to read if any of you regularly write in your Bible's. Do you have a system?

The Catholicism Project

Looks fantastic......and extremely well made!

Mondays with Verbum Domini

One of the great fruits of the Second Vatican Council was the Roman Lectionary. As this section from Verbum Domini says: "The present structure of the Lectionary not only presents the more important texts of Scripture with some frequency, but also helps us to understand the unity of God’s plan thanks to the interplay of the Old and New Testament readings, an interplay “in which Christ is the central figure, commemorated in his paschal mystery.” Also, the fact that the Roman Lectionary became the basis of the Revised Common Lectionary, used in many of the churches of our separated brethren, was a sure sign of ecumenical progress. I look at it this way, we (Catholics) adapted the RSV and they (Protestants) adapted our Lectionary. :)

Sacred Scripture and the Lectionary

In stressing the bond between word and Eucharist, the Synod also rightly wanted to call attention to certain aspects of the celebration which concern the service of the word. In the first place I wish to mention the importance of the Lectionary. The reform called for by the Second Vatican Council has borne fruit in a richer access to sacred Scripture, which is now offered in abundance, especially at Sunday Mass. The present structure of the Lectionary not only presents the more important texts of Scripture with some frequency, but also helps us to understand the unity of God’s plan thanks to the interplay of the Old and New Testament readings, an interplay “in which Christ is the central figure, commemorated in his paschal mystery”. Any remaining difficulties in seeing the relationship between those readings should be approached in the light of canonical interpretation, that is to say, by referring to the inherent unity of the Bible as a whole. Wherever necessary, the competent offices and groups can make provision for publications aimed at bringing out the interconnection of the Lectionary readings, all of which are to be proclaimed to the liturgical assembly as called for by the liturgy of the day. Other problems or difficulties should be brought to the attention of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Nor should we overlook the fact that the current Lectionary of the Latin rite has ecumenical significance, since it is used and valued also by communities not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. The issue of the Lectionary presents itself differently in the liturgies of the Eastern Catholic Churches; the Synod requested that this issue be “examined authoritatively”, in accordance with the proper tradition and competences of the sui iuris Churches, likewise taking into account the ecumenical context. --Verbum Domini 57