Sr Grace's Folder Sr Yan Yan's Post-it APCs' Sharing More Sharing

Inside the Folder

Let God’s Word Reach Everyone

An evangelizing activity in honour of Mr Matthew Dou …

My New Knee

In September I did a total knee replacement surgery and shared in the Lord’s suffering …

My Earthly Father

On Father’s Day, Sr Grace remembered her father and the legacy he left her …

Lent Retreat with Anglican Clergy

It was a very novel experience for Sr Grace to lead a short retreat for 18 Anglican clergy…

Welcome Lent 2019

Sister Grace recalls what she did during Lent when she was a secondary schoolgirl ….

Christian Unity Week - In Action

The Sisters were invited to make a book display in the Anglican church, All Saints Cathedral

Hong Kong Community Vacation

The HK community had been trying to go for a community holiday but …

Easter Blossoms in Spendour in Singapore’s Garden by the Bay

The wonders of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore filled Sister Grace with Easter joy …

Lent and the Bible

Sister Grace tells us the different versions of Bible available …

Why do Catholics pray the Rosary?

Sister Grace shares an article to answer this question.

Lenten Project for Poor Children

Sister Grace was inspired to look for sponors to buy books for poor children to read ….

Apostolic Sharing with East Asia Delegation

Sister Grace tells us her apostolic experience in the St Paul Media Centre ….

To Spend the Best Advent This Year

Sister Grace tells us how the Sisters spend the Advent.  We can do the same too …

Celebrating the Golden Jubilee

Sr Mary Grace Lee returned to Rome in 2013 to celebrate her Golden Jubilee ….

Revised Changes in the English Missal

Sister Grace Lee talks about the Revised Missal 2012 ….

My Experience of Vatican Council II

Sr Grace Lee was a novice in Rome when the Vatican Council opened in October 1962 .…

Cherish our Faith

See how the Daughters of St Paul use the mass and social media to help people conserve and nourish their faith life...

Back to recent articles

LENT AND THE BIBLE

Sr Grace Lee

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert to change stones into bread, Jesus replied: One  does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt 4: 4).

We are in the Lenten season and we want to live on God’s words found in the Bible. God’s Words in the Bible are our best prayers. In Lent we do three things: pray, fast and give offerings to those in need.

For those who attend daily Mass or who read the Bible texts from the Mass, those passages of the Bible are the most suitable for this Lenten season. If we earnestly read them, meditate on them and put them into practice, we are praying in a very good way. Besides reading the daily Gospel, we may want to read other parts of the Bible for our spiritual growth in our faith life and in our love of neighbor and God.

How to choose a Bible?

First, we choose a Catholic Bible. The Catholic Bible has 73 books in its Old and New Testament.  A Christian Bible accepts only those 66 books translated from the Hebrew and Aramaic sources. The Catholics also include the seven translations from the Greek sources.

In Chinese, we have only one Catholic translation, done by Italian Franciscan Father Gabriele Maria Allegra. It is published by the Franciscans. In English we have many translations.

Lent is the season to

In English speaking countries, they use the Jerusalem Bible, also in the Mass texts. In America they use the New American Bible. Then there is also the Christian Community Bible, and a simple translation called the Good News Bible. This Good News Bible is written in basic English for those whose English is not their first language, but there are inaccuracies in the translation.

However, the Jerusalem Bible, the Christian Community Bible and the New American Bible are all readable, even for those whose English is not their first language. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is a scholarly and most accurate translation. It follows the original sources in a  literal manner. This may cause some difficulty in the understanding of the words.

But there are footnotes found in every Bible, explaining certain words or meanings. And we can also read some Bible explanations in good biblical commentaries.

In Hong Kong, there is a special edition of the NRSV, which arranges all the texts in the method of the Lectio Divina. This is a Latin word for “divine reading” which has four steps in reading and understanding the Bible. This special edition is called THE CATHOLIC PRAYER BIBLE, LECTIO DIVINA EDITION. The four steps are: read, reflect, pray and act.

If we do not yet have a Bible, choose one to suit our language needs, one that can help us understand God’s words and so nourish ourselves spiritually for our Lenten journey (and for the rest of our life) so we may follow Christ more closely. Choose a Bible with good print, so our reading is more comfortable and enjoyable. It will be a joy to listen to God in the Bible, to share his words with others and to live as his brothers and sisters in our Christian communities.

May we continue our Lent with greater courage, energy and love for God and for neighbour, doing what we intended to do for this Lent: - pray, fast and help those in need.

READ

+

Home About Us Media Centre Missionary Activities Pauline Cooperators Sharing Contact Us

St Paul Media Centre: Unit 340 Pioneer Centre, 750 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Prince Edward MTR Exit B2)  Tel: 9127 9624  Opening Hours: Monday 12-6pm; Tuesday-Sunday 12-7pm

Copyright © Daughters of St Paul 2016.  All rights reserved.   版權所有 不得轉載