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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

A New Resolution – to read the Bible in a year

Veronica Brandt · December 27, 2014

elderly woman reading the bible Albert Anker ‘Elderly Woman Reading the Bible’ 1904 ATHOLICS AND BIBLES have something of a historical reputation for being on distant terms. It is a ridiculous situation where the very institution which declared which books would make up the Bible is derided as “un-biblical”.

It is true that Mass-going Catholics will pick up a lot of Biblical reading just by attending Mass – especially using the old meaning of the word “attend” which is to listen.

Although I know that no serious Catholic is totally ignorant of the Bible and most Catholics who care are already way above average in finding their way around the Good Book, most could hope to improve their grasp of Sacred Scripture. Maybe make it a New Year’s Resolution.

There are many plans available to guide you along the way:

Bible Study for Catholics: 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge – Read 14 books of the Bible to give a narrative of the main events – sign up for a free series of 10 minute videos or reflections starting January 2015.

Presentation Ministries: Through the Bible in One Year a plan for reading the whole bible plus twice through the Gospels. Each day is allocated three readings, a little like the Reading, Psalm and Gospel at Mass. No charge, no need to sign up, just a note asking you to donate whatever the Holy Spirit suggests. The page also includes a link to a summary printable pdf which can make three bookmarks to keep your place in your bible.

Classical Liberal Arts Academy: Sacred Scripture course which has grown from the Presentation Ministries plan. We signed up for this a few years back, but haven’t renewed and it has been developing since then. The whole school they have is really interesting and full of food for thought even if you don’t sign up.

Biblia.com is a branch of the Logos Bible Study Software. You can sign up with their Catholic arm: Verbum. Once you have an account it is possible to choose from various reading plans which you can keep up with on Biblia.com or using their software for desktop or mobile devices. The mobile apps are free.

And no list of Catholic bible studies would be complete without The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Scott Hahn and his associates have so much material available there, download an audio course to accompany your commute or dig into the written bible study notes with study questions to really get you thinking. There is plenty of free material to keep you going for a year or more.

Of course you could simply set aside time to read a passage each day. Having a notebook with you is a great way to help form your thoughts and reinforce memories. If you have questions, you will find someone else in the thousands of years of Church History has wondered about the same things and there are answers available.

Having a commentary on Scripture is handy, but there are online resources such as Biblia Clerus is a Vatican project for the Clergy – cross referencing the bible with the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as Augustine and Aquinas and other Church documents.

This post was a bit longer than I expected. In my family we have been following the Gospel readings from the Presentation Ministries plan for a few months. Lately I have been experimenting with quiz questions on a local moodle installation on our home network to encourage my older children to read the other readings too. It isn’t too hard to make a “fill-in-the-blanks” quiz with your favourite quotes from the day’s readings.

There are lots of ideas. Have a great Christmas Season!

Lulu has a coupon for 25% off through to Dec 30. Just enter TREAT at the checkout. Here is Jeff’s list of Lulu books.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Lulu Coupons Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“I am of the opinion, to be sure, that the old rite should be granted much more generously to all those who desire it. It’s impossible to see what could be dangerous or unacceptable about that. A community is calling its very being into question when it suddenly declares that what until now was its holiest and highest possession is strictly forbidden and when it makes the longing for it seem downright indecent.”

— Cardinal Ratzinger, 1997

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