Using the Bible

OVERVIEW

Biblical writings were composed with a particular audience in mind and often in order

to address a specific situation. The Bible was written for a believing community out of a communal experience of God. Catechists

need to be aware of how their students experience God in their daily lives and how the Scriptures speak to their students' needs.

OBJECTIVES

1. To become aware of the ways that the biblical writers shaped and crafted their work to address specific situations.

2. To learn to see the relevance of Scripture for today's world.

3. To explore the interplay between students' experiences and the messages of Scripture.

AIMS

1. The participants become convinced that the Bible contains the Word of God for us today.

2. The participants discover the importance of knowing their students in order to catechize them in such a way that they are able to hear God's Word.

3. The participants are able to design learning experiences that utilize Scripture to promote lived faith in their students.

Working with the Catechism

The following will help you gain a better understanding of the importance of the Bible in catechesis as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

From the Catechism

"The Church forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful... to learn 'the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ' by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. 'Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ'" (#133).

Read the Catechism

Read #142–#184.

Discuss the Catechism

l. Is the study of Scripture optional?

2. What challenges does the study of Scripture present to us today?