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Day 11 - Can the Church be wrong?
Can the Church err in questions of faith?
The faithful as a whole cannot err in faith, because Jesus promised his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth and keep them in the truth (Jn 14:17).
Just as the disciples believed Jesus with their whole heart, a Christian can rely completely on the Church when he asks about the way to life. Since Jesus Christ himself gave his apostles the commission to teach, the Church has a teaching authority (the Magisterium) and must not remain silent. Although individual members of the Church can err and even make serious mistakes, the Church as a whole can never fall away from God's truth. The Church carries through the ages a living truth that is greater than herself. We speak about a depositum fidei, a deposit of faith that is to be preserved. If such a truth is publicly disputed or distorted, the Church is called upon to clarify again "what has always and everywhere been believed by all" (St. Vincent of Lerins, d. 450). (YOUCAT question 13)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (88-100) and other references here.
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Day 12 - Is the Bible True?
Is Sacred Scripture true?
"The books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach [the] truth. ... Written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author" (Second Vatican Council, DV 11).
The Bible did not fall from heaven in its final form, nor did God dictate it to human scribes who copied it down mechanically. Rather "God chose certain men who ... made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more" (Second Vatican Council, DV 11). One factor in recognizing particular texts as Sacred Scripture was their general acceptance in the Church. In the Christian communities there had to be a consensus: "Yes, through this text God himself speaks to us-this is inspired by the Holy Spirit!" Which of the many original Christian writings are really inspired by the Holy Spirit has been defined since the fourth century in the so-called canon of Sacred Scriptures.
How can Sacred Scripture be "truth" if not everything in it is right?
The Bible is not meant to convey precise historical information or scientific findings to us. Moreover, the authors were children of their time. They shared the cultural ideas of the world around them and often were also dominated by its errors. Nevertheless, everything that man must know about God and the way of his salvation is found with infallible certainty in Sacred Scripture. (YOUCAT questions 14-15)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (102-108) and other references here.
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Day 13 - What's the right way to read the Bible?
What is the right way to read the Bible?
The right way to read Sacred Scripture is to read it prayerfully, in other words, with the help of the Holy Spirit, under whose influence it came into being. It is God's Word and contains God's essential communication to us.
The Bible is like a long letter written by God to each one of us. For this reason I should accept the Sacred Scriptures with great love and reverence. First of all, it is important really to read God's letter, in other words, not to pick out details while paying no attention to the whole message. Then I must interpret the whole message with a view to its heart and mystery: Jesus Christ, of whom the whole Bible speaks, even the Old Testament. Therefore I should read the Sacred Scriptures in the faith that gave rise to them, the same living faith of the Church. (YOUCAT questions 16)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (109-119) and other references here.
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Day 14 - The Books of the Bible (Canon)
OLD TESTAMENT (46 Books)
The Historical Books: Genesis (Gen), Exodus (Ex), Leviticus (Lev), Numbers (Num), Deuteronomy (Deut), Joshua (Josh), Judges (Judg), Ruth (Ruth), 1 Samuel (1 Sam), 2 Samuel (2 Sam), 1 Kings (1 Kings), 2 Kings (2 Kings), 1 Chronicles (1 Chron), 2 Chronicles (2 Chron), Ezra (Ezra), Nehemiah (Neh), Tobit (Tob), Judith (Jud), Esther (Esther), 1 Maccabees (1 Mac), 2 Maccabees (2 Mac)
The Wisdom Books: Job (Job), Psalms (Ps), Proverbs (Prov), Ecclesiastes (Eccles), Song of Solomon (Song), Wisdom (Wis), Sirach/Ecclesiasticus (Sir)
The Prophets: Isaiah (Is), Jeremiah (Jer), Lamentations (Lam), Baruch (Bar), Ezekiel (Ezek), Daniel (Dan), Hosea (Hos), Joel (Joel), Amos (Amos), Obadiah (Obad), Jonah (Jon), Micah (Mic), Nahum (Nahum), Habakkuk (Hab), Zephaniah (Zeph), Haggai (Hag), Zechariah (Zech), Malachi (Mal)
NEW TESTAMENT (27 Books)
The Gospels: Matthew (Mt), Mark (Mk), Luke (Lk), John (Jn)
The Acts of the Apostles (Acts)
The Letters of St. Paul: Romans (Rom), 1 Corinthians (1 Cor), 2 Corinthians (2 Cor), Galatians (Gal), Ephesians (Eph), Philippians (Phil), Colossians (Col), 1 Thessalonians (1 Thess), 2 Thessalonians (2 Thess), 1 Timothy (1 Tim), 2 Timothy (2 Tim), Titus (Tit), Philemon (Philem), Hebrews (Heb)
The Catholic Letters: James (Jas), 1 Peter (1 Pet), 2 Peter (2 Pet), 1 John (1 Jn), 2 John (2 Jn), 3 John (3 Jn), Jude (Jude)
Revelation/Apocalypse (Rev)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (120) and other references here.
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Day 15 - Why is the Old Testament significant?
What significance does the Old Testament have for Christians?
In the Old Testament God reveals himself as the Creator and preserver of the world and as the leader and instructor of mankind. The Old Testament books are also God's Word and Sacred Scripture. Without the Old Testament, we cannot understand Jesus.
In the Old Testament a great history of learning the faith begins, which takes a decisive turn in the New Testament and arrives at its destination with the end of the world and Christ's second coming. The Old Testament is far more than a mere prelude for the New. The commandments and prophecies for the people of the Old Covenant and the promises that are contained in it for all men were never revoked. In the books of the Old Covenant we find an irreplaceable treasure of prayers and wisdom; in particular, the Psalms are part of the Church's daily prayer. (YOUCAT questions 17)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (121-123) and other references here.
Day 16 - Why is the New Testament significant?
What significance does the New Testament have for Christians?
In the New Testament God's revelation is completed. The four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the centerpiece of Sacred Scripture and the most precious treasure of the Church. In them the Son of God shows himself as he is and encounters us. In the Acts of the Apostles we learn about the beginnings of the Church and the working of the Holy Spirit. In the letters written by the apostles, all facets of human life are set in the light of Christ. In the Book of Revelation we foresee the end of the ages.
Jesus is everything that God would like to tell us. The entire Old Testament prepares for the Incarnation of God's Son. All of God's promises find their fulfillment in Jesus. To be a Christian means to unite oneself ever more deeply with the life of Christ. To do that, one must read and live the Gospels. Madeleine Delbrêl says, "Through his Word God tells us what he is and what he wants; he says it definitively and says it for each individual day. When we hold our Gospel book in our hands, we should reflect that in it dwells the Word that wants to become flesh in us, desires to take hold of us, so that we might begin his life anew in a new place, at a new time, in a new human setting." (YOUCAT questions 18)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (121-123) and other references here.
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Day 17 - What Role Does Scripture Play in the Church?
What role does Sacred Scripture play in the Church?
The Church draws her life and strength from Sacred Scripture. Besides the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, there is nothing that the Church honors more reverently than Christ's presence in Sacred Scripture. At Holy Mass we receive the Gospel standing, because in the human words we hear, God himself speaks to us. (YOUCAT questions 19)
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