Scripture is at the centre of everything the Church does. The word of God shapes our prayer and worship. The Bible shows us how to understand the world, how we are called to live and relate to each other.
2020 is the 10th anniversary of Verbum Domini – Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation on ‘The Word of the Lord’ and the 1,600 anniversary of St Jerome’s death. These dates have inspired the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales to dedicate 2020 as a year of focus on the Bible and ‘The God Who Speaks’. During the year, we will be celebrating, living and sharing God‘s word. It’s an opportunity to enrich current practice and to develop and explore new ways of responding to ‘The God who Speaks’.
More information about events nationwide is available from the Bishops Conference website: www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/the-god-who-speaks
Our parishes
Across our parishes in this year focused on a renewed encounter with God’s word we will explore the Scriptures in three ways.
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is Latin for “Divine Reading” and is the practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer to deepen knowledge of God’s Living Word. It is a slow and prayerful reading of a particular text of scripture open to what God might be saying to us through his Word.
Lectio Selecta
Is the reading of a selected sequence of Scripture passages. In this mode we don’t read the whole Bible, but a sequence of readings chosen to give us a sense of the whole. We most commonly encounter this way of reading the scriptures at Mass, when we read a sequence of readings on a three-year cycle on Sundays, and a two-year cycle on weekdays.
Lectio Continua
is when we read continuously from the Scriptures, in other words when we read the bible in its entirety without missing any bits out.
Lectio Divina
Weekly Scripture Reflection
Every Tuesday, 7.30-8.15pm @ St Joseph’s Convent
An opportunity to meet together and reflect on the readings for the coming Sunday with Sr Susan and Sr Mary.
Lectio selecta
A quick journey through the Bible
Monthly 7.00pm Thursdays @ St Philip Neri Parish Hall
23 January, 20 February, 12 March, 23 April, 14 May, 18 June, 9 July & 10 September.
A series of eight, half-hour talks that are complemented by group discussion questions, useful maps and charts, and brief assignments for home study. Discover the major people, places, events, & themes of the Bible. Study the six covenants God made with humanity, leading to the establishment of the Catholic Church.
Lectio continua
Read the New Testament in a year
Every day, whenever suits you
With just 3-4 minutes reading a day its quite possible to read through the whole of the New Testament in a year. A reading plan running from Advent 2019 (1 December) through till Advent 2020 has been prepared for you. The full plan is available below, and we’ll also be publishing the book chapter and verse for each day of the week in the newsletter every week over the next year.
Download: New Testament reading plan
