| 10/29/2008 7:06:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Kristi Bigos participates in a weekly Bible study for young adults at St. Thomas Apostle Church in Washington. |
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Studying Bible helps young adults understand the roots of their faith
In the basement of St. Thomas Apostle Church in Washington, about 30 young adults gathered, Bibles in tow, to study the book of Ruth on Oct. 21.
They came with small Bibles, big Bibles, Bibles in different languages, and Bibles of all colors. The Bible study that began last January has grown from a handful of young adults studying the Gospel of Mark to a bustling cross-section of young D.C. professionals who work in law, medicine and non-profit organizations.
Father John Kartje, a priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago who is a temporary resident priest at St. Thomas Apostle, leads the group that recently finished reading the Gospel of Mark after half a year of studying it.
"All we do is roll up our sleeves and stay for 90 minutes," he said. Currently the Bible study group is reading the story of Ruth, who is a Moabite woman known for her moral integrity and her marriage to an influential Israelite named Boaz.
David Lopez, a Bible study participant and a lawyer, said before he started attending the weekly Bible study he would only randomly pick up his Bible -- maybe once a month.
"I've learned a lot. The next time I start reading randomly, I will see it in a new light," he said.
Lopez said he may never know the Bible "back and forth," but the Bible is important to his faith because "sometimes it speaks to you like no other book can speak to you."
Catholics can get rid of their "bad rap" for never reading the Bible by taking the time to get acquainted with it, Father Kartje said.
"It doesn't take that long ...We work so hard to get other skills," he said. "I think we (Catholics) really don't know the Bible, because we only hear it at church and rarely wrestle with the entire text on our own."
The priest added that he is regularly "blown away" by the insights shared during the Bible study.
"I can't tell you how many homilies (of mine) are stolen from that class. A lot of preaching comes out of it," he said.
Father Kartje said he tries to steer participants away from Bible commentaries, claiming that although they are helpful sometimes, they do not encourage people to look to other parts of the Bible for answers already there.
"There is an awful lot that you can get from Biblical texts ...That is where you begin," he said.
An intrepid Bible-study goer once brought a commentary that Father Kartje quickly put a moratorium on.
"It is too easy to use a commentary as a crutch," he said.
The priest added that an understanding of Catholic doctrine can be "infinitely enriched" by the Bible that helps form its foundation.
For Catholics seeking to learn more about Bible history, Father Kartje said he recommends starting with a basic timeline.
"People have a general sense of their country's timeline," he said. "If you pick up a Puritan writing from the 17th century, it's not the same as a congressional record today. Mistakenly, people think [every book in] the Bible is coming out of the same environment."
Suzanne Cashin, a parishioner of St. Thomas Apostle, said she attends the Bible study because she likes "to learn the history of the Bible." She added, "I like the diversity of the opinions and the views."
Kristi Bigos, who belongs to St. Thomas Apostle, said, "I'm learning the history of my religion." She has learned "what the time period was like [in the Old Testament], and what the different religions were [then]," she said.
But although knowing the history of the Bible and remembering the citation of a verse are good, learning to pray with the Bible is paramount, Father Kartje noted. "It is inspired, so it will enrich our prayer ... the Holy Spirit is present through us when we share this (the Bible) and engage it," he said.
The priest said Scripture enhances people's experience of the sacraments.
"Scripture is sacramental, and it is a good part of a sacramental life. It is the Living Word of God, so the presence of God is there," he said.
Father Kartje said he hopes the World Synod of Bishops on the Bible, held from Oct. 5-26 at the Vatican, will help Catholics keep their spiritual journeys grounded in the Bible. He added that he hopes it will also encourage priests to deliver homilies that are integrated with the Bible.
"It should be a starting point," he said.
(Meredith Black contributed to this report.)
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