Wisdom's Manifold Mystery
Let's Have a Catholic Bible Study!
Photo By: Flickr/Wonderlane
“Let’s do a Bible study!” It was music to my ears. For years, as an evangelical Christian, Bible studies were a part of my life. After my conversion – glad as I was to discover, in the Catholic Church, the full deposit of Faith and the authority behind Scripture – I missed them.
Being asked to lead a Catholic Bible study was just the impetus I needed to ask, “What IS a Catholic Bible Study??” I decided to approach St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and found unexpected new treasures in my favorite book of Scripture.
I also scanned an index of Mass readings for passages from Ephesians, and discovered this is the perfect time to start our new Catholic Bible study. ‘Year B’ is chock full of Holy Wisdom from this epistle, so the Church will amplify whatever God wants to say to my heart through these pages.
I began by checking the Index of Citations at the back of the Catechism. I printed out the first chapter, verse by verse, leaving space for notes. I noted each reference to Ephesians near the verses cited, using brackets to show which verses are linked to each Catechism paragraph. There’s some overlap. For instance, Eph. 1:3-14 is cited in CCC 2627 and 2641, and Eph. 1; 5-6 in CCC 294.
Next, I turned to those paragraphs, interested to know where the Church’s teachings are drawn specifically from, or supported strongly by the book of Ephesians. Many of those citations also cross-reference to other Scriptures and Catechism paragraphs. For instance, CCC 2627 led me to 2 Cor. 1: 3-7, 1 Pet. 1: 3-9, and CCC 1083 – each of which added depth and insight to my study.
By the time the Church reads Ephesians 1: 3-10 in its 15th Sunday Mass of Ordinary Time (July 12, 2015), I’ll be prepared in a new way to hear God’s still, small voice speaking to me through these words. I’m most excited about the ecclesial dimension revealed to me by this approach. In all those pre-conversion years of reading, loving, even praying the words of Ephesians, I never dreamed how much I was missing.
Now, I have entered the epistle as I once entered my first cathedral in Europe – finding an amazing, beauty-filled space called ‘church’ that speaks right to the depths of my soul. I hope others will join me as I move through this Bible study and share from this new treasure box.
Next Post: Ephesians, Chapter 1: Blessed, Blessing, Blessings!!
About the Author
Charlotte is the author of Souls at Rest: An Exploration of the Eucharistic Sabbath, Souls at Work: An Invitation to Freedom, Catholics Communicate Christ: How to Serve the Church as a Writer and Making Sunday Special. She has earned the Maryvale Institute Certificate in Art, Beauty, and Inspiration – an approach to the arts rooted in the Catholic Catechism. Her feature articles and poems have been published in Envoy, Canticle, Hereditas, Thessauri Ecclesiae, Mater et Magistra, St. Austin Review, and Gilbert magazines. She’s a member of the Catholic Writers Guild, the Catholic Creatives Salon ,and the Contemporary Religious Artists Association. Charlotte has spoken for home educators, women’s retreats, moms groups, C.S. Lewis Conferences, and more. Her topics include poetic learning, aesthetic education, true beauty, creativity and faith, the art of dialogue, holy leisure, literature and life, interior freedom. Do you need a speaker? See CharlotteOstermann.com for more information.
