Journaling Deepens Daily Bible Readings
Tom Drake, Johannesburg – For years now Catholics have been able to acquire a booklet with the daily Mass readings, plus short commentaries, and I am positive this has been a great help in the daily routines of many.
Recently I was unable to obtain a copy, and I found this very inconvenient — firstly having to find which readings were relevant, and then having to look each up.
A friend suggested that I use the Daily Reading app posted by the Jesuits, which gave the full readings for each day, but without any commentary, and I commenced using this site, expecting to do so until I could once again get my hands on that little booklet.
But I found that this app did not satisfy — I needed more than just the readings, I wanted some comment.
Bible Journaling
So I decided to provide the missing bit myself. What a discovery!
Where I had previously no need to make any effort (although, to be fair, I could have), I now had to think, to absorb the content of the Bible readings, to search for the message which God was sending to me!
My friend told me to write down my thoughts, and being forced to provide tangible output made it imperative that I concentrate on my subject. So I did.
I have now come to have a far deeper experience of what God’s Word is saying to me — my ears have been opened a little more. What is more, I hear what is aimed at me, what is specific to my experience, my faults, my daily life.
We are bombarded in this age of the Internet with messages of all sorts, many of which could be meaningful, many just junk, but the sheer volume means we hardly process most of it with any real concentration — it’s all just too much.
Doing the Work Myself
So by at first feeling the loss of someone else’s thoughts, I have now discovered that my own inspiration is more relevant, more meaningful to me. And I’m revelling in having become an author, albeit that no other human might read my output!
Perhaps the Lord arranged that I miss that issue, perhaps he decided I should start thinking for myself?
I intend no disrespect to that little booklet — I am sure it is of invaluable assistance to any person who is searching for meaning in their faith. It’s just that there could be another way for some of us.
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