Lawrence Waller, St. Augustine/St. Monica, Detroit

“My favorite way to read the bible is during the stillness of the morning. With coffee and quiet, I can take a moment to connect with myself and God’s ever-evolving plan for my family and me. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” This verse is a great expansion on the Golden Rule, really.”

Brennan McHugh, Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak

“I fell in love with Jesus through reading the word. When I was 18, my friends and I would meet and have Bible study once a week in my buddy Mitch’s basement. We would read one chapter of the Gospel of Mark before coming, and then have a conversation about what Jesus said to us. I went to mass every week of my life, but I had never actually read the Bible before. Each week I’d simply read my chapter and then talk to God about what stood out to me. In that time, it felt like God spoke directly to me every single time I opened to read, and there was something about Jesus on the page that drew me to him and made me want to tell him all my secrets. I encountered the words on the page as real truths for my life. It was crazy.

That’s still my favorite way to read the Bible: to read one chapter, and talk to Jesus about how the words stir my heart. I find it to be a good mix of making progress through a given book I’m reading, and providing space to chat with Jesus about our relationship.”

Diana Maria Jimenez, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Lake Orion

“I have often tried to read the Bible with daily reflections, through lectio divina or reading a passage to learn more about the faith. Some years ago, I started a Bible class through “Escuela de la Fe” (School of Faith) where I have been learning and studying the Bible. This has been my favorite way to read the Bible. The class has helped me to understand more about Christian history, how the bible was written, proper ways to read the bible and other details on how the Old and New Testaments came to be. Currently, we are studying the New Testament. The class allows me to read the Bible in the class and at home work on assignments. We get to work in a group and learn from each other through discussions at the end of each class. I am very glad to have found this class and am thankful for all that I have learned from my instructor Norma. This way to read the bible has helped me understand God’s word, how he has shown his love for us in the past and how he is present in every aspect of our lives today.”

Sr. Imelda Marie, Dominican Sisters of Mary, St. Isaac Jogues 2nd. Grade Teacher

“We all have impactful moments in our lives that we return to and continue to unpack. I hope for my reading of scripture to have the effect of rooting its events in my life like those moments, since they were that way for Mary who “treasured these things in her heart.” My favorite way to read scripture daily is to read a few verses of the life of Christ from one of the Gospels, and to spend reflective time connecting it to something from the daily Mass readings. I set a plan a while ago to read the life of Christ in order over about three years. This year I’m reading through the Passion narratives slowly in each of the four Gospels. It helps me to read two different passages because I can imagine the experience of Jesus, sometimes related to what goes on in the Gospel of the day, like a flashback, or to imagine how events in the Gospel impacted the disciples in the moment or later. The conclusions naturally become applicable to the concerns of my daily life. The time spent in prayerful reading teaches me, over and over again, my role as a disciple.”

Deacon Larry Paczowski, St. Mary Queen of Creation, New Baltimore

“I read the bible every day. The bible is not just leather, paper and ink, it is the living, breathing word of God. It is alive. If our bibles are the living word of God, we need to be in conversation with him. We need to spend time with the Scriptures on a daily basis. It is part of our relationship. We can’t leave our Bibles laying on the table and only pick it up when we need it. I find myself being aided in my daily life by what I have been reading in Scripture. It’s amazing. Although I read familiar passages over and over, they convict, console and encourage in different ways, in different situations. By being in touch with the word of God, I can better identify how he is with me throughout my day-to-day life. For anyone wondering how to start I suggest they try following the Lectionary on a daily basis. Start with a little prayer then read the selections for the daily Mass. When something stands out in those readings you can read further in your Bible. I also have the Holy Bible app downloaded on my phone for when I’m on the go.”

Anita Houghton, St. John Vianney Parish, Shelby Township

“My favorite way to read the Bible is to meditate on it and listen to God’s word for me. If I slow down, quiet my mind and really listen, God gives me insights that I would have never come to on my own. It is hard to stay faithful to praying with Scripture in this way on a daily basis, but when I do, I have so much clarity and peace in my life.

Growing up, the Bible wasn’t really part of my life, aside from hearing the readings at Mass. At one point, I really desired to pray more deeply and my pastor introduced me to the practice of Lectio Divina. It took a while to get the hang of it, but I stuck with it and had a profound encounter with God the Father while meditating on Psalm 139. It was at that point that I knew that God wasn’t just a Father, but my Father, and I was his beloved daughter. This was a game-changer for me and I immediately committed my life to God. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to study the Bible both formally and informally, and have found that you can never really exhaust the Scriptures. They are always new insights to be gained and new ways God speaks into the current circumstances in your life. The Bible is my lifeline to God!”