Letter of Novemer 24, 2006
(January 7, 2000)

THE BIBLE - God's Word to Us
The Most Reverend Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop of Lansing

National Bible Week used to be observed annually in the United States.  It was always the third week of November.  There is still an observance in many Christian Churches - 'Bible Sunday '.  This year it's on November 19th.

One of the most inspiring and memorable 'National Bible Week' was in 1952.  We seminarians, of course, observed it to the hilt in every way.  In 1952, the world marked the 500th anniversary of the invention of printing with movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in 1452.  The first book printed was the Bible.  It was the Latin Bible, called the Vulgate.  It was translated by St. Jerome in the fourth century from the original Hebrew and Greek.  This first book began the age of printing.

September 28 to October 5, 1952 was designated as Catholic Bible Week.  That year the weekly Catholic publication 'Our Sunday Visitor' devoted it's entire September 28, 1952 edition to the Bible.  I still have that issue.

There were a variety of articles about Gutenberg and printing and its aftermath.  The main focus was on the Bible.  The Gutenberg Bible, the first book ever printed is a priceless treasure.  Forty of these Bibles are preserved to this day.  Of these, thirteen originals are in the U.S.A.

Gutenberg printed the Bible that was in use then and had been since the Fourth Century.  It was in Latin. Where did it come from?  It came from the labor of a scholar of the fourth Century who mastered Hebrew and Greek.  Of course, he knew Latin, the language of his time.  He is Saint Jerome (+420).  He served as secretary to Saint Damascus who was pope from 366 - 384.  This pope realized that the people whose language was Latin needed a bible in their language.  He commissioned Jerome to translate the bible into Latin.

Jerome moved to Bethlehem where he accomplished this remarkable feat.  He also wrote commentaries on most of the books of the bible.  Many are still used today especially in the Divine Office. This Latin Bible was called ' The Vulgate ' because its chief purpose was to make God 's Word available for the 'Vulgus', the common people - everyone.

St. Jerome tells us: A To be ignorant of the Holy Scriptures is not to know Christ " . He also says: "A person who is well grounded in Holy Scripture is the strength of Christ ' s Church" .

In God 's Word, the Bible, God speaks to us.  His word to us is complete life, death and resurrection reveals God to us and reveals who we are to become as sons and daughters of God.

The Bible is timeless.  What happened then happens now in us.  St. Paul says is a letter to Timothy: "All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, reproving, for correcting, for instructing in holiness; so that people of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work".

This Bible Sunday, November 19, is a good time to begin or continue letting God speak to us in his Word.  We can do this alone, with family and friends.

Daily reflection on the Bible Readings in every daily and Sunday Mass opens us to the Word and communion with the Word - Jesus and his members in the Eucharist.