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A Bible Study in Six Lessons:
Besides the Old and New Testament readings we hear each Sunday, what does the Bible have to do with the Mass? Everything. In fact, one could argue that without the Bible there would be no Mass, and without the Mass there would be no Bible. The Bible was made for the Liturgy and the Liturgy is where the Bible was meant to be proclaimed, expounded, interpreted and “heard.” That’s why, from the Sign of the Cross and the priest’s greeting: “The Lord be with you,” the Mass is one long biblical prayer—a tapestry woven from a fabric of biblical passages, phrases and allusions. This is no accident. In the Mass, the story of salvation told in the Bible continues—is made real and present—in our lives. In this course we explore the intimate and inseparable relationship between the Bible and the Mass. Following an overview of the Eucharist in the New Testament, we look at the deep roots of the Mass in the biblical history of sacrifice—a history that culminates with the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. We’ll study how the great events of salvation history are re-read and re-lived in the “today” of the Church’s Liturgy of the Word. Using the Book of Revelation, we’ll see how, in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we are lifted up to a real participation with the angels and saints in the heavenly liturgy. Finally, we ‘ll look at how in the Mass we renew our covenant with God—the new covenant made in the blood of Jesus which makes us children of God and heirs of the divine promises found in the Bible.
1.To understand the biblical roots of the Mass. 2. To understand the meaning and purpose of the Bible and the Mass in God’s plan of salvation. 3. To see the Mass and the Bible with new eyes, and be able to enter into the Mass more fully, enthusiastically, and powerfully than before.
The primary text will be the Bible. Each lesson will recommend certain passages for reading and study. In addition, the instructors recommend the following book, which covers much of the material to be studied in this course:
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