| Each time we return to the Bible, we don't just remember, we learn more about ourselves and our relationship with God.
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The Bible is a library of books spanning hundreds of years and many types of genre. We read the Bible in many ways, engaging our hearts, our heads, and sometimes even our bodies. Because the Bible contains living words for us today, consider reading Biblical passages in light of contemporary sources such as your experiences, art, and liturgy. Here is an example.
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Begin by looking at this early 17th century painting by Caravaggio. (Click on the image for a larger version.)
1. What do you notice? (The setting, the people and their expressions, gestures and dress, the table setting, light, and color)
2. What do you suppose each person is saying or about to say?
3. Which person are you most like and why?
4. What experiences of your own does this painting remind you of?
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Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio (1601-02)
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Continue by reading Luke 24: 13-35 and consider the following questions:
1. What happens in the passage? (The setting, the people, the conversation and the actions.)
2. What happens immediately before and after this passage? What does this suggest about the meaning of the passage?
3. If you have a Bible with commentary, what does the commentary say about this passage?
4. Compare and contrast the passage with its depiction by Caravaggio. Where is the tension in the passage? In the painting?
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Continue by considering your experience of Eucharist:
1. What do you remember about celebrating the Eucharist? (Writing it down will help you remember the details such as the setting, the people, the words and actions.)
2. With which of the people depicted in Luke do you resonate most? Why?
3. With which of the people in the painting do you resonate most? Why?
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Reflect on how reading the story of Luke and other sources might transform how you view Eucharist.
1. How might this exploration change how you prepare for Eucharist?
2. How might this exploration affect where you look for Christ to be revealed?
3. What might this exploration suggest for you?
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Look at other sources of the Eucharistic life to consider what it has to say about meeting Christ in the breaking of the bread. Here are a few possibilities:
With Burning Hearts by Henri Nowen. Recounts the story in Luke with mediations for its meaning today. Includes the art of Duccio di Bouninsegna. (Orbis Books, 2003)
Supper at Emmaus by He Qi. A 21st century depiction of the supper at Emmaus in a very different style than Caravaggio.
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you to post your responses on the "Conversations" page.
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YFYL Chapter 3, Additional questions for reflection or discussion:
1. What are your earliest memories of reading the Bible or hearing it read? What thoughts and feelings do you have about those memories?
2. What story comes to mind when you think of the Jewish scriptures? The Christian scriptures? How has this formed your image of God and God’s people?
3. Find three different translations of the Bible. Choose a passage. Read the same passage in all three translations. How are they similar? Note differences in words and commentary. What might account for those differences?
4. Read the Gospel according to Mark in one sitting, or take turns reading it aloud in a group. (It should take about one hour.) What stories or images strike you most? What is the tone of the gospel? What do you think those who heard it in the first century thought or felt after hearing it?
5. Write down the major events in your life and share them in the group or with a partner. What does the events you chose to tell say about who you are? About the society in which you live? What might this suggest about the stories we read in the Bible?
6. Search the scriptures for what needs to be changed about oneself rather than to discover how they might apply to others. Discuss what that means, especially about not using the Bible as a weapon.
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Additional resources in print
The Good Book by Peter Gomes explores what the Bible says about joy, suffering, evil, and goodness. (HarperSanFransisco, 1996)
Jesus' Family Values by Deirdre Good reveals pictures of Jesus' family life that may be contrary to what we might expect. (Church Publishing, 2006)
Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels by Bruce J. Malina dn Richard L. Rohrbaugh provides a social-scientific context for reading the gospels. (Fortress Press, 2002)
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