My reading schedule for the next couple months...

Week One (May 31-June 6)

Psalm 103, Genesis 1, Psalm 148
Psalm 32, Genesis 2, Psalm 8
Psalm 1, Genesis 3, Psalm 50
Psalm 15, Genesis 4, Psalm 49
Psalm 68, Genesis 5-9, Psalm 17

Week Two (June 7-June 13)

Psalm 7, Genesis 10-11, Psalm 54
Psalm 66, Genesis 12, Psalm 14
Psalm 143, Genesis 13-14, Psalm 9
Psalm 22, Genesis 15, Psalm 126
Psalm 4, Genesis 16-17, Psalm116

Week Three (June 14-June 20)

Psalm 10, Genesis 18-19, Psalm 110
Psalm 24, Genesis 20-21, Psalm 137
Psalm 70, Genesis 22-23, Psalm 21
Psalm 5, Genesis 24, Psalm 137
Psalm 144, Genesis 25-26, Psalm 111

Week Four (June 21-June 27)

Psalm 70, Genesis 27-28, Psalm 129
Psalm 138, Genesis 29-30, Psalm 30
Psalm 16, Genesis 31-33, Psalm 64
Psalm 143, Genesis 34, Psalm149
Psalm 93, Genesis 35-36, Psalm 124

Week Five (June 28-July 4)

Psalm1, Genesis 37, Psalm 21
Psalm 76, Genesis 38, Psalm 142
Psalm 11, Genesis 39, Psalm 122
Psalm 6, Genesis 40-41, Psalm 63
Psalm 127, Genesis 42-45, Psalm 132
Psalm 32, Genesis 46-50, Psalm 150

Week Six (July 5-July 11)

Psalm 1, Numbers 1-2, Psalm10
Psalm 15, Numbers 3-4, Psalm 32
Psalm 33, Numbers 5-6, Psalm 31
Psalm 43, Numbers 7-8, Psalm 46
Psalm 64, Numbers 9, Psalm 92

Week Seven (July 12-July 18)

Psalm 99, Numbers 10-11, Psalm 105
Psalm 108, Numbers 12, Psalm 119
Psalm 120, Numbers 13-14, Psalm 59
Psalm 146, Numbers 15-16, Psalm 63
Psalm 45, Numbers 17-18, Psalm 111
Psalm 18, Numbers 19-20, Psalm 36

Week Eight (July 19-July 25)

Psalm 143, Numbers 21, Psalm 135
Psalm 3, Numbers 22-24, Psalm 9
Psalm 79, Numbers 25-26, Psalm 34
Psalm 65, Numbers 27-30, Psalm 19
Psalm 22, Numbers 31, Psalm 17
Psalm 91, Numbers 32-36, Psalm 118

*Psalms are given in traditional numberings as found in the Douay-Rheims translation..

Scripture Plan for Year Three

General Plan

I. Pre-Advent (From Pentecost to the Saturday before Advent - approximately 180 days): Historical and Wisdom books from the Old Testament.

II. Advent (First Sunday of Advent until December 23rd - approximately 25 days): Prophecies from the Old Testament

III. Christmas (December 24th until the Tuesday before Lent - between 45 and 70 days): One gospel

IV. Lent (Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday - 44 days): A spiritual text, papal encyclicals, or books that were not completed during Pre-Advent or Advent.

V. Easter (Easter Sunday until Pentecost - 50 days): Books of the New Testament.

Year Three 2009/10
(Pre-Advent)
1. Genesis
2. Numbers
3. Ruth
4. Tobias
5. Judith
6. Esther
7. Job

(Advent)
8. Ezechiel
9. Daniel

(Christmas)
10. St. Luke

(Lent)
11.

(Easter)
12. Colossians
13. 1 Thessalonians
14. 2 Thessalonians
15. 1 Timothy
16. 2 Timothy
17. Titus
18. Philemon
19. Hebrews

Week One, Third Reading

Psalm 139(140), Mark 1:12-13, Psalm 140(141)

And here remain most of us: baptized, tempted, overwhelmed. Unlike saints, we do not get beyond this stage because we do not see, know or accept that the angels minister to us.

Week One, Second Reading

Psalm 130(131), Mark 1:9-11, Psalm 118(119)

In humble obedience to God, Jesus receives baptism. All that he does, even the miraculous, is an example for us. It starts easy: it is easy to be baptized, profound though it us. It is harder to accept crucifixion.

Concerning the psalms, it is often useful to identify with whatever we read in scripture, to associate the accounts we read either with our own lives as they are or as they should be. When reading the Gospel, this is easy to accomplish on an intellectual level, at least. Even if we never manage to practice what we learn, it is not difficult to mentally connect the dots and say, "Oh, this passage means that I should..."

For an American in the 21st century (and we're all Americans now, right?), identifying one's own experiences with those of the psalmist may not seem so easy.In fact, the psalmist may often sound like a bitter, paranoid loser.

I have recently found, though, that if I am truly honest with myself, I do indeed have much in common with the psalmist. When he speaks of those who 'lay traps' or 'dig pits' I do not, of course think of shadow-skulking assassins tracking me through back alleys (I live in a rural area. No back alleys). But, especially now, are there not forces which seek to ruin me and my family? When the credit card company raised my rates to 30%, I certainly felt that way. When banks and utilities began to charge outrageous fees for various services, I felt cornered, angry, harassed. When a mountain lion invaded my kids' school and killed their goats, I felt unsafe.

As it turns out, it is not so difficult to understand the psalmist some times.

Week One, First Reading

Psalm 2, Mark 1:1-8, Psalm 105

Psalm 2 seems to flow well into the beginning of any Gospel, particularly Mark's since it lacks an infancy narrative and almost immediately begins to relate the adult life of the King of Kings.

John, whom Jesus regards as the greatest born from woman, is in the wilderness.He is as poor, in a material sense, as one can be. Barely clothed, nearly starved and without a home. This is the great man of our story here.

He makes me think of those Starving Buddha statues I have seen in pictures of the Far East. Like an Eastern mystic, John is barely alive by our standards, yet the most truly alive of anyone.

Must we all, in some sense, become as bare and vulnerable as John is in order to properly welcome Christ?

Can I?

PS - Psalm 105, in its recounting of the heroes of the books of Moses, reminded me of how the Bible is divided into two parts, Old Testament and New Testament. The books of Moses, the five books of the Pentateuch, are also so divided. Genesis sets the story up, and then the following four books tell of the savior, Moses, and how he gets Israel out of its predicament. Is this a type of the whole of scripture - Genesis representing the Old Testament and the next four books prefiguring the New Testament, in particular the Gospels?

A Reading Schedule

Since we are in Ordinary Time now, I thought someone might be interested in reading Mark's Gospel (slowly, carefully and prayerfully) between now and Ash Wednesday (February 25th). So I prepared a little something:

January 11-17

Psalm 2, Mark 1:1-8, Psalm 105
Psalm 131, Mark 1:9-11, Psalm 119
Psalm 140, Mark 1:12-13, Psalm 141
Psalm 16, Mark 1:14-20, Psalm 23
Psalm 38, Mark 1:21-28, Psalm30
Psalm 57, Mark 1:29-34, Psalm41
Psalm 70, Mark 1:35-45 , Psalm 65

January 18-24

Psalm 51, Mark 2:1-12, Psalm 116
Psalm 143, Mark 2:13-17, Psalm 138
Psalm 50, Mark 2:18-28, Psalm 27
Psalm 28, Mark 3:1-6, Psalm 32
Psalm 8, Mark 3:7-12, Psalm 115
Psalm 118, Mark 3:13-19, Psalm 117
Psalm 121, Mark 3:20-35, Psalm 1

January 25-31

Psalm 67, Mark 4:1-20, Psalm 40
Psalm 27, Mark 4:21-25, Psalm 32
Psalm 37, Mark 4:26-34, Psalm 33
Psalm 69, Mark 4: 35-44, Psalm 29
Psalm 70, Mark 5:1-20, Psalm 66
Psalm 88, Mark 5:21-43, Psalm 107

February 1-7

Psalm 13, Mark 6:1-6, Psalm 36
Psalm 11, Mark 6:7-13, Psalm 4
Psalm 26, Mark 6:14-29, Psalm 10
Psalm 131, Mark 6:30-44, Psalm 147
Psalm 114, Mark 6:45-56, Psalm 124

February 8-14

Psalm 119, Mark 7:1-23, Psalm 112
Psalm 223, Mark 7:24-30, Psalm 118
Psalm 6, Mark 7:31-37, Psalm 31
Psalm 5, Mark 8:1-10, Psalm 105
Psalm 12, Mark 8:11-21, Psalm 17
Psalm 7, Mark 8:22-26, Psalm 18
Psalm 115, Mark 8:27-38, Psalm 110

February 15-21

Psalm 19, Mark 9:1-13, Psalm 20
Psalm 39, Mark 9:14-29, Psalm 40
Psalm 43, Mark 9:30-37, Psalm 44
Psalm 53, Mark 9:38-50, Psalm 54
Psalm58, Mark 10:1-12, Psalm 59
Psalm 91, Mark 10:13-16, Psalm 99
Psalm 36, Mark 10:17-31, Psalm 113

February 22-24

Psalm 124, Mark 10:32-45, Psalm 107
Psalm 28, Mark 10:46-52, Psalm 108

Year One - Beginning August 16th, 2011

(Pre-Advent)
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Josue
4. 1-2 Kings
5. Canticle of Canticles
6. 3-4 Kings
7. Tobias

(Advent)
8. Isaias
9. Abdias
10. Malachias

(Christmas)
11. St. Matthew

(Lent)
12. Job

(Easter)
13. Acts

(Pentecost)
14. Romans
15. Galatians
16. 1 Thessalonians
17. 2 Thessalonians
18. Hebrews
19. St. James
20. Apocalypse

Year Four - Beginning August 16th, 2010

(Pre-Advent)
1. Genesis
2. Deuteronomy
3. Wisdom
4. 1 Esdras
5. 2 Esdras
6. 1 Machabees
7. 2 Machabees

(Advent)
8. Daniel
9. Osee
10. Joel
11. Amos
12. Jonas
13. Micheas
14. Habacuc
15. Sophonias
16. Zacharias

(Christmas)
17. St. John

(Lent)
18. Job

(Easter)
19. Acts

(Pentecost)
20. 1 St. John
21. 2 St. John
22. 3 St. John
23. St. Jude
24. Apocalypse

Year Three - Beginning August 16th, 2009

(Pre-Advent)
1. Genesis
2. Numbers
3. Ruth
4. Ecclesiasticus
5. Ecclesiastes
6. Esther

(Advent)
7. Ezechiel
8. Nahum
9. Aggeus

(Christmas)
10. St. Luke

(Lent)
11. Job

(Easter)
12. Acts

(Pentecost)
13. 2 Corinthians
14. Philippians
15. Colossians
16. 1 Timothy
17. 2 Timothy
18. Hebrews
19. Apocalypse

Year Two - Beginning August 16th, 2008

(Pre-Advent)
1. Genesis
2. Leviticus
3. Judges
4. 1 Paralipomenon
5. Proverbs
6. 2 Paralipomenon
7. Judith

(Advent)
8. Jeremias
9. Lamentations
10.Baruch

(Christmas)
11. St. Mark

(Lent)
12. Job

(Easter)
13. Acts

(Pentecost)
14. 1 Corinthians
15. Ephesians
16. Titus
17. Philemon
18. Hebrews
19. 1 St. Peter
20. 2 St. Peter
21. Apocalypse

Four-Year Scripture Schedule

This schedule represents an attempt, not simply to "read the whole Bible", but to always read scripture.

Over the course of four years, the reader will read all the books of the Bible. Each "scriptural year" starts on August 16th with the Pre-Advent Schedule, which always begins with the book of Genesis. Other books are encountered on a rotational basis.

This schedule is aimed at use by working people, who may only be able to dedicate 30 to 60 minutes each day to strictly spiritual matters.

General Plan

I. Pre-Advent (August 16th to Saturday before Advent - approximately 105 days): Historical and Wisdom books from the Old Testament.

II. Advent (First Sunday of Advent until December 23rd - approximately 25 days): Prophecies from the Old Testament

III. Christmas (December 24th until the Tuesday before Lent - between 45 and 70 days): One gospel

IV. Lent (Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday - 44 days): The Book of Job

V. Easter (Easter Sunday until the Saturday before Pentecost - 49 days): The Acts of the Apostles

VI. Pentecost (Pentecost Sunday until Assumption - approximately 90 days): A selection of New Testament books.

In viewing the four-year layout, notice that there are certain "rotations". The first two years are heavy with historical writings. In the third year, there is much less, though the book of Ecclesiasticus does begin a recapitulation of the patriarchs in it’s 44th chapter. Year four skips, over much history, directly to the return from exile, which the previous years overlook. The New Testament is also broken down - according to author and focus. Each year concludes with the Apocalypse of St. John. The Psalms will be prayed before and after each reading.

Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Year Four

Scripture Study: Year One

This schedule, covering the post-Pentecost section of a typical schedule, utilizes changes in format and style which should stay consistent throughout the four-years.

First, I have moved away from daily assignments, since this could only cause discouragement for a working Catholic with a family, who certainly couldn't manage to stay faithful to the schedule every day (Hey, not even I can do that, and I invented this crazy scheme!) Instead, I have divided the calendar into weeks, starting each week on a Sunday. Following the dates for each week comes a series of "assignments", which can be read at your leisure. It is possible to skip a day, if necessary, or do three in one day if you suddenly have time on your hands. Furthermore, I will only post once a week, showing links to all the assignments and adding links to helpful exegetical texts by the Fathers of the Church as the week goes by. This should also offer a more relaxed opportunity for discussion of various themes throughout the week, instead of forcing us to leave behind a juicy passage before we really get a chance to reflect on it.

More importantly, each assignment is preceded and succeeded by a psalm, which I have specifically chosen for its pertinence to the text offered. My intent is to turn these readings into prayers, rather than just reading assignments. Thus, I recommend that, instead of just plowing into the reading when you sit down, you should pause and make the sign of the cross (at the very least), before praying the psalm that precedes the reading assignment, which is given in bold print. The psalm which follows the assignment should be similarly treated.

May 11-17
Psalm 113, Acts 1, Psalm 67
Psalm 16, Acts 2, Psalm 110
Psalm 2, Acts 3-5, Psalm 115
Psalm 105, Acts 6-7, Psalm 106
Psalm 15, Acts 8, Psalm 48
Psalm 17, Acts 9, Psalm 30

May 18-24
Psalm 92, Acts 10, Psalm 84
Psalm 145, Acts 11, Psalm 138
Psalm 94, Acts 12, Psalm 123
Psalm 16, Acts 13-14, Psalm 89
Psalm 125, Acts 15, Psalm 133

May 25-31
Psalm 109, Acts 16, Psalm 30
Psalm 17, Acts 17, Psalm 144
Psalm 109, Acts 18, Psalm 98
Psalm 120, Acts 19, Psalm 27
Psalm 126, Acts 20, Psalm 134

June 1-7
Psalm 140, Acts 21-23, Psalm142
Psalm 58, Acts 24-26, Psalm 125
Psalm 100, Acts 27, Psalm 29
Psalm 121, Acts 28, Psalm 150

June 8-14
Psalm 38, Galatians 1, Psalm 65
Psalm 93, Galatians 2, Psalm 124
Psalm 73, Galatians 3-4, Psalm 47
Psalm 14, Galatians 5, Psalm 9
Psalm 108, Galatians 6, Psalm 72

June 15-21
Psalm13, 1 Thessalonians 1, Psalm 43
Psalm 141, 1 Thessalonians 2, Psalm 65
Psalm 63, 1 Thessalonians 3, Psalm 11
Psalm 14, 1 Thessalonians 4, Psalm 71
Psalm 70, 1 Thessalonians 5, Psalm 26

June 22-28
Psalm139, Titus 1, Psalm 52
Psalm 5, Titus 2, Psalm 3
Psalm 21, Titus 3, Psalm 15

June 29-July 5
Psalm 110, Hebrews 1, Psalm 45
Psalm 85, Hebrews 2, Psalm 128
Psalm 130, Hebrews 3, Psalm 126
Psalm 1, Hebrews 4, Psalm 95
Psalm 42, Hebrews 5, Psalm 43
Psalm 102, Hebrews 6, Psalm 97

July 6-12
Psalm 76, Hebrews 7, Psalm 110
Psalm 68, Hebrews 8, Psalm 79
Psalm 148, Hebrews 9, Psalm 132
Psalm 40, Hebrews 10, Psalm 110
Psalm 51, Hebrews 11, Psalm 66
Psalm10, Hebrews 12, Psalm 1
Psalm 65, Hebrews 13, Psalm 118

July 13-19
Psalm 143, James 1, Psalm 81
Psalm 133, James 2, Psalm 62
Psalm 52, James 3, Psalm 119
Psalm 73, James 4, Psalm 41
Psalm 101, James 5, Psalm 128

July 20-26
Psalm 140, Apocalypse 1-3, Psalm 2
Psalm 42, Apocalypse 4, Psalm 96
Psalm 102, Apocalypse 5, Psalm 92
Psalm 89, Apocalypse 6, Psalm 29

July 27-August 2
Psalm 7, Apocalypse 7, Psalm 47
Psalm 51, Apocalypse 8, Psalm
Psalm 5, Apocalypse 9, Psalm 8
Psalm 54, Apocalypse 10, Psalm 19
Psalm 67, Apocalypse 11, Psalm 59
Psalm 88, Apocalypse 12, Psalm 76

August 3-9
Psalm 57, Apocalypse 13, Psalm 70
Psalm 146, Apocalypse 14, Psalm 67
Psalm 3, Apocalypse 15, Psalm 123
Psalm 75, Apocalypse 16, Psalm 82
Psalm 23, Apocalypse 17-19, Psalm 9

August 10-15
Psalm 100, Apocalypse 20, Psalm 98
Psalm 145, Apocalypse 21, Psalm 122
Psalm 117, Apocalypse 22, Psalm150

End of Year One