In the Catholic Church, September is considered the month of the Bible, the sacred book that contains the written Word of God. For this reason, we share with you 5 facts that should be taken into account about the Holy Scripture.
1. The various names
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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia The term “Bible” comes from Greek and means “the books.” This is what it has been called since the first centuries of Christianity. Over the centuries it also received other names. Saint Jerome, Father of the Church and who translated it into Latin, called it “The Divine Library.” “Scriptures” and “Holy Scripture” are other ways to refer to it.
2. The division
The Bible contains 73 books and is divided into the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). The term “testament” comes from the Hebrew berîth, which means alliance.
The volumes of the OT are 46 and were written before the coming of Christ. They are grouped into the Pentateuch, Historical Books, Poetic and Wisdom Books, and Prophetic Books. While the NT is made up of 27 books and contains the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles or letters and the Apocalypse.
3. Languages
In the Bible there are books that were written in Hebrew, others in Aramaic and also in Greek. As the centuries passed, attempts were made to translate them into Latin and later into other languages.
Before the invention of the printing press, various “copyists” had the task of transcribing sacred texts by hand to ensure their permanence over time.
On the other hand, in ancient times, during Masses, readings taken from the Bible were officially proclaimed in Latin until the Vatican Council IIwhich allowed the celebration of the Eucharist in other languages.
4. Why September?
One of the main reasons is Saint Jerome, considered the most important translator of the Bible. The translated into Latin and his work was called “the Vulgate.” The feast of this great saint, who died in Bethlehem in 420, it is every September 30.
The Network of Pauline Bookstores indicates that other Christian confessions also celebrate the Bible in this month because on September 26, 1569, the Bear Bible was finished printing in Spanish, whose edition had a drawing of this animal eating honey on the cover. It was translated by Casiodoro de Reina and later revised by Cipriano de Valera, giving rise to the Reina Valera Bible.
5. How to celebrate it?
In this month, Catholic parishes around the world usually promote greater knowledge and reading of the Bible with training courses, talks and celebrations of the Word. There are families who usually have an altar with the Holy Book open, in a visible place in the house, and read a biblical passage every day.
On the other hand, on the Catholic Bible for Young People website you can find numerous free resources to delve deeper into the spiritual wealth that the Bible gives us. More information here.
Abel Camasca
Journalist graduated from the Communication Sciences degree at the University of Lima. He has been part of the ACI Prensa journalistic team since 2014. Between 2016 and 2022 he was in charge of the production of the television program EWTN Noticias and Más que Noticias, a World Catholic Radio program. He often writes articles about the lives of saints.