His Holiness Pope Shenouda III gives practical and spiritual instructions about your relationship with the Holy Bible and how to make it a life and ministry guide.

1. Possession and reading of the Holy Bible

– His Holiness advised that every servant should possess the Holy Bible and carry it in the pocket or bag, not leave it only on the desk.
– Reading must be regular and disciplined, not superficial or passing.

2. Understanding and meditating on the Book

– Reading without understanding is useless; therefore he pointed to the necessity that the Lord opens minds so readers know what is in the books.
– Meditation is necessary: take the verse and contemplate its spiritual meaning and apply it to your practical life.

3. Working by the Book and memorizing it

– After understanding comes doing: use what you learned from the Book practically in your life and service.
– Memorize verses gradually — for example one verse a day — until you gather memorized texts that help you in spiritual battles and trials.

4. Using the Book in spiritual battles and teaching

– Prepare verses for specific topics (anger, faults of the tongue, thoughts, passions) to respond with them in temptations.
– Use the Book in teaching people and in church service.

5. The Church’s care for the Holy Bible

– His Holiness noted that liturgical rites and church readings depend greatly on the Book — in the liturgies, the Agpeya, Holy Week, and the Psalms — which makes the Church preserve and teach the Book.
– During the reading of the Gospel the odes are offered, candles are lifted and people listen with reverence out of respect for the Word of God.

6. The Book is living word and symbol and symbolic understanding

– The Gospel is not information but Spirit and life that must become conduct and inner being.
– Many biblical texts are only understood by the symbolic meaning (such as Song of Songs, Revelation, sacrifices, feasts, animals and symbols).
– There is a school of symbolic interpretation that has its services but one must beware of excess in symbolic interpretation.

🔑 Spiritual conclusion

Make the Holy Bible your life guide: possess it, read it regularly, understand it by meditation and symbol, memorize verses that benefit you, and practice what is in it by grace so you may be established in faith and overcome temptations.

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