The Bible is the sacred text of the Church. It is a library of books in one volume. At its heart, it is the story of God and humankind, recounting not just the faithfulness of God and the achievements of God’s people, but also their disobedience and despair, and the extraordinary lengths to which God goes to restore this broken relationship. Essentially, it is a love story.
Christians regard the Bible as the Word of God—a sacred text revealing the truth and a message for all people and all time. The Bible is not a chronological history of the people of God but has a life of its own. The first part of the Bible—the Old Testament—consists of the ancient and sacred writings of the Jewish people. It includes many different genres. The second part—the New Testament—contains four gospels (the ‘good news’ about Jesus of Nazareth), as well as various letters to early Christian communities.
Regular Bible reading—as part of communal prayer or for private contemplation—is a way of ‘meeting God’ and of learning more about ourselves and how God calls us to live. One of the best ways to get to know Jesus is to read the Bible. You learn about his life and the things he said and did and what he is saying to you today.
If you are new to the Bible, you might like to start by reading the Gospel of Mark. Praying with the daily Mass readings is also a good way to discover the Bible.