God speaks to us in Scripture. Many Christians in our own day are experiencing this truth. They realise that reading the Bible in groups greatly facilitates the understanding of a given passage. The Bible is the Book of the community – it was born of the faith experience of the Jewish and Christian communities, and in turn it keeps the community together. The Spirit that inspired the written Word of God is the same Spirit who moves the heart of the members gathered in faith, to listen and understand God’s Word to them, and to respond to Him in prayer. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Bible study/prayer group becomes an “Emmaus” experience.  “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’”(Lk24, 32). 

Frances came to the group one day, planning to leave early because she still had to prepare lunch. However, at the end of the session, she was still with the group! “I just could not leave earlier and miss the experience”, she explained.

Her heart too was burning within her!  And the enthusiastic 82 years old Lydia has only one question to ask: “Why were we not told these things earlier? Because not until Vatican II did the Church decree that “easy access to sacred Scripture should be provided to all the Christian faithful” (Dei Verbum n.22).

The method is simple:

• Agree on the passage to be dealt with during the next meeting .
• Read it twice or three times in the group so that the Word of God sinks into the members’ mind and heart.
• Listen to how it influences different members of the group as they share their impressions, questions etc.
• A simple explanation by the leader follows.
• Silence for personal reflection and prayer.
• Sharing in the group. This is the personal reply to the Word that God has spoken to  the members of the group.
• Concluding prayer.
• Agree on the passage to be studied during the next session.