Thank you very much for your post and ping! This project began one Sunday when I asked a parishioner if he would be willing to serve as lector. He agreed .. with a set of conditions: he wanted advance notice (no problem) and a printed copy of the reading. I showed him that week's bulletin which listed the readings, not only for Sunday, but also for each day of the week + the one for the following Sunday. I then suggested that all he had to do was look it up in his Bible. He responded by saying he did not have a Bible.
This did not come as a big surprise. I know many Catholics who have Bibles but never read them and those who, like this gentleman, do not own one. Since one of my parish roles is to produce each week's 8 page bulletin - and - since we are still in the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict, I decided it was time to introduce the parishioners to the source of the readings they hear each day at Mass.
It has become a labor of love. In the process of writing a weekly column on the Bible, I have to adapt it to people who have never given it much thought and make it exciting. I intersperse graphic images into the text to grab attention. So far, not one parishioner has commented on the series of articles. Rather than allow this to lead to discouragement, I have grown in my own appreciation of Scripture and gratitude to our Lord for the gift of this ministry.
Also now there is great Bible websites and apps out there to help out.
Don’t ever become discouraged with promoting the Truth. This world of man/Satan can be very disconcerting and disappointing if you lose sight of God......only because you are unaware of the hundreds of little seeds, you posit in the minds of people—even children-—which might take years to germinate. But they are still there and can’t be removed. There is something about the Truth-—and repeated enough times-—it can’t help but soak into the minds of some.
Just keep working and glorifying God-—it is why we are here for such a short time. It is so much fun!!!!! to work for God!!! and witness miracles!!!! Because if you “look” for the miracles-—they are everywhere.