One of the best spiritual practices I’ve been led to is reading the Bible through once a year–I’m working on my 13th time through right now. This schedule will help you to read the whole (Catholic!) Bible in one year by spending 10-25 minutes a day in the Word. It’s set up chronologically but gives you a break from the Pentateuch by scattering epistles and other more “fun” books throughout. Print it double-sided and fold it up to keep in your Bible. One Year Bible Chronological
Or print this file double-sided for three bookmarks to keep in each of the three readings.
In all my time reading the Bible, I’ve spent hours struggling to place things in context and figure out what on earth is going on. Believe it or not, I’d probably read the Bible all the way through 3 times before I realized that Judah and Israel were two separate kingdoms! Here’s a timeline of the Bible I put together to help you keep track: Bible Timeline
A Year in the Word Bible Timeline
Probably the most exciting paper I ever wrote, this piece on the Reformation rejection of the Deuterocanon gives the background of the Catholic inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books and the subsequent Protestant rejection. It’s pretty long and a tough read, but definitely worth it if you want to be able to explain why we’ve got more books.
Reformation Rejection of the Deuterocanon
To prepare for confession or a group penance service–feel free to copy and pass out.
A Catholic Examination of Conscience
You rock! Thanks so much for the wonderful resources. I plan to read the Bible in a year again this year. It’s always a tremendous blessing.
God bless your ministry!
Dr. Mari
Meg, I want to thank you for making available to me the One Year Bible Chronological. I started it on Ash Wednesday. Wow! It’s a gift from God, and you! For some reason it has made me appreciate and understand the Bible so much better. I look forward each day to opening the Bible and reading His Word. I am sure the Holy Spirit has a lot to do with it.
Your words have touched me and so many others. Keep up your wonderful ministry! May God continue to bless you. Mary Cho
Awesome! I am going to set this up as a reading plan in Verbum. I’ve read the bible a few times, but it has never been well thought out.
I discovered your blog through Brandon Vogt. I will be sure to keep checking back.
Keep up the good work and God Bless!! 🙂
This looks like the source for the liturgical plan for reading the Bible through the year:
http://www.presentationministries.com/publications/ThroughBible.asp
Meg,
This is a really cool concept. I like it. Thanks for posting. I do have a question, though: is there a reason you have the chapters and verses broken up as you do? I mean, rather than just reading through one book before reading the next? Also, I don’t know what you mean by “chronologically set up.” Do you mean the books are ordered according to, historically speaking, when they were written? I would like to do something like this, but sort of my own recipe. 🙂 So I’m just trying to figure out how this works.
Thanks!
Thanks! This post should explain some of what I was thinking: https://www.piercedhands.com/reading-bible-year/
Cool. That does help. Thanks! 🙂
Do you have the Bible timeline…..bigger? I printed this out once, and totally can’t read it; even with my cheaters it is difficult!
If you have access to a printer that can print to 11×17, it is MUCH easier to read.
The PDF will scale bigger. When you zoom in the quality stays. Hopefully that can work for you!
I just found your blog yesterday and I love it. Just one beef: I love the Pentateuch. Love it. LOOOOVVVVEEE it. Please don’t break up my Pentateuch.
Another plan:
Lectio Divina: A Year-Long Cycle According to the Traditional Roman Liturgy
http://iteadthomam.blogspot.com/2011/12/lectio-divina-year-long-cycle-according.html
Thank you so much! I am thrilled with your wonderful documents. I’ve been looking for a Bible timeline that works for me and this is it! Love your examination of conscience. I have been searching for a long time for something like this.
I came to your site after reading an article about reading the Bible. Years ago I had started reading it and divided it up by what seemed logical parts. I got to Judges in the OT all of Psalms and Proverbs and Wisdom and all of the NT. Then life happened for years and when I tried to take up where I left off, it never worked out. I am excited to try again with your method. We”ll see how it goes! Thanks again for the wonderful helps you have shared. God Bless You!
OMG- I love meg so much. She is amazing. She helps everyone. I love it when she comes to Saint Johns summer Program. here will be times when we will no longer see each other as often as we used to; there will be moment of ups and downs in our journey on the path of friendship; there will be time when the stormy weather of life will seem to break the bond between us and there will be moment when we would want to call it quit between us. I want you to know that I will not give up on us, at least not without a fight, because you’re the best thing that ever happened to me in life and I won’t trade you for the finest pearl in the world. Come rain or the sunshine, you will always be my best friend forever. I love you, bestie.
Hi Meg, Just found your site searching for “A Catholics Guide to Reading through the entire Bible” ~ love what you offer here, excited to try this in my prayer life, thank you!!
The plan from your article on Aletia.com is different that the one linked here. There is one printable plan that has each month tabled (begins with Isaiah & Matthew for first day of reading) and the other plan is ordered by days i.e. Day 1-365 (Day 1 is: 1 John 1:1-3:10 Psalm 1 Matthew 1:1-17).
Both of these are also on this page.
Which one are you recommending? Also, any suggestions for how you mark/highlight? You mention “pencil in hand”. I’ve used various “Bible highlighters” which are like colored pencils. Any suggestions and tools?
If you sow 30x what youve lived on and been a slave for christ agree its worth it to be redeemed with jesus? Seriously do you agree with this redemption of faith? Say the amen say the so be it!