Sunday, October 24, 2010

Old Testament Musings

Sister Mary Ann (one of the vocation directors AND my Old Testament professor) promised me that if I wrote about her class in my blog, she wouldn't read it. So here goes...

The class had been incredibly enlightening, and has changed the way I view the Old Testament. It has been nice to delve deeper into the stories. Of course not everyone has access to a College Old Testament class, but I would recommend purchasing The Catholic Study Bible, and reading the study guides at the beginning and the footnotes at the bottom of the pages.

Today I read the book of Ruth, and to be honest, I never read it until today. It is totally awesome. It's only four chapters, so you could read it in one sitting, and the love of the characters for each other are so inspiring. It reminded me of my favorite poem:

i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

***
I hope you all find time to read and reflect on the book of Ruth. I daresay it's now my favorite book of the Old Testament. If you don't have a Bible, you can read it by clicking here.

5 comments:

  1. It is wonderful to know how inspiring the Old Testament is for you! Thanks for your insights!

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  2. A woman lay reader explained the Book of Ruth to me. The lovely quote, "your people shall be my people",so far an ideal when struggling with difficult in laws!

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  3. Ruth deciding to follow Naomi is one of my favorite stories, although I do consistently read "Orpah" as "Oprah," which... makes it an entirely different sort of thing, where Oprah leaves presumably to start her own talk show....

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  4. Ruth is a beautiful book! I also highly recommend Tobit!

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  5. I agree Amanda, I am using Tobit for a research paper right now, and it is awesome book!


    SleepyGirl you are funny!

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