This is the Bible Fr. Mike Schmitz uses for his Bible in a Year podcast
So about a week ago I decided to get myself a copy of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible by Ascension Press and yesterday afternoon it finally arrived! The first thing that I noticed was how the box itself was sealed in plastic. Once I took it off and opened it I was a little disappointed that the Bible itself wasn’t wrapped, I thought that there was something wrong with it. I checked and there was nothing that merits my concern.
Alongside the Bible, I also bought the Great Adventure tabs to go along with it and I received help from my dad going through the instructions. Over the course of the afternoon, I applied the tabs to the respective Bible titles—all seventy-three of them—and while it was a little clumsy, I thought I did quite a decent job (humblebrag). There were others that I did not apply a tab to like The Old Testament and the New Testament tabs since I already know where they start.
The thing I love about this Bible is that there are instructions on how to read the Bible, as well as its mentions of Pope Pius XII’s (yes I know I’ve been mentioning him a lot that it’s starting to sound like the documents in Vatican II, not that I’ve read all of them) 1943 encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu encouraging Bible studies as well as an instruction on how to do Lectio Divina (an ancient way of prayer). There is also a 90-day reading plan which you can do at any time. There is also a page that contains the covenants between God and man which culminated in the Messianic prophecy with Jesus.
The Bible itself is very visual. It features maps of the ancient world at the very end, as well as an introduction to each new phrase of the stories with images. I wouldn’t say that it’s too much but instead that it is quite helpful.
At the beginning of each book of the Bible are key events that happened within those pages.
The Bible is sewn and glued which I am very grateful for since this will last me a lifetime as well as two ribbons in crimson red and gold.
Overall, I am very pleased with this Bible considering it’s my first one that has these features. I am sure more experienced Bible readers would not recommend this one, but I will say that this is good for beginners like myself.
I will add that it is a little pricey for just the Bible alone. I wished they had already included the foldable maps and tabs along with it.
As of today, I have started reading through the pages of Genesis since I’ve decided to do the 90-day reading plan, as well as trying my hand at Lectio Divina and scribbling all that I have learned in my Bible journal. It was a very uplifting experience and helped me learn more about God than when I was doing it on my own without any guidance.
Do you also own The Great Adventure Bible? What do you think of it? Has it helped you on your journey towards God? Comment your thoughts below!
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