The final key in unlocking the power of Sacred Scripture resides in the ability to memorize Sacred Scripture. This allows the Word of God to be easily brought to mind in times of difficulty as well as when it is necessary to defend the Christian Faith from attacks.
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Typically Catholics refrain from memorizing Scripture in fear that they will be viewed as a Protestant. However, few realize how much the Catholic Church depended on the oral tradition of passing on Scripture by word of mouth.
First of all, we must remember that the earliest date any of the four Gospels could have been written was between 50 and 67 AD. With the general consensus that Jesus died in 33 AD, that leaves 17 years between the death of Jesus and the actual writing of the Gospels. This means that the works and words of Jesus were passed down orally for almost two decades before being recorded.
The ancient world did not have blogs, e-mail, or modern paper. Writing was reserved to the few who learned the skill and parchment was expensive: Staples or Walmart did not exist. Additionally, the ancient mind was not filled with useless knowledge, nor was it distracted by looking at Facebook or Twitter. This meant people could easily remember stories and had the capacity to relate them to someone else in an accurate way.
Throughout the centuries, lay people in particular did not have access to a single volume “Bible” as we know it today. That was not developed until the 15th century and it took until the 18th and 19th centuries before it was common to have a printed Bible as a personal possession.
What this all boils down to is that memorizing Scripture is not something “modern,” but something “ancient.”
So how do we can do it? Here are three ways we can successfully memorize Sacred Scripture:
1. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours
As we all know, if we want to remember something repetition is the sure-fire way to emblazon it in our minds. One of the best ways to incorporate Sacred Scripture into our lives that will allow us to memorize it is by praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Also known as the “Divine Office,” it is an ancient practice of priests and religious to pray the Psalms throughout the day. In the most current edition, it is a 4-week cycle of the Psalms that also includes short passages from the New and Old Testaments.
The beauty of praying the Liturgy of the Hours is that a person will repeatedly go through the Psalms as well as such passages of Scripture as the Magnificat and Benedictus, on a daily basis. After several months of praying the Divine Office, the Psalms will become a source of spiritual refreshment and can be brought to mind in times of need.
I personally suggest purchasing the complete four-volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours, or the one-volume “Christian Prayer.” However, you can also easily pray the Divine Office online or through such apps as iBreviary.
2. Sing or Chant Sacred Scripture
One of the ways that ancient Christians remembered Scripture was through music. Even today it is easy to see how a popular song on the radio stays with a person years after it is a number #1 hit. Historically speaking, the Mass as well as the Liturgy of the Hours was sung or chanted. This even included the various Scripture readings at Mass, making it possible to hear the Bible in a musical format. Popular hymns were also developed over the years that were centered on various Scripture passages.
Singing the Bible can also be employed outside the context of the liturgy. Traditionally this is a way that ancient texts were passed down from generation to generation and so it is possible to open up the book of Genesis and sign it. Even the most musically inept can learn basic chant. It may not sound pretty, but it will help a person memorize the Bible.
As a note, I am still looking for an easy guide to learn basic chant. If someone comes across such a book, or video, please post it in the comments below.
3. Memorize Short Verses
It is extremely hard to memorize entire books of the Bible without the aid of music. One way to break it down is to memorize specific passages of Scripture. This comes in handy, especially when discussing Church doctrine. The easiest way to do this is to pick a verse or handful of verses, write them out and put the verse(s) everywhere (the kitchen, bathroom, bedside table, car, etc.). After seeing this passage constantly and reciting it throughout each day, you will be able to memorize Scripture one verse at a time.
Above all else, memorizing Scripture is helpful as it give us many weapons to use during times of doubt and temptation. The Word of God is powerful, “sharper than any two-edged sword” and has the ability to cut through the murkiness of life and give us hope.