Reading Plans | Sola Verbum Dei

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For Beginners and Returners

The Foundational Plan

Best if you feel unsure where to start

A gentle, ordered path through the most accessible parts of Scripture, ideal for rebuilding confidence and understanding without feeling overwhelmed.

Week 1: Gospel of Mark, the shortest Gospel, one or two chapters each day. It moves quickly and assumes nothing.
Weeks 2 and 3: Psalms 23, 51, 91, and 139, the great Catholic prayers that teach the heart to speak with God.
Month 1: Gospel of John, reading the Prologue slowly, then Chapters 14 to 17, the Last Supper discourse.
Month 2: Acts of the Apostles, witnessing the birth of the Church at Pentecost.
Month 3: Genesis 1 to 12, the foundation of salvation history, read as revelation.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." So warned St. Jerome, who gave his life to translating the Word for the Church.

For Deepening Prayer

The Contemplative Plan

Best if you long for deeper prayer

Centered on lectio divina, this path treats every reading as a conversation with God and forms the heart for deeper prayer.

Week 1: Psalms 1 to 20, praying one each day through the four steps of lectio divina.
Weeks 2 and 3: Gospel of Luke, Chapters 1 to 5, pondered as Our Lady pondered (Luke 2:19).
Month 1: The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5 to 7, one passage each day, slowly.
Month 2: The Letters of John, short and intimate, perfect for resting on a single phrase.
Ongoing: Use the coming Sunday's Gospel as your weekly lectio divina text.

"When we pray we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us." So taught St. Ambrose, who first opened the Scriptures to St. Augustine.

For the Liturgical Heart

The Liturgical Plan

Best if you want to enter the Mass more fully

Woven around the Sunday Lectionary, this path deepens your participation in the Holy Mass and unites your reading to the prayer of the whole Church.

Weeks 1 and 2: Read all the Sunday Mass readings for the current week (usccb.org). Notice how the First Reading and Gospel speak to one another.
Weeks 3 and 4: Gospel of Luke, Chapters 1 to 10, as proclaimed throughout Year C.
Month 2: Psalms 1 to 30, sung as the Responsorial Psalm at Mass.
Month 3: Isaiah 40 to 55, the Book of Consolation, most heard in Advent.
Ongoing: Read the coming Sunday's readings each Saturday evening.

"The Eucharist and the Word of God are inseparably joined." Drawn from the teaching of St. John Paul II.

For Defenders of the Faith

The Plan for Defenders

Best if you want to explain and defend the faith

A firm foundation in the texts Catholics most often turn to in order to explain and defend the faith with clarity and charity, always ready to give a reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15).

Weeks 1 and 2: Gospel of Matthew, rich with Peter and the keys of the Kingdom (Matthew 16:18 to 19).
Weeks 3 and 4: Letter to the Romans, St. Paul's theology of grace and salvation.
Month 2: Acts of the Apostles, with the first Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).
Month 3: Gospel of John, including the Bread of Life discourse in Chapter 6.
Ongoing: Cross reference each passage with the Catechism using its Scripture index.

"In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet His children." So teaches the Second Vatican Council in Dei Verbum 21.

For Steady Renewal

The Renewal Plan

Best for well rounded, everyday growth

A well balanced path through Scripture that gently rebuilds a lasting daily habit of holy reading and steady growth in faith.

Weeks 1 and 2: Gospel of Mark, read in full, one or two chapters at a sitting.
Month 1: The Psalms, five each week, from lament, praise, and wisdom.
Month 2: Gospel of John, especially Chapter 1 and Chapters 14 to 17.
Month 3: Letter to the Romans, St. Paul's masterwork on faith and God's plan.
Month 4 and beyond: Follow the Sunday Lectionary alongside the whole Church.

"The Word of God is the bread of life that fills the hungry soul." A teaching echoed through the Fathers of the Church.

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