The CTS New Catholic Bible

AC Librarian's Review

Catholic Bibles come in many sizes, shapes, and formats. There are study Bibles with extensive scholarly notations, youth Bibles with reflection questions and sidebar articles designed especially for teenagers, giant print Bibles, compact Bibles, and so forth. As a professional student of Sacred Scripture, I am heartened at the wide range of Bibles available to the faithful, and believe that every Catholic would be well-served by owning several different translations of the Bible. From time to time in future posts I hope to devote some time and attention to the various options that are available for Catholic Scripture reading and study. This time around I want to highlight a biblical gem that I acquired through the UK-based Catholic Truth Society: the CTS New Catholic Bible.

Published by the aforementioned Catholic Truth Society, this is a unique Bible which combines two Scripture translations, the Jerusalem Bible and the Grail Psalms. Those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours will be familiar with the Grail Psalter as the translation of the psalms used in the breviary. The Jerusalem Bible and the Grail Psalms are used in the British version of the Lectionary for Mass; hence the CTS Bible is intended for UK Catholics who wish to read the Bible in a translation that is identical with that used in the liturgy. Indeed, the CTS Bible is designed in such a way as to highlight the relationship between the Word of God and its proclamation in the celebration of the Eucharist. The introduction to each book of the Bible includes commentary on the use of said book in the Church's liturgy, and an appendix features an essay on the use of Scripture in Catholic liturgy, along with a table of the readings for Sunday and weekday Masses and the Liturgy of the Hours.

Although I reside in the United States (where we use a different Bible translation for the liturgy) and am therefore unable to appreciate the CTS Bible as a direct companion to the Lectionary for Mass, I have nonetheless found it to be an enriching resource for private Scripture reading. The Jerusalem Bible, being a somewhat colloquial translation, readily lends itself to personal meditation, and the Grail Psalms are likewise very "user friendly", especially for those who are familiar with them from the Liturgy of the Hours. The CTS Bible is available in several formats: a compact travel edition, a standard hardcover edition, and a "presentation" edition with a leather cover and gold page edging. Each of these versions features three ribbon markers, giving the CTS Bible the look and feel of a Catholic missal or breviary - a quality which enhances the sense that this is a Bible one can easily take to prayer. Potential buyers should be warned, however, that the print size is a bit on the small size. I purchased the standard edition and have to wear my glasses in order to read it comfortably.

If you are looking for a Bible for personal prayer in an accessible translation with good introductory articles and solid footnotes, the CTS New Catholic Study Bible is a fine option, well worth acquiring. One would hope that American publishers might be inspired by this excellent Bible to produce a similar version incorporating the translations used in the US Lectionary.

The CTS New Catholic Bible is available online through the Catholic Truth Society at http://www.cts-online.org.uk/acatalog/Our_Products_CTS_New_Catholic_Bible_21.html