The translation is the NAB (New American Bible) and is the full Catholic Bible. In addition to the actual books of the Bible, in Fireside's themed Bibles, there are 4-page articles inserted every 60 pages or so. The articles in the women's Bible are on the topics of acceptance, compassion, diligence, faith, forgiveness, generosity, goodness, holiness, hope, humility, joy, justice, kindness, love, loyalty, patience, peace, sacrifice, suffering, triumph, understanding, and wisdom.
Each article starts with a page called Plan and Purpose that covers the importance of (in this instance) hope in our lives, where it's easy to fall short, and what scripture has to say about it.
The next page has a list of scripture on the topic, scripture-based reflections, and suggestions for ways to respond to the call. At the top of the page is a prayer to say before delving into the scripture. The third page has a Profile in Faith, highlighting a saint whose story is relevant to the topic at hand.
The last page has an everyday story of Faith in Action. I'm not sure if these stories are fact or fiction, but I always look forward to reading them.
I find these articles so helpful in developing a Scripture-based prayer life. I read the first page one day, then 1-2 of the pieces of scripture each day until I've worked through those. I do the reflections the next day or two and try to choose one of the "responding" suggestions. The next day I read the Profile in Faith and Faith in Action. In all, I spend about a week on each topic, trying to focus on that area in my life as well as in my prayer.
How cool! I recently got a study Bible and it has been a wonderful experience for me!
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