Basahon an Biblia, Sarong Kapitulo kada Aldaw

“Read the Bible, One Chapter a Day”

What’s one thing you can do every day to significantly impact your life? I suggest: Read the Bible. Just one chapter a day.

Why read the Bible? St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” While we can connect with Christ through various prayers and practices, reading the Bible is special. As the Word of God, it’s how God, through Jesus, shares His life-giving message of salvation. Reading the Bible helps us know Jesus and understand our faith.

Why “one chapter a day”? The Church encourages us to “learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2653). And such reading should be accompanied with prayer to create a dialogue between you and God. Regularly reading the Bible not only leads to familiarity with Scripture, Christ, and our faith, but more importantly, to a living encounter and dialogue with God. By dedicating just 10 to 15 minutes each day to read, reflect, and pray with the Bible, we can truly meet Christ in the Word.

To support this, the Archdiocese of Caceres Commission on Biblical Apostolate (Caceres COMBIBLIA) launched “Basahon an Biblia, Sarong Kapitulo kada Aldaw” (“Read the Bible, One Chapter a Day”). This initiative was officially launched during the Holy Hour at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary (HRMS), Naga City, on March 9, 2025, concluding the Bible Conference in the Central District. Around 100 HRMS seminarians and 70 Conference participants attended, marking the start of a journey into scripture. The launch was streamed live through the Facebook page of the Archdiocese of Caceres. 

We began with the New Testament, the daily chapter reading of the Gospel of Luke for a general understanding of Jesus, followed by the Acts of the Apostles to learn about the first Christian communities. Then, we started the Old Testament with Genesis and Exodus to explore the beginning of the world and God’s people. Today, May 22, we are reading Genesis 23, marking our 75th day of daily reading since the launch on March 9.

This program is for everyone. Since launching in different districts (Central on March 9, Bay on March 16, and Partido on April 6), we have seen inspiring testimonies. A senior lady shares that bringing the Bible to Church and reading a chapter daily before Mass gives her a sense of peace and focus for the day. A young lector and athlete from Naga City finds that reading the Bible during her travels and races, even on Mount Asug, connects her with God’s creation, providing a unique sense of connection to her faith. A 7-year-old from Magarao is excited to read the Bible, sharing his learnings during the Bible Conferences and experiencing the joy of understanding God’s stories. A seminary priest shares daily a picture of the Bible Chapter and his accomplished checklist in their group chat, thereby encouraging his peers to find that same fulfillment. And a family with four children in the Metropolitan Cathedral Parish strengthens their bond by reading together each night after reciting the rosary, experiencing shared spiritual growth. All these people similarly share, “There is a different kind of fulfillment and joy when I accomplish reading the Bible each day.”

Ready to begin your own journey through scripture? Here’s how you can participate:

• Visit our Facebook presence: Like our page, “Caceres Combiblia,” and join our group, “Basahon an Biblia,” for activity updates, inspiration, and discussion.

•Get your materials: Booklets and bookmarks are available at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary. You can also request a digital copy or order physical copies by contacting us at 0919-095-9303 or caceres.combilia@gmail.com.

• Start reading Luke: Begin your daily journey with the Gospel of Luke and discover the life of Jesus.

• Stay tuned  for the coming programs: Listen to our podcast, “Basahon an Biblia,” with daily chapter readings at 5:30 am and 9:00 pm on Radio Caritas Mariae 98.3 DWRV-FM. Also, look out for our weekly video catechesis on the books and themes being read.

Caceres COMBIBLIA hopes this program will lead everyone to a genuine personal encounter and dialogue with the Lord and live a happy, meaningful life by the impact of one daily act: “Reading the Bible, One Chapter a Day.”

Fr. Erwin B. Blasa

Director,

Caceres COMBIBLIA