Day 322: The Ascension (2024)

St. Paul's Letter to the Romans is a foundational text in Christian theology, exploring themes such as justification by faith, the nature of the law, and the relationship between Jews and Gentiles.

The Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE) is an English translation of the Bible that includes the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament. It was first published in 1966 and revised in 2006 to conform to the Vatican document *Liturgiam authenticam*. This edition is known for its formal equivalence, providing a word-for-word translation that safeguards literal fidelity. It is widely used by Catholic scholars and theologians and is approved for liturgical use in certain Catholic parishes. The RSV-2CE is notable for its conservative approach to translation, retaining the beauty and readability of the original RSV while making minor revisions to archaic language.

The Book of Acts is the fifth book of the New Testament and serves as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. It chronicles the history of the early Christian church, beginning with the ascension of Jesus Christ and ending with Paul's imprisonment in Rome. The book is divided into two main sections: the first focuses on the ministry of Peter in Jerusalem and Samaria (Acts 1–12), and the second follows Paul's missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire (Acts 13–28). It highlights the transition of the gospel message from a Jewish audience to the Gentiles, the empowerment of believers by the Holy Spirit, and the growth of the church despite persecutions. The book also explores the relationship between Christians and the Roman Empire, showing how Christians could obey both God and the civil authorities.

The Great Adventure Catholic Bible uses the Revised Standard Version – Second Catholic Edition and integrates The Great Adventure Bible Timeline Learning System. This system includes color-coded timelines, articles summarizing each period of salvation history, key event call-outs, detailed charts, and newly designed full-color maps. The Bible also features the words of Jesus printed in red and provides a comprehensive overview of important characters, key events, geography, and major covenants. It is designed to make the complexity of reading the Bible simple by giving a big picture of salvation history and showing how everything ties together.