Word to the Wise
Saturday, January 14, 2017 - Saturday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 4:12-16 and Mark 2:13-17]The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. [Hebrews]
One of the greatest achievements of the Second Vatican Council was and is the placing of the scriptures at the center of all Catholic life and worship. The document entitled Dei Verbum ("The Word of God") encouraged all Catholics to read and meditate on the word of God. This was in strong contrast to the previous attitude that left scripture and its interpretation to the hierarchy (out of a reaction against the Protestant Reformation which emphasized personal interpretation). The Decree on the Sacred Liturgy also made it clear that Christ is truly present in his word proclaimed. Therefore, in the part of the Mass called the Liturgy of the Word, Christ is really present.
It has taken awhile for the People of God to become fully aware of the importance of familiarity with the Bible and to see it as an essential part of their spiritual life. We tend to focus on a favorite devotion or favorite memorized prayers. Popes Benedict and Francis have both strongly recommended a form of scriptural prayer called lectio divina, which involves the reading of a portion of scripture two or three times with meditative spaces in between. This method is very ancient, originating in monastic life. Catholic book stores are full of books that will help a person to read scripture. The popular misalets like MAGNIFICAT and LIVING WITH CHRIST and others like them provide assistance in scriptural devotion.
The important thing in all of this is to see how scripture is truly the living word of God and the Bible is a sacred book, not just to be gathering dust on the living room coffee table. Although the lectionary on Sundays and weekdays will provide a rich selection, it is a "selection" and often we need to see the whole chapter to get the meaning. Our lectors at Eucharist need better training and our preachers (Lord help us!) need to have even better training at proclaiming this sacred word. We should not be put off by those failings but read the scriptures ourselves every day. As St. Paul says, "Let the word of Christ in all its richness find a home in you." [Colossians 3:16] AMEN
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