God’s Living Word for Today - Friday, June 5, 2020

God’s Living Word for Today - Friday, June 5, 2020

[2 Tim 3:10-17 and Mark 12:35-37] 
But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy]

One of the greatest achievements of the Second Vatican Council was its document on divine revelation, DEI VERBUM (The Word of God).  This document began the gradual reversal of centuries of ignorance of the Bible among Catholics. The Word of God is "living and effective" [Heb. 4:12] and we remember St. Jerome’s favorite quote ‘Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.  The Second Vatican Council took place 1962-65 and the People of God were just then being encouraged to read the scriptures on their own instead of hearing them only in the gospel at Mass.  Now there are literally thousands of "aids" for every age of Catholic to understand the Word of God and have it "living and effective" in their lives.

We are encouraged to adopt the Gospel Reflection Process (Lectio Divina) as a way by which the living Word of God can touch and transform us; challenging us to change in our ongoing conversion of conformity to Christ. One is encouraged to begin by praying to the Holy Spirit; then to read the Gospel for the day. One chooses an echo (a phrase that calls/catches your attention or speaks to your heart; then relating the ‘echo’ you have chosen to a story or an experience of why you choose that echo. The last step is an action step promising to do something practical that you will do as a result of reflecting on the Gospel for that day. This gospel reflection process can be prayed personally and with others, namely your own family members or in a group at work.

We just need to be open to what the Holy Spirit, who guided the authors, enables us to understand.  Yes, we do have the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Tradition of the church.  Our goal should be the one offered to Timothy: [S]o that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.  

Father Dennis