This morning, I thought I would begin a brief “pop quiz” on your knowledge of biblical characters:
Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible? A. Pharaoh’s daughter. She went to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.
Q. Who is considered the bible’s comedian? A. Samson because he brought the house down.
Q. What bible character had no parents? A. Joshua, the son of Nun.
Q. How long did Cain hate his brother? A. As long as he was Abel.
Q. Where is medicine first mentioned in the Bible? A. In Exodus when God gave Moses two tablets.
A silly Q & A to be sure but Sacred Scripture is no silly matter.It is quite serious.
This is why Pope Francis has designated this 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as “Sunday of the Word of God.” While every liturgy is rich in Scripture, the Holy Father is calling us to more fervent celebration, study, and dissemination God’s word. The Catechism reminds us our nourishment and strength are found in Scripture and that the Church has always venerated the Scripture as she venerates the Lord’s body.” [CCC, 102] The Bible is not a mere human word but the word of God. The Fathers of the 2nd Vatican Council also remind us that “In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children and talks with them.” [Dei Verbum, 21] The Bible is God’s way of telling us, “I am here for you in every circumstance of life." It is also a guide with which to examine our lives (if we are willing) and kindle in us a desire to change our lives.
If the challenge of discipleship is to make ourselves over in the image of Christ—to learn to think as Christ thinks, to judge and he judges, to speak and act as he would speak and act, then the Scriptures are essential.
St. Jerome warned that “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” We cannot pattern ourselves on Christ unless we know him well…and there is no greater source than Scripture. When the Bible is read and understood properly, we have the accumulated, infallible summary of divine revelation.
Just a few practical reminders on this “Sunday of the Word of God:”
Every Catholic home should have a bible that is given “pride of place” in our library. It should not be just one book among many.
The various translations of the Bible can make our choice of bible baffling. We should choose an approved Catholic Bible, since it contains inspired books that are not contained in what we at times call the “Protestant Bible.” I would recommend the translation used in the liturgy: The New American Bible. It contains introductions to each book and footnotes that explain various passages. You might also take advantage of our parish’s very fine Bible study that is currently conducted virtually once a week.
Make sure your Bible gets worn. Put aside some time each day to read and pray with the Scripture, even if it is just a few verses. In my bulletin message this week I included this prayer of Fr. Henri Nouwen:
Dear Lord, how often have the worries of the world and the attraction of wealth choked your word! For your word to grow deep roots and to yield a rich harvest, it needs a free, open, and untroubled heart. I know, Lord, that your word has power, that it can transform heart and mind and can become so strong that it speaks as if by itself. But how can your word be effective when it is received by a thorny heart, a heart constantly…reflecting on what happened yesterday and anxiously anticipating what will happen tomorrow, a heart perverted by guilt, jealousy, envy, and lust, a heart always restless and in turmoil?
O God give me a heart that can receive your word the way good soil receives the falling seed, and let your word produce new life and new love in the midst of this barren world.