Sep 4 Thu
Is the Word of God just a record of past events?
In the Mass, we cannot be satisfied with knowing what God’s love did for men in the past. The word of God, proclaimed by the Church, not only tells us of what happened in times past. It is not something lost in history. It is something that is being accomplished and fulfilled today, here and now, because God continues his work of salvation through the ministry of his Mystical Body.
In the word of God, the divine covenant is announced; in the Eucharist, the new and everlasting covenant is renewed.
With the eyes of our faith, we may now contemplate Jesus of Nazareth in the synagogue proclaiming, “This scripture which I have read in your hearing is today fulfilled” (Lk 4:21).
It is as it sounds. Here and now, the events narrated by the evangelists are accomplished. Every day, God the Father comes to meet his children through Christ. In every Mass, God asks us: Do you love me? Do you want to become my disciple? Do you want to be with me in eternal life? Are you ready to accompany me in the holocaust of the cross?
If we are to grow in the knowledge of the written word of God, we must prepare ourselves by prayer so that we may receive the light that the Holy Spirit is always ready to grant us freely.
God’s word not only announces and communicates a message, but also always produces the effect wanted by Him.
“It is not a matter of just thinking about Jesus, of recalling some scenes of his life. We must be completely involved and play a part in his life. We should follow him as closely as Mary, his Mother did, as closely as the first twelve, the holy women, the crowds that pressed about him. If we do this without holding back, Christ’s words will enter deep into our souls and will change us.”
The word of God must be accepted joyfully as it is proposed for belief by the teaching authority of the Church. We must follow the Magisterium of the Church as a guiding star, for the divine Redeemer has entrusted the safeguarding and the explanation of the written or transmitted word of God to her.
Each Christian must render “obedience to faith” (Rom 16:26), within the one true Church established by Jesus Christ, if they are to understand the word of God rightly.
The word of God is also judgment. After hearing the word of God, we can no longer be the same people as before. Either we allow ourselves to be captivated and transformed by it, or we resist its action, thus despising the hand of God.
It is now time to be attentive to the proclamation of the word, with full piety, telling our Lord with a sincere heart: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (2 Sam 3:10).