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The Word of God: Living and Powerful in our Lives

In today’s First Reading, the Lord reveals two significant aspects regarding his Word.  God’s Word is living (“fertile and fruitful”) and powerful (“achieving the end for which I sent it”). In what sense do we say that the Word of God is living?  

Books are wonderful.  Through them and the gift of imagination they foster, we can travel to space and distant lands.  We build empathy through reading about the experiences of real and fictional people from around the world and throughout human history.  We gain wise insights and grapple with the deepest and most profound questions of human meaning.  However, the Bible is fundamentally different from all other books, no matter how brilliant.  All other books ultimately express the thoughts of their human authors. Sacred Scripture expresses a Living Person, the Word of God, the Risen Christ Jesus.  This Person is the Word through whom all things were created, redeemed, and ultimately find their origin and meaning.  Vatican II offers us this key insight, “in reality it is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear.” (Gaudium et spes, no. 22) Ultimately, God’s Word is alive because Jesus is alive, risen from the dead never to die again.

In what sense do we mean that the Word of God has power?  Usually, when we think of something or someone as powerful, it means that they have the ability to coerce or manipulate a response from us.  Failure to comply with them will bring unpleasant consequences.  They necessarily limit our freedom.  However, this is not God’s definition of power.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us a good definition of biblical power, “Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose . . . power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice.”  God’s word has this kind of power.  It is not coercive or limiting to true freedom (the freedom to love), but it has the ability to effect change in our hearts and in our world.  It can truly change our lives and the course of human history.  Scripture is God’s revealed love bringing about his plan of reconciliation and justice.

So how can the Word of God become living and powerful in our lives?  In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the proper disposition for prayer and teaches his disciples how to pray.  When our prayer is rooted in Scripture in the context of our loving relationship with our Father, we experience deep within the Word of God as living and powerful.  Bible studies are a great way to learn about God and should be encouraged.  Nevertheless, to really know (and not just know about) God, we need to spend time with him present in his revealed Word.

The context for Scriptural prayer par excellence is the Liturgy.  Each of the sacraments begins with a Liturgy of the Word, and the sacramental action comes as a response in faith to the living and powerful Word proclaimed.  The oath (Latin=sacramentum) of the Lord, found in his Word, gives each sacrament its efficacy.  To the extent that we actively listen to the proclamation of God’s Word, the better we are able to actively and fully participate in the Liturgy, opening ourselves to a more full cooperation with God’s life and power (also known as Sanctifying Grace) available to us through liturgical ritual prayer.

Another great way to pray with Scripture is through the Psalms.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls them “the masterwork of prayer in the Old Testament.” (no. 2585)  For this reason, the Church uses them as the foundation for the Liturgy of the Hours.  Their antiquity speaks to their vitality and power.  For almost 3,000 years, they have been used to sustain and express the praise, longing, and lamentation of the People of God.  Jesus prayed this inspired poetry, even from the cross. (Ps 22:2; Mk 15:34)  In the Psalms, every human emotion is felt, acknowledged, and placed before God.  As a poet and proponent of “communal pondering in a noisy world” Marilyn Nelson said in a recent interview, “poetry comes out of silence and leads us back to silence . . . and that’s why reading poetry, reading it alone silently takes us someplace where we can’t get ordinarily. Poetry opens us to this otherness that exists within us. In any case, I think poetry and the silence of the inner life are related, are connected . . . you read a poem, and you say, ‘Ah.’ And then you listen to what it brings out inside of you. And what it is is not words; it’s silence.”  How much more so for divinely inspired poetry!  

Furthermore, the Psalms are meant to be sung.  The Catechism quotes St. Augustine as saying that the person “who sings prays twice.” (no. 1156)  The human action of singing, especially with others, animates our bodies and spirits, bringing about unity like nothing else.  Do you ever notice how hard it is to remember simple things from last week, but we can summon up song lyrics that we learned decades ago?  

Finally, there has been a resurgence in the practice of lectio divina (Sacred Reading) in recent years.  Pope Benedict XVI encouraged this practice in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. (no. 86)  It can be practiced in a few minutes (at least 10) by yourself, or in a small group.  There are four steps to this practice; Reading, Meditation, Prayer, and Contemplation.  First, take a passage of Scripture (perhaps begin with a Gospel or one of the readings from the daily Mass).  Slowly read a short passage.  Second, re-read the passage, perhaps even slower than the first time, but now use your imagination to place yourself in the scene, trying to account for all five senses.  If you are reading a non-narrative passage (epistles, wisdom literature, etc.), did you notice a word or phrase that stuck with you?  Third, bring this to prayer.  Simply speak to God from your heart using your reading and meditation to begin the conversation.  Is there a connection you see or feel between the passage and your current situation in life?  Talk with God about it.  Fourth, sit wordlessly with the Lord and rest in him, noticing the movements of your spirit.  Use the reading, meditation, and prayer as kindling for a “fire of love”.  Some have called this silent contemplation “the prayer of the loving gaze”.  Additionally, some have found it helpful to add a last step, one of action.  Did some action suggest itself to you during your prayer?  Make a commitment to do one thing over the next day as a fruit of your daily prayer.

“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective.” (Heb 4:12)  God wants to effect change in your life and in our world.  His Word will not return to him void, but will achieve its purpose.  This Lent, may we each find our way to experience this vitality and power more personally and deeply in anticipation of the celebration of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.    

 

 

John Graveline, MTS, is a husband and father of three small children.  He has worked for almost twenty-five years as a catechist and ministry coordinator specializing in the evangelization of young adults, adults, and families.  He is currently on the pastoral staff of St. Luke University Parish at Grand Valley State University as the Faith Formation Director.  

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Advent: Lift Up Your Heads!

TODAY’S ADVENT REFLECTION FOR THE 4TH FRIDAY OF ADVENT, 2016

Working on a college campus is inspiring. You are surrounded by young, energetic students who are here to learn and grow. But I have an interesting observation about these same students. I am amazed at their uncanny ability to walk between classes with their heads down, staring at their ever-present smartphones, a mere eight to 10 inches away.

These students seem to have developed a sort of “forward peripheral vision” that allows them to avoid collision with like-minded students; even with both in their heads-down-walk, they each veer slightly off course, without even looking up.

But not to just pick on the students, the next time you are at an airport waiting for your flight, take a look at how many people have their eyes firmly affixed to their smartphones, oblivious to what is going on around them.

The response for today’s responsorial song, Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand, seems to prophetically address this very phenomena, even to the last words, at hand.

While it is easy to judge those who are transfixed in what I call the “eight-inch stare” and conclude, “they need to get a life, to interact with those who are around them or to just put the darn thing in their pocket and enjoy God’s creation and the wonderful world around them,” where do we have our heads? What is our focus? What are we looking at? What path are we on?

This Advent season, have we been immersed in the online and print ads for the must-have Christmas presents, or are we taking the time to look at the path the Lord has laid out for us to follow each and every day?

Are we open to God’s constant presence around us and his desire to guide our each and every step, mindful that “paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees?”

So just what should we do?

For starters, the obvious.

We can take time to unplug ourselves from the computer and smartphone. Then, as we practice the Daily Examen, reflect on God’s presence in our lives and, more specifically, the path we are walking and where we are headed. Realize that God’s presence with you is not just at Mass or while you are reading this reflection, but with each and every step we  take on our journey called life. We can be grateful for the gifts which we have received and will receive today, be it the kind word from a co-worker or friend, or the love we receive from members of our family. Thank God for His steady, guiding hand as we walk our chosen path.

Our Advent season is about to end and the wait for the Christ child will soon be over, but that does not mean that we should stop finding time to quietly and humbly serve those in need, or neglect to always seek justice. To the contrary, the celebration of His birth should focus us and cause us to recommit our efforts to follow the path God has set before us and wants us to follow, each and every day.

Maybe all we need to do is lift up our heads.

[Throughout the 2016 Advent season, we will be bringing you posts from a variety of writers. Our hope is that each of these will be a meaningful way for you to slow down, pray well, and prepare for the coming of our Lord. Today’s blogger is Steve Schler, senior philanthropic advisor at Creighton University. He says, “I do not participate in social media websites so posting my personal interpretation about what the readings mean to me is a novel experience for me. However, being required to put pen to paper forced me to become more reflective about what God is really trying to say to me and this has helped me in my daily prayer life – to slow down and let the Word of God dwell within me instead of racing through the daily devotions.” Today’s reading can be found here.]

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5 Reasons Catholics Should Read The Bible

Today is the feast day of St. Jerome, who lived during the first century of the Church. A man of brilliant mind, he lived as a hermit for years, in order to deal with his many sins. However, God needed his intellect and gift of language; thus St. Jerome is credited with translating Scripture into Latin under direction of Pope Damascus.

St. Jerome famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” That thought alone should send us all scurrying for our Bibles! So, why should Catholics make regular Scripture reading and study part of their daily lives?

  1. It is the living Word of God. There are many ancient texts in the history of the world. Many of us, in high school and college, read The Iliad, I Ching, and the Tao de Ching. They are all worthy of study, but what sets the Bible apart? It is the living Word of God. It has no equal, and it is as relevant today as it was when Jerome labored over its translation. Further, the Word of God is Christ: In the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (Jn. 1:1 ) Thus, every encounter with Scripture is an encounter with Christ.
  2. Sunday isn’t enough. Indeed, the Mass is full of Scripture. We hear the Word proclaimed from the Old and New Testaments, the Psalms, and the Gospel. We hear the Word sung in our hymns. The prayers at Mass are full of Scriptural quotes and references. And yet … it’s not enough. It’s easy to miss parts of the Word as it’s proclaimed as Mass: we get distracted, the Word is not proclaimed well, we don’t quite hear it. In order to prepare well for Mass, we should “read ahead:” find the readings for Mass and read them prior to Mass. How are they connected? What is God’s message for His people today?
  3. God’s Word keeps us grounded. It is very easy, in the midst of our sloppy, busy, stress-filled days, to lose touch with who we are: God’s children. Taking time to read Scripture every day keeps us grounded, reminds us of who we are. Reading Scripture helps us to recall, every day, that Christ is with us – even in the sloppiness, the busy-ness, the stress.
  4. Scripture reminds us of God’s covenant. God made a promise to our forefathers in faith, the Jews. He told them, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Even though the Jews (like us!) did many things that should have destroyed that covenant, God’s promise is eternal. A covenant is unbreakable, because it is God’s truth. Then, with the coming of Christ, we received a new covenant: “This is My Body and this is My Blood. Whoever eats and drinks of it shall have eternal life.” The Bible, from start to finish, is the story of God’s unbreakable promise to us. That’s pretty important.
  5. Reading Scripture helps us to pray better. Every one of us needs to pray better. Prayer is our lifeline to God. Scripture can help us to pray better. We see ourselves reflected in the sorrow, pain and faithfulness of Job. We understand Jonah’s reluctance to do the job God has set before him. We rejoice, laugh, cry and challenge God with the psalmist. We understand the shame of the woman about to be stoned. We tremble with fear, abandoning Christ, just as most of the Apostles did when He most needed them. To enter into God’s word helps us to see, hear, feel and understand basic human responses … and then do better. We rise above our fears, our sorrows, our shame, because we know God is with us. Always. He never abandons us. Scripture is the story of God’s eternal love and faithfulness.

St. Jerome knew all this. He spent his life carefully and faithfully translating God’s word. He did it not because it was yet another text that smart people wanted to read in their own language. No, he understood that Scripture is the living word of God, as relevant to us as it was to the Jews in their many triumphs and struggles, as it was to the earliest Christians during St. Jerome’s life, and now, in a world where we have so much information at our fingertips it would make St. Jerome’s head spin. But there is no website, no book, no podcast, no Facebook post that equals God’s word. Do not be ignorant of this word, lest you be ignorant of Christ.

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The Liturgy Of The Word: God Speaks To Us Through Scripture

Did you know that the Mass is a prayer? It’s not a bunch of prayers stuck together in some sort of mystical way every day, every Sunday. It is the prayer of God’s people, stretching back two millennia. The very earliest Christians gathered to share God’s word and celebrate the Eucharist, as Christ told his Apostles to do at the Last Supper. There are two billion Catholics throughout the world who pray together, entering into the Mystery of the Mass every day.

The Mass consists of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We believe that Christ is present in both, but in distinct ways.

The Mass is full of signs and symbols. We pray with our entire bodies, through gestures and postures. We are surrounded by music, images and art. All of these have meaning, and enrich the prayerful atmosphere. However, the Mass is the same whether it is celebrated in the most humble of chapels, on the back of a jeep with soldiers gathered about, or in St. Peter’s Basilica.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) says this about the Liturgy of the Word:

In the Liturgy of the Word, the Church feeds the people of God from the table of his Word …. The Scriptures are the word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In the Scriptures, God speaks to us, leading us along the path to salvation.

The Responsorial Psalm is sung between the readings. The psalm helps us to meditate on the word of God.

The high point of the Liturgy of the Word is the reading of the Gospel. Because the Gospels tell of the life, ministry, and preaching of Christ, it receives several special signs of honor and reverence. The gathered assembly stands to hear the Gospel and it is introduced by an acclamation of praise. Apart from Lent, that acclamation is “Alleluia,” derived from a Hebrew phrase meaning “Praise the Lord!” A deacon (or, if no deacon is present, a priest) proclaims the Gospel.

Either a deacon or priest may give the homily, which is meant to be a reflection on the Word of God that was just proclaimed, and should educate and edify the congregation.

Following the homily, there should be a short period of silence for reflection. Then the Nicene Creed is proclaimed (or in some circumstances, the Apostles’ Creed). This is the declaration of our faith and beliefs as Christians, both as individuals and a community.

The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the Prayer of the Faithful. These prayers, while unique for every congregation, are meant to follow a rubric: prayers for the Universal church, for public matters and global concerns, for those afflicted or burdened, the local community and for the dead.

On Wednesday, we will look at the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

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How Can I Handle The Hard Times Better?

No one escapes it: the trials and tribulations of this life. It may look like some people never suffer. Glossy magazines and television shows that focus on “celebrity lifestyles” can make us feel as if we are living out a Dickens novel by comparison. But underneath all that glamour and shiny stuff, those folks have hard times too.

Maybe for you, it’s an illness. Perhaps it’s a sin you struggle with daily. It could be debt, or losing a job. Perhaps you’ve lost someone close to you, and grief has overtaken your life. It happens to everyone. As Catholics, we need to ask ourselves, “How can I handle the hard times better? What is there, in my faith life, that can prop me up?”

First, we have to know that God is not punishing us when we are sick or sorrowful. In John 9, Christ and his disciples pass by a man born blind. The disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Notice that the disciples assume that someone must have done something terribly wrong, for this great burden to be laid on this man. But Jesus says no, there was no sin involved. The man’s suffering was so that God’s glory may be seen through this man. And Jesus cured him.

While Jesus may not cure every illness or problem, He will allow God’s grace to shine through, if we cooperate with Him. Let God know that you welcome Him into your life, even in the midst of suffering. If he wants to use you – even in your pain – allow Him to.

Have a sense of humor. Some of God’s best friends, the saints, were not immune to struggles, but many of them didn’t lose their sense of humor either. St. Theresa of Avila was one tough lady, a true prayer warrior. She also got malaria, had a hard time praying sometimes, and struggled with complaining about others. She also had great joy.

Once, when she was travelling to one of her convents, St. Teresa of Ávila was knocked off her donkey and fell into the mud, injuring her leg. “Lord,” she said, “you couldn’t have picked a worse time for this to happen. Why would you let this happen?”

And the response in prayer that she heard was, “That is how I treat my friends.”

Teresa answered, “And that is why you have so few of them!”

When you are feeling overwhelmed, share your troubles. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill t he law of Christ.” Sharing your problems with a friend in Christ may not solve anything, but knowing that our friend cares and will pray with us and for us can relieve us of much anxiety.

When tough times hit, our instinct may be to pray less. Maybe we are mad at God for allowing pain into our lives. Maybe we think, “I haven’t got time to pray; I’m too busy trying to straighten out this mess!” The fact of the matter is, when times are hard, we need to pray MORE. Maybe a lot more. Deacon Joseph Michalak suggests praying all the Psalms, because they “offer accounts of many struggles, and end with praising God.”

Volunteer. You might do it casually, such as making sure your elderly neighbor gets a ride to church every week, or maybe you’ll be more formal and join an organization. Either way, serving others gets us “outside of ourselves.” We stop focusing on our issues, and help meet others’ needs. Offering your time and talent to someone else can also help put your own struggles in perspective.

Never underestimate the power of the sacraments. We wouldn’t never expect our car to run with an empty gas tank. Well, “grace” is sort of gas for the soul. It’s God own life within us, and God’s grace is always sufficient for whatever situation we are in. Go to Mass as often as possible (understanding that one must attend Sunday Mass to remain in a state of grace.) Take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If you are sick, in need of surgery or have a chronic illness, ask your priest for the Anointing of the Sick. Even if your are still stuck in a difficult situation, God’s grace will be a fortress for your and His faithfulness a protective shield. Trust in God and in His gift of grace.

Finally, don’t be ashamed or hesitant to ask for help. If your finances are a mess, get an expert to go over them with you. If you are sick and cannot keep up with things like housework or cooking, ask your parish for help. If you are struggling with an addiction, find a group in your area (such as Alcoholics Anonymous) where you can find support. You may be surprised at how your friends and family will rise to the occasion once you let them in. Don’t go it alone.

We have a God who knows our pains, our worries, our struggles. While Jesus never sinned, He carried all of our sins on the way to Calvary. He lost people He loved. His dearest friends betrayed Him and took off when He needed them most. He was misunderstood by many, and treated as if He were a criminal, although He’d done no wrong. He understands far more than we give Him credit for. Trust Jesus with your tough times. He will not fail you.

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Hymns Of Praise O Let Us Sing: The Psalms

Traditionally, the Jews have referred to the psalms as “Hymns of Praise.” There are 150 psalms, most of which are attributed to King David. They are important in both Jewish and Christian writings, prayer and liturgies; artists have, for centuries, found them to be a source of inspiration.

The psalms are a form of religious literature. Some are hymns, some are prayers of thanksgiving, others adoration for God, and some “didactic” or a means of spelling out the Law, those rules that governed Jewish life. St Basil the Great describes the Psalms:

All Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable, for it was written by the Spirit to the end that as it were in a general hospital for souls, we human beings might each select the medicine for his own disease . . . The prophets provide one kind of instruction, the historians another, the law yet another. But the book of Psalms contains that which is profitable in all of them. It prophesies of the future; it recalls history; it legislates for life; it suggests rules of action; in a word, it is a common storehouse of good doctrines, providing exactly what is expedient for everyone. . . . Therein is a complete theology; the prediction of the advent of Christ in the flesh, the threatening of judgment, the hope of resurrection, the fear of chastisement, the promises of glory, revelations of mysteries: all, as in some great public storehouse, are treasured up in the Book of Psalms.

As Catholics, the Psalms are part of every liturgy. They are a form of prayer that connects us to the covenant established by God with the Jewish people. Jesus prayed them, as did Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Sarah Christmyer, an author and speaker, gives this advice:

Praying Scripture daily is a wonderful way to grow close to God. Before you begin, it is important that you decide on a regular time and place. And be sure to pray before you read.  If you can choose a favorite Psalm to pray each day before you start, you’ll find it engraved upon your heart after a while, ready to spring to mind whenever you need it.

Psalm 23 is likely the best known psalm in the world. Even those who don’t know a thing about the Bible have likely heard the words, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” Catholic singer-songwriter Audrey Assad took inspiration from this psalm for her piece, I Shall Not Want. Enjoy this piece, and then dig into the psalms a bit; may you will find comfort and peace.