By Leon Bent –
Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Letter “Miericordia et Misera,” to mark the end of the Year of Mercy, had called for a Sunday each year, in all Christian Communities around the World, to be celebrated as “Bible Sunday.” “This Sunday should be given over entirely to the Word of God, so as to appreciate the inexhaustible riches contained in the constant dialogue between the Lord and his people.”
For centuries, the Bible has been changing lives. Bible Sunday is a day on which the Catholic Church celebrates the continuing impact the Bible has on individuals and communities the world over.
There is an increasing hunger among Catholics to study the Bible in depth, and in a way that integrates Scripture with Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life.
There is in Judeo-Christian literature stories – several in the Bible and others from tradition – of prophets and holy men being given words to eat by angels – scrolls, the consumption and digestion of which, are transformative. An angel gives Ezekiel a scroll to eat (“and in my mouth it was sweet as honey”), and then the prophet is able to go and preach – with wisdom and understanding – the very words the angel gave him to chew and swallow (Ezek.3:3; Rev.10:9; Jer.15:6; Isa.9:20; Gen.41:21).
How must the Word of God be approached? You are approaching the “Word of God”. This is the title Christians most commonly give to the Bible, and the expression is rich in meaning. It is also the designation given to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God the Son. For Jesus Christ became flesh for our salvation, and “the name by which he is called is The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13; cf. Jn. 1: 14).
The Word of God is Scripture. The Word of God is Jesus. This close association between God’s written word and his eternal Word is intentional, and has been the custom of the Church since the first generation. “All Sacred Scripture is but one book, and this one book is Christ, because all divine Scripture speaks of Christ, and is fulfilled in Christ” (CCC 134). This does not mean that the Scriptures are divine in the same way that Jesus is divine. They are, rather, divinely inspired and, as such, are unique in world literature, just as the Incarnation of the eternal Word is unique in human history. On Bible Sunday, we give thanks for the Bible, the Word of God.
Who Empowered Jesus in his Ministry? What should we do? St. Luke points out that Jesus entered Galilee “with the power of the Spirit in him, and the first line of the prophecy he quotes is “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Lk.4:18; Isa.61:1), Jesus’ mission was more than a merely human task, and so is ours. We received that very same Spirit in Baptism, and we received a further outpouring of the Spirit in Confirmation. Our pursuit in life, in the Church, and in the world, is one we must carry out depending on God’s grace, and following his supernatural lead.
Much of the frustrations, conflicts, and discouragements that Christians experience, come from forgetting this fact. We are instruments, foot soldiers, and ambassadors, but the Holy Spirit coordinates all our efforts. If each of us is docile to him, when the last battle comes to its close, we will be amazed at the hidden progress that blossoms forth, in the definitive establishment of Christ’s Kingdom. The most fundamental lesson the active Christian needs to learn, is to see all things with eyes enlightened by the Spirit (Luke 4:14-21).
Jesus’ Great Commission: St. Francis of Assisi famously attested: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and, if necessary, use words.” However, Paul VI went on to explain in “Evangelization in the Modern World,” the important interplay between Word and witness: Evangelization is an on-going three-step process.
1. Discovering Jesus through a personal encounter with him.
2. Following Jesus; becoming his disciple.
3. Proclaiming the Good News: Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore, GO, make disciples of all nations” in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Pope Francis asserts, “The Bible is the great story of the marvels of God’s mercy. Through Sacred Scripture, the spirit of compassion is kept alive by the faith of the Church, as the Lord continues to speak to his Bride, showing her the path she must take, for the Gospel of salvation to reach all mankind. I greatly desire that God’s Word be increasingly celebrated, known and disseminated, so that, the mystery of love streaming from this font of mercy may be better understood. As the Apostle tells us clearly: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is good for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes a disciple in this way: “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it.”
Now, this Gold Nugget! Our Mission as Catholics is to provide God’s Word to all people in a language they can understand, and in a format they can use. Our vision is to seek under God’s intervention and inspiration, to see communities and cultures transformed as people encounter God in the Bible. The Word of God, like a two-edged sword, cuts through all the nonsense and vanity of our lives and nourishes us with the truth — which feeds our souls like good fresh bread and strong red wine (cf.Heb.4:12).
The Punch Lines! However, the most important context is the interior life of the individual reader. What we get out of the Bible will largely depend on how we approach the Bible. Unless we live a sustained and disciplined life of prayer, we will never have the reverence, the profound humility, or the grace we need, to see the Scriptures for what they really are.
And, this Final Flourish! The missionary is a person of the Beatitudes lived out in the apostolic life (cf. Mt 5:1-12). Today, as never before, we must respond with generosity and holiness to the calls and challenges of our time.
The Last Word! The Church accepts and venerates as inspired, the 46 books of the Old Testament, and the 27 books of the New Testament.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi.