2 Timothy 3:10-17 / Mark 12:35-37
You know the Scriptures: They are inspired by God.
How
did God inspire the Scriptures? Some suggest that God dictated to the biblical
writers, as a boss dictates to a private secretary. Others suggest the biblical
writers were inspired religiously, as songwriters are inspired musically. Most
people hold a middle position. They hold that God enlightened the writers in
such a way that they wrote all and only what God wanted them to write. God is
therefore the primary author; the biblical writers are secondary authors. The
important thing, however, is not how
the biblical writers were inspired, but that
they were.
****
Can
we say with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The words of the Bible find me at a
deeper level of my being than any other book does”? “My heart has always
assured me that the gospel of Jesus Christ must be Divine Reality.” Daniel Webster
****
The Bible is the sacred book of the Church, and we call it the Word of
God. We revere it, read it, meditate on it, pray with it, because as we heard
in the 1st reading "All scripture is inspired by God ... " so the
Bible is a means of coming into communion with God.
The 1st reading also continues by saying that the Holy Scriptures "can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy".
It is surely very comforting and affirming to hear all this, just as in the gospel, the great majority of the people heard the teaching of Jesus with delight. Yet the Word of God strengthens, as well as commissions. As we read and meditate on the scriptures, we must be aware that we are being equipped and made ready to do any kind of good work. The 1st reading painted this scenario before us: You are well aware that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while the wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.
Well, the Word of God brings comfort to the distressed, and distresses the comfortable. The Word of God is not for us to pick and choose what we want to hear. The Word of God strengthens and commissions; the Word of God also probes and challenges us. May the Word of God lead us to the truth and may it also bring us comfort in our distress.
The 1st reading also continues by saying that the Holy Scriptures "can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy".
It is surely very comforting and affirming to hear all this, just as in the gospel, the great majority of the people heard the teaching of Jesus with delight. Yet the Word of God strengthens, as well as commissions. As we read and meditate on the scriptures, we must be aware that we are being equipped and made ready to do any kind of good work. The 1st reading painted this scenario before us: You are well aware that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while the wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.
Well, the Word of God brings comfort to the distressed, and distresses the comfortable. The Word of God is not for us to pick and choose what we want to hear. The Word of God strengthens and commissions; the Word of God also probes and challenges us. May the Word of God lead us to the truth and may it also bring us comfort in our distress.
***
Friday June 5
Friday of 9th Week of Ordinary Time
JESUS MORE THAN A HUMAN PERSON
Introduction
The author of 2 Timothy asks Timothy to learn from Paul how to bear persecution and difficulties. He assures Timothy that the persecutors will be punished. Then, he asks Timothy to hold on firmly to the faith and to the sacred writings that express it. The Scriptures are inspired by God and like a handbook for a life of faith.
Using a rabbinic form of argumentation, Jesus states that he is more than a descendant of David. No king would have addressed his son as Lord. The Savior is more than a human being. Early Christianity understood this title of “Son” and “Lord” in the divine sense.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
the person who laid down his life
to save us from our human limitations
and to let us live in your world
is your own Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Give us the true wisdom
to accept him as the Lord of our lives
and your presence among us.
Let him lead us to you,
our God, for ever and ever.
Commentary
The praise of the scriptures in today’s reading from Timothy underscores its centrality in the Christian life. It is honored and respected as inspired by God. How inspiration takes place is widely discussed by scholars; opinions on the subject are numerous. But the fact remains that from earliest times certain compositions have been confirmed by the church as inspired, while numerous competitors have not. They include books that have been received from the Hebrew tradition as well as those written in the light of New Testament revelation.
These books are normative for the Christian life. We are not free to pick and choose, although we certainly have our favorites. We are told that the scriptures are useful for correction and refutation. Since they constitute the inspired norm of our faith life, deviations can lead to wrong judgment and error. But most important, the Bible is important for teaching, to make us equipped for teaching in holiness and for every good work.
Today’s Gospel is a classic example of biblical teaching. The first and greatest commandment is the love of God and neighbor. With this as our guiding norm, we quickly realize that there is no commandment or precept that falls outside its domain. To be schooled in the scriptures is to be totally at one with God’s will.
In the past fifty years there has been a remarkable growth in our understanding of the Bible. Scripture formation is now part of the life of many parishes. We learn from the Bible’s towering figures and from the mistakes of some of its heroes. Above all, Christ stands as its center and heart. The scriptures are multifaceted, a rich source of inspiration.
Points to Ponder
Daily scripture reading
The Bible: inspired and inspiring
Teaching from the scriptures.
Intercessions
That we may recognize and love Jesus as one of us, who knows us and shares our struggles and concerns, we pray:
That people everywhere may accept Christ as more than a great human person and as our Lord and Savior, we pray:
That our communities may recognize Christ and his Spirit as the binding force of love and friendship among us we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
accept in this bread and this wine
our faith and our commitment to Jesus
as our Savior and Lord.
May he help us grow
in faith and patience,
in love and constancy,
that we may be ready for any good work
and encounter you and people
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son is with us
as our brother and Savior.
It is our joy
that he has become one of us,
human, breathing, living.
We want to go his way.
Let his suffering be our victory,
his humiliation our honor,
his innocence our justice,
his death our life,
his resurrection our comfort,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Blessing
We believe in Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary and one of us, human, but more than a human person: the Son of God and our Savior. May Almighty God confirm your faith and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Friday of 9th Week of Ordinary Time
JESUS MORE THAN A HUMAN PERSON
Introduction
The author of 2 Timothy asks Timothy to learn from Paul how to bear persecution and difficulties. He assures Timothy that the persecutors will be punished. Then, he asks Timothy to hold on firmly to the faith and to the sacred writings that express it. The Scriptures are inspired by God and like a handbook for a life of faith.
Using a rabbinic form of argumentation, Jesus states that he is more than a descendant of David. No king would have addressed his son as Lord. The Savior is more than a human being. Early Christianity understood this title of “Son” and “Lord” in the divine sense.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
the person who laid down his life
to save us from our human limitations
and to let us live in your world
is your own Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Give us the true wisdom
to accept him as the Lord of our lives
and your presence among us.
Let him lead us to you,
our God, for ever and ever.
Commentary
The praise of the scriptures in today’s reading from Timothy underscores its centrality in the Christian life. It is honored and respected as inspired by God. How inspiration takes place is widely discussed by scholars; opinions on the subject are numerous. But the fact remains that from earliest times certain compositions have been confirmed by the church as inspired, while numerous competitors have not. They include books that have been received from the Hebrew tradition as well as those written in the light of New Testament revelation.
These books are normative for the Christian life. We are not free to pick and choose, although we certainly have our favorites. We are told that the scriptures are useful for correction and refutation. Since they constitute the inspired norm of our faith life, deviations can lead to wrong judgment and error. But most important, the Bible is important for teaching, to make us equipped for teaching in holiness and for every good work.
Today’s Gospel is a classic example of biblical teaching. The first and greatest commandment is the love of God and neighbor. With this as our guiding norm, we quickly realize that there is no commandment or precept that falls outside its domain. To be schooled in the scriptures is to be totally at one with God’s will.
In the past fifty years there has been a remarkable growth in our understanding of the Bible. Scripture formation is now part of the life of many parishes. We learn from the Bible’s towering figures and from the mistakes of some of its heroes. Above all, Christ stands as its center and heart. The scriptures are multifaceted, a rich source of inspiration.
Points to Ponder
Daily scripture reading
The Bible: inspired and inspiring
Teaching from the scriptures.
Intercessions
That we may recognize and love Jesus as one of us, who knows us and shares our struggles and concerns, we pray:
That people everywhere may accept Christ as more than a great human person and as our Lord and Savior, we pray:
That our communities may recognize Christ and his Spirit as the binding force of love and friendship among us we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
accept in this bread and this wine
our faith and our commitment to Jesus
as our Savior and Lord.
May he help us grow
in faith and patience,
in love and constancy,
that we may be ready for any good work
and encounter you and people
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son is with us
as our brother and Savior.
It is our joy
that he has become one of us,
human, breathing, living.
We want to go his way.
Let his suffering be our victory,
his humiliation our honor,
his innocence our justice,
his death our life,
his resurrection our comfort,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Blessing
We believe in Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary and one of us, human, but more than a human person: the Son of God and our Savior. May Almighty God confirm your faith and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
