Article Tools
- Text Size
- Add a comment (5)
- Print-Friendly
- Email this article
In our first article, we talked about how the two disciples on the road to Emmaus had their faith rekindled as they talked with Jesus.
We saw how the word of God that Jesus proclaimed to them enabled them to recognize him in the breaking of the bread. We also saw how they probably would not have seen Jesus if he had not spent so much time opening the Scriptures to them.
In this article, we want to look at three different ways that the Scriptures can be opened to us—ways that the word of God can teach us, inspire us, and help us see Jesus more clearly. All three ways are vital to our lives as Catholics, because they all work together to bring us closer to the Lord. As we explore these avenues of revelation, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with a greater and greater confidence that anyone who ponders the word of God on the written page can come…
The full article is available to subscribers only
Access all articles, daily meditations and readings, as well as special resources, by becoming a subscriber. View subscription options.
Special Offer: Two week free web-only trial subscription. Sign up now.
Existing Print & Web-Only Subscribers: Login for full access.
God indeed wants us to get closer to him. I like to start my day reading
Scripture. On my way to work I just thank and praise our Heavenly Father for everything He gives us from my car to get me to work to the beautiful flowers in bloom. I ask for patience and wisdom that I may be kind to all. Working with the public is difficult at times, I ask Jesus that whatever I do may bring Him glory. I read somewhere how every couple of hours we should just acknowledge the wonderous deed of our Heavenly Father. It’s what keeps me going throughout my day, just saying “Gracias Jesus”!
Yes, and let’s recall that God as the Second Person has become human by virtue of the Incarnation. This is marvelous and beyond our comprehension, so much so that it at times seems to good to be true. But because this loving God has taken on the human nature, when He speaks to us in scripture the words we hear emanate from the Incarnated God who knows just exactly what to say to us for our salvation, hope, consolation, faith, “knowledge” of God...and much more. The words of Truth. We have no remote God, a cosmic principle, or just a great prophet ...we have God Himself who has become human and is human. That is, God has adapted Himself to us by virtue of the Incarnation and union with the human race, and done so for our sake. This adaptation for and to us holds wonderfully true in the words of Scripture. For it is God Himself inspiring the human words of Scripture. Example of contrast: I am now studying a wonderful religion, Buddhism. How beautiful are many of its precepts, practices, and teachings. Oh, we could benefit much. Yet the overall imagery is that of an impersonal God and an infinite process ... an infinity of spiritual struggle and re-appeaarnces in space-time in many varied bodily forms. Karma ( somewhat akin to our Christain notion of the state of original sin ) is to be overturned in each reincarnation by individual effort. Much can benefit us in this empahsis on individual effort and struggle. But “success”, the attainment of enlightenment for the Buddhist, depends on yourself totally. But for us ,in the fulness of time, God in His mercy gave to us the Divine assistance that we need for salvation, Jesus Christ the Incarnated One. Not that human effort is no longer needed. But that in this is love, that God first loved us and gave us His son...The love of God for His creation trumps. It astounds, shocks, surprises and calls forth our human response.
One more thought. Do we realize and offer praise and thanksgiving for just how special scripture is ? I have one particular thing in mind for this note: God is love, and God is consummate spirit. Spirit is a difficult concpet, but I think of one of its dimensions as the non -matreial “stuff” that goes on in our brains when we experience words, sounds, concepts, emotions,etc. Just as humans move each other in many ways by works of their own spirit such as art, music, words, ect., likewise does God’s Spirit profoundly move our spirits, especially by His words. Now by virtue of the Incarnation, divivinty and humanity are rendered so very close, perfectly so in Christ and imperfectly so for those of us in Christ. And by virtue of this new closeness, the Spirit of God speaking to our spirit in the human words called “scripture”, is all the more efficacious and powefully impacting upon the human spirit. Because Christ is actually here, scripture is nothing less than Him speaking to us those very words we so much need to hear so as to move our spirits in those directions that cause us to cling to and fall in love with Him.
Scripture comes “alive” in our lives when it helps answer our questions,calm our fears and bring peace to our day. This was the way it was designed by our merciful God. In a recent trip to the hospital, with anxiety in my heart for the unknown, I remembered a bible verse I had read for the first time just a few days before. It came to mind and I started to repeat it in my head. “Keep me safe, O God;in you I take refuge” Psalm 16:1.
The Word of God came alive for me in this instant and helped be trust that I was in his hands. Much peace came over slowly, and the results of all the tests became less and less important. Knowing Jesus was there , was the smoothing hand I needed that day. I will never forget Psalm 16 for it truely spoke to my heart on June 11, 2009
Beautiful sharing from Marcy. Just reinforces that Scripture is indeed the special love letter of God to man as JPII said.