THE WORD OF GOD IS LIKE A HERBAL MEDICINE THAT HEALS A SICK MAN
HIS WORD IS POWER
The power of the Word of God"
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart. And before him no creature is hidden, everything is uncovered and opened to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves." (Heb. 4:12-13).
As God is the God who acts with power, God’s word cannot fail to be active and powerful like a sharp sword or a "polished arrow" (Is 49:2); it never fails to pierce through and through; there is no blunt side to it, it always cuts with one side or the other, either saving or judging. The piercing power of the Word of God helps to scrutinize and discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. A prayerful reading/listening of the word evokes the faithful to respond through all aspects of human life: spiritual, intellectual, moral and emotional. "The living and enduring Word of God" (1 Pt 1:23) is the basis for everyday choices and radical decisions which regenerates the believer.
"Were not our hearts burning within us while he (Jesus) was talking to us on the road [to Emmaus]? (Lk. 24:32). The disciples wondered and their eyes were opened at the breaking of bread. The disciples filled with enthusiasm returned to Jerusalem that very evening to share their joy with the other disciples. God’s Word does not take the form only of a spoken or written word. An event can likewise be a word of God and must therefore be kept in the heart as did Mary with the events of Jesus’ "mercy". "Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart" (Lk 2:19;2:51).
The essential character and inexhaustible vitality and efficacy of the Word of God are clearly defined in Is 55:10-11: "as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
God reveals himselfIt pleased God in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal himself and to make known the mystery of his will. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit and thus become sharers in the divine nature (CCC 51). Revelation involves a specific divine pedagogy: God communicates himself to man gradually. He illumines our mind to turn to him through the words in the Scriptures. He used ordinary human events and words to manifest his plan for us in the Scriptures for no other purpose than that we respond to him in faith, hope and love. He reveals himself fully in his Son who became man in Jesus Christ. The Word made flesh fulfills all Scriptures and nourishes us with them. He assists us "to be born from above" (Jn 3:3) and become the children of God (Jn:12).
Bible reflectionWith this in mind let us turn to God in prayer with the Word of God. There are various methods for Bible reflection/sharing to help us to fathom the depth of God’s love and mercy. The Regional Bible Commission proposes one method not because it is the best but because it came from the 12th century and has been practised by
nuns and monks. This method can be used by all either individually or in small groups. Thirty years ago Cardinal Carlo Martini popularised it to make the Word come to fruition in the world today. To make every effort to ensure that it will not remain in the stage of the hearing/reading of the Word, this reading would lead us to prayer and action. That knowledge – gained from an analysis and interpretation of the real world should be followed by action with the "mind of God". This allows the power of the Word to transform us.
Lectio divina"Lectio divina" that is "spiritual reading" is a way of praying the Scriptures so that the Word of God
may penetrate our hearts and we may grow in intimate relationship with the Lord. Through the practice of "lectio divina" as individuals and as community we give space for God’s Word to challenge us so that we may begin
to look upon our world as it were with the eyes of God and to love what we see with the heart of God.
Its natural movement is towards greater simplicity, with less and less talking and more and more listening. Gradually the words of Scripture begin to dissolve within us and the Word is revealed before the eyes of our heart. The movement in "lectio divina" prayer is towards silence. This augurs well for both individuals and small communities.
"Lectio divina" is a slow, contemplative prayer of the Scriptures. Time set aside in a special way, for "lectio divina", enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm, we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationship to the Father and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. To be effective we have to set aside quality time to experience the Word in our hearts and lives.
There are various ways we can get going in "lectio divina". Those who are regular in reading the Bible would be able to "dive" into it without much difficulty The usual way would be seen in four steps.1. "Leetio" - ReadRead the passage slowly and attentively. Take your time with each word, each phrase, pausing when you feel like it, repeating words or phrases to yourself, savouring and enjoying every word, focusing on things that may stand out. Don’t rush through it.
2. "Meditatio" – Listen & meditate
Take the word or phrase to yourself, slowly repeat it to yourself – "chew" on it. Let it interact with your concerns, memories and ideas as you try to work out its meaning and make it personally relevant. Don’t worry about being distracted – if memories, thoughts or images come up, just bring them up to the Lord as part of your prayer. Be aware of your feelings and emotions. This is not "navel gazing", but an honest accounting of our lives and always directed outward to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. "Oratio" - PrayerSpeak to God about the thoughts and feelings that have come to your consciousness. Perhaps there is something that you may tackle in some area in your life or maybe you have become aware of God’s action in some other aspect – whatever it is, pour out your heart to God about what has just come up. Even if nothing has come up, just speak to him about what you are feeling. Know that he is truly present and is listening to you. Let it be an abandonment to the will of God, like Mary, "Thy will be done!"
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart. And before him no creature is hidden, everything is uncovered and opened to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves." (Heb. 4:12-13).
As God is the God who acts with power, God’s word cannot fail to be active and powerful like a sharp sword or a "polished arrow" (Is 49:2); it never fails to pierce through and through; there is no blunt side to it, it always cuts with one side or the other, either saving or judging. The piercing power of the Word of God helps to scrutinize and discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. A prayerful reading/listening of the word evokes the faithful to respond through all aspects of human life: spiritual, intellectual, moral and emotional. "The living and enduring Word of God" (1 Pt 1:23) is the basis for everyday choices and radical decisions which regenerates the believer.
"Were not our hearts burning within us while he (Jesus) was talking to us on the road [to Emmaus]? (Lk. 24:32). The disciples wondered and their eyes were opened at the breaking of bread. The disciples filled with enthusiasm returned to Jerusalem that very evening to share their joy with the other disciples. God’s Word does not take the form only of a spoken or written word. An event can likewise be a word of God and must therefore be kept in the heart as did Mary with the events of Jesus’ "mercy". "Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart" (Lk 2:19;2:51).
The essential character and inexhaustible vitality and efficacy of the Word of God are clearly defined in Is 55:10-11: "as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
God reveals himselfIt pleased God in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal himself and to make known the mystery of his will. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit and thus become sharers in the divine nature (CCC 51). Revelation involves a specific divine pedagogy: God communicates himself to man gradually. He illumines our mind to turn to him through the words in the Scriptures. He used ordinary human events and words to manifest his plan for us in the Scriptures for no other purpose than that we respond to him in faith, hope and love. He reveals himself fully in his Son who became man in Jesus Christ. The Word made flesh fulfills all Scriptures and nourishes us with them. He assists us "to be born from above" (Jn 3:3) and become the children of God (Jn:12).
Bible reflectionWith this in mind let us turn to God in prayer with the Word of God. There are various methods for Bible reflection/sharing to help us to fathom the depth of God’s love and mercy. The Regional Bible Commission proposes one method not because it is the best but because it came from the 12th century and has been practised by
nuns and monks. This method can be used by all either individually or in small groups. Thirty years ago Cardinal Carlo Martini popularised it to make the Word come to fruition in the world today. To make every effort to ensure that it will not remain in the stage of the hearing/reading of the Word, this reading would lead us to prayer and action. That knowledge – gained from an analysis and interpretation of the real world should be followed by action with the "mind of God". This allows the power of the Word to transform us.
Lectio divina"Lectio divina" that is "spiritual reading" is a way of praying the Scriptures so that the Word of God nuns and monks. This method can be used by all either individually or in small groups. Thirty years ago Cardinal Carlo Martini popularised it to make the Word come to fruition in the world today. To make every effort to ensure that it will not remain in the stage of the hearing/reading of the Word, this reading would lead us to prayer and action. That knowledge – gained from an analysis and interpretation of the real world should be followed by action with the "mind of God". This allows the power of the Word to transform us.
may penetrate our hearts and we may grow in intimate relationship with the Lord. Through the practice of "lectio divina" as individuals and as community we give space for God’s Word to challenge us so that we may begin
to look upon our world as it were with the eyes of God and to love what we see with the heart of God.
Its natural movement is towards greater simplicity, with less and less talking and more and more listening. Gradually the words of Scripture begin to dissolve within us and the Word is revealed before the eyes of our heart. The movement in "lectio divina" prayer is towards silence. This augurs well for both individuals and small communities.
"Lectio divina" is a slow, contemplative prayer of the Scriptures. Time set aside in a special way, for "lectio divina", enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm, we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationship to the Father and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. To be effective we have to set aside quality time to experience the Word in our hearts and lives.
There are various ways we can get going in "lectio divina". Those who are regular in reading the Bible would be able to "dive" into it without much difficulty The usual way would be seen in four steps.1. "Leetio" - ReadRead the passage slowly and attentively. Take your time with each word, each phrase, pausing when you feel like it, repeating words or phrases to yourself, savouring and enjoying every word, focusing on things that may stand out. Don’t rush through it.
2. "Meditatio" – Listen & meditate
Take the word or phrase to yourself, slowly repeat it to yourself – "chew" on it. Let it interact with your concerns, memories and ideas as you try to work out its meaning and make it personally relevant. Don’t worry about being distracted – if memories, thoughts or images come up, just bring them up to the Lord as part of your prayer. Be aware of your feelings and emotions. This is not "navel gazing", but an honest accounting of our lives and always directed outward to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Take the word or phrase to yourself, slowly repeat it to yourself – "chew" on it. Let it interact with your concerns, memories and ideas as you try to work out its meaning and make it personally relevant. Don’t worry about being distracted – if memories, thoughts or images come up, just bring them up to the Lord as part of your prayer. Be aware of your feelings and emotions. This is not "navel gazing", but an honest accounting of our lives and always directed outward to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. "Oratio" - PrayerSpeak to God about the thoughts and feelings that have come to your consciousness. Perhaps there is something that you may tackle in some area in your life or maybe you have become aware of God’s action in some other aspect – whatever it is, pour out your heart to God about what has just come up. Even if nothing has come up, just speak to him about what you are feeling. Know that he is truly present and is listening to you. Let it be an abandonment to the will of God, like Mary, "Thy will be done!"
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