SACRED SCRIPTURE
God’s
Word, transmitted by Holy Scripture, is a fundamental means
by which he calls us and communicates the
gift of his life. Living with Scripture is not a luxury reserved
for a few people of leisure or those with a taste for
biblical exegesis. It is a vital necessity for every Christian,
especially in these times of instability, struggle, and confusion.
We have an urgent need for Holy Scripture
as an inexhaustible source of light and strength,
illumination and foundation of our lives. Jesus
tells us: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
— Called to Life, p.30
Scripture
mysteriously communicates God’s very presence. “My
character, I give it in the text,” the Talmud says,
in a midrash or commentary on the Decalogue. Despite
the limitations of the human languages used by biblical
authors, the Holy Spirit who guided them made their
words means by which God is truly among us in all his love, wisdom, and power. […]
If we allow the words of Scripture to fill our thoughts and enter our hearts,
God becomes present. For God dwells in his Word.
— Called to Life, p.34
In
his encyclical Novo Millennio Ineunte, laying out his
plan for the Church of the third millennium, Pope John
Paul II says that a Christian who does not pray is a Christian
“at risk.” As a corollary, I’d add that the same is
true of a Christian who does not regularly read the
—Called to Life, p.42
There are moments in the lives
of us all when the beneficent authority of God’s
Word will be our saving support, times of tribulation
where the only stability will be found in the word of
Scripture. Tempted in the desert by the Devil, Jesus
overcame him with Scripture. But the Tempter will be
stronger than we if we remain enclosed in human reasoning.
Only the Word of Godwill have the ability to disarm
him.
— Called to Life, p.44
True peace comes in holding
fast to the promises of God. When, in a moment of doubt
or confusion, we accept a word of Scripture by
an act of faith, the authority that belongs to this word
becomes our support and strength. It is not a magic
wand, immunizing us against perplexity and anguish. But it
possesses a unique power, unlike anything else, to bring
us hope no matter what happens. Accepted with faith,
God’s Word has the power to put an end to the ebb
and flow of our uncertain reasonings, to establish us in truth and peace, to
confer upon us the hope that is “an anchor of the soul,sure and firm” (Heb 6:19).
— Called to Life, p.44
To become familiar with
Scripture, to have it penetrate our hearts and memories, brings
profound healing over time.
— Called to Life, p.47
Scripture liberates. Little by
little, the Word of God himself begins to live
within us. Ceaseless meditation on Scripture draws the
poison from the deadening words in our hearts,
replacing them with words of confidence and encouragement:
“I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil
4:13), “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Lk
1:37), “You are my beloved Son” (Mk 1:11). Here are words of
hope, truth, and love that purge the evil thoughts
staining and darkening our hearts.
— Called to Life, p.48
God’s Word is something like a
mirror by which we can truly know ourselves, good
as well as bad. It passes judgment on our compromises
with sin, our attempts to have it both ways and say yes
as well as no, but it also highlights and encourages what
is best in us.
— Called to Life, p.37
