Friday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time

posted in: Homilies, Ordinary Time | 0

Today’s readings

I love the Scriptures.  They speak to us of the very essence of God.  The Scriptures aren’t words dictated by God, but rather, the Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the Scriptures with the truth that comes from God himself.  All Scripture, as Saint Paul reminds us today, is “useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

What is wonderful about the Scriptures is that, even though they were written over many centuries, they all resonate in harmony with each other.  Even the New Testament does not clash with the Old Testament.  In many ways, the Church Fathers have taught us that the Old Testament is the precursor to the Gospel, the prophecy and history that prefaces the coming of Christ.  All of the Scriptures were always part of God’s plan for us, and they are the textbook for living the Christian life.

Over the years, Catholics have been accused of being unfamiliar with the Scriptures, which was true in the past.  But that has changed recently, and many Catholics have become friends of Scripture, and have studied and prayed with these words as was their intent.  I had a seminary professor who used to tell us to be sure that we let the Scriptures wash over our lives each and every day, even reading just a few verses before bed if we hadn’t had time to read them all day long.

So today we are grateful to God for the revelation he has given us in holy Scripture.  May we all immerse ourselves in them, constantly striving to come closer to God through the study of his word.