|
INTENTION : |
That our personal relationship with Jesus Christ be nourished by the Word of God and a life of prayer.
|
God's Word Is My Necessary Spiritual Food
"I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12b)
Almost everyone has a very healthy physical appetite. But how is your spiritual "appetite"? Did you know that God's Word ought to be more important to us than meeting our everyday needs like food and drink? Have you ever given God's Word the same amount of attention you give to your body's daily food?
The Bible says, "Desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). This verse uses a word picture that compares God's Word with daily food that we need to survive. "Sincere" food means the "real thing," food that is not just fake or unsatisfying. We can be sure that God's Word is satisfying, rich, and very, very good. "O taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8).
But how do you get the "daily food" of God's Word? When we eat breakfast, lunch, and supper, we are meeting our physical needs. When we read the Bible, we are feeding our spiritual needs. Just as you must eat to stay healthy, so you must read and "digest" God's Word regularly so that you can be spiritually "healthy."
Maybe making the Bible that much a part of your regular spiritual "diet" just sounds like way too much work for you. Think about how important your spiritual health is, even compared to your physical health! For example, would you ever treat your daily mealtimes with as little concern as you do your quiet time with God? Would you ever say, "Hmm. Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day for me. Maybe I should just skip breakfast, lunch, and supper! Sure! After all, it will save time, and I will definitely remember to eat the day after that!"
No way. That does not sound like such a good idea after all. Your day would not be better because you skipped meals! Your day would be worse! You would be very tired and hungry, and your body would be even weaker and less ready to do what you needed to get done! What a mistake!
But that is what many Christians do in the spiritual sense. They think, "I can wait on this," or "I can skip today, no problem - I'll just start reading and praying again tomorrow, or sometime next week when I have more time."
You may not always feel like it, but you do need spiritual food every single day. If you do not get the strength you need from God's Word and from spending time with Him every single day, then you will be spiritually weak and flabby. On the other hand, the more we "eat" (or, take in) the Word, the stronger we will be against the devil's temptations to sin.
We cannot survive spiritually without God's Word.
Equipu Online Library
The nourishing food
The Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments
The Pope uses the scene of the Risen Lord appearing to the disciples at Emmaus to demonstrate what he calls "the unbreakable bond between Sacred Scripture and the Eucharist". Since the Scriptures everywhere speak of Christ, he writes, "they enable us to believe that His death and resurrection are not a myth but history, and are central to the faith of His disciples".
When the sacraments are introduced and illumined by God's Word, explains the Pope, "they become ever more clearly the goal of a process whereby Christ opens our minds and hearts to acknowledge His saving work".
Practising mercy
The Pope points to "the great challenge before us in life: to listen to Sacred Scripture and then to practice mercy". God's Word, writes Pope Francis, "has the power to open our eyes and to enable us to renounce a stifling and barren individualism and instead to embark on a new path of sharing and solidarity".
Our Lady
Finally, the Pope points to Our Lady as accompanying us "on the journey of welcoming the Word of God", teaching us the joy of those who listen to that Word - and keep it.
Pope Francis
|
|
