Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
Catholics sometimes are criticized for not knowing Sacred Scripture. While that may have been true at some times and in some places, my familiarity with the faithful of this archdiocese tells me that the stereotype does not hold true here, especially since the Second Vatican Council and its groundbreaking document on the Word of God (Dei Verbum) and its emphasis on the use of Sacred Scripture in the revised liturgy. We Catholics hear God’s Word proclaimed anytime that we come to Mass and anytime that we participate in the celebration of the sacraments. We likewise encounter Sacred Scripture multiples times each day if we pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
Nonetheless, on this feast day of St. Jerome, I would be the first to say that we Catholics (me included) are obligated to do all that we can to dive even deeper into our study of the Bible. St. Jerome noted that “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
Jerome, a third century saint, was a great lover of the biblical texts and is known for translating the Old Testament into the vernacular of his day, Latin. His translation, for all of you Catholic trivia buffs, is known as the Vulgate. While modern scholars sometimes question the quality of Jerome’s translation, not having all the tools for the ancient languages that we have today, no one can question his love for the Word of God or his desire that his contemporaries would have access to this life-giving Word.
In this “Year 2” of our pastoral letter implementation, which focuses on the Mass, it is important to member that there are two parts to the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and they both need to be given reverence. In the instructions for Mass that are found at the beginning of the Missal, the text reminds us, “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his Word, proclaims the Gospel” (GIRM, no. 29). Through Sacred Scripture, we have the opportunity to understand who God is and to grasp his faithfulness; we hear his will for us in the words from Sacred Scripture that are proclaimed. Just as God had each of us in mind from the beginning, he knows how, where, and when each scripture verse can and will touch our hearts, and he ordained them to be that way.
When we gather for Mass, we are always called to show our respect for Sacred Scripture, making sure that the readings are clearly proclaimed, and then listening attentively. The priests and deacons, moreover, are encouraged to prepare well to break open the scriptural texts. We give special respect to the proclamation of the Gospels—standing to signify that the proclamation of the Gospel is a high point of the Liturgy of the Word. I always love celebrating with our brothers and sisters from Cameroon. They have an elaborate procession with the Book of the Gospels that heightens that sense of reverence. We experienced that yesterday at our Mass of Solidarity on the occasion of the Universal Church’s celebration of the World Day for Migrants and Refugees.
Sacred Scripture is unlike any other written work. The Biblical texts have the possibility of stirring the hearts of everyone, no matter how familiar we might be with the content. Biblical scholars themselves are constantly coming to new realizations when they examine the texts, and similarly, arriving at a deeper understanding of God’s plan as the pray over Sacred Scripture, even when it is a section that they have poured over many times before.
The Bible is not, however, just for the experts. I encourage you to share the scriptural texts with your children and grandchildren. I am always amazed by the deep understanding that our school children find in the portions that are read at Mass. It is clearly the Holy Spirit at work.
A few years ago, our Archdiocese produced a very helpful video resource for anyone interested in the Bible: “Praying with Scripture.” I recommend it whole-heartedly to you and your family as a tool for to encountering God’s Word in prayer. There are also two offerings this year that can also help you come to a deeper love of scripture: “Seven Times a Day I Praise You: How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours” and “The New and Eternal Covenant.” Go to our Year 2 events page to learn more about these offerings. I hope and pray that you will enjoy them.
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