FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD
June 3 2023 Saturday 9 of Ordinary Time
WORD of the DAY
Jesus and his
disciples returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple
area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him and said to
him, “By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I shall ask
you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these
things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” They
discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he
will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human
origin’?”– they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a
prophet. So, they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to
them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Mark 11: 27-33)
How shall I live this Word? 
If we read the Bible trying to understand it only with our intelligence, it is easy that we will not know how to answer the various questions that arise. Every answer will have its downside and our intellect will never be satisfied. Even non-Christians (Muslims, Buddhists, etc.) read and study the Bible, attend the pontifical universities, but the Word does not speak to their hearts, everything remains in their heads. For the Christian, it is different, the biblical passage speaks to one’s heart because it gives the Lord the authority that many intellectuals deny Him. Thanks to this authority, Christians let God act in them to live in the world without following its logic. (John 17:15-16, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of world, as I am not of the world.”). But rather, follow the law of love (John 15:12, “This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you”).
Lord, open my heart to Your Word.
The voice of Pope Francis General Audience 27 January 2021
The words of Sacred Scripture were not written to remain imprisoned on papyrus, parchment or paper, but to be received by a person who prays, making them sprout in one’s heart. The word of God goes to the heart. The Catechism states: “The reading of Sacred Scripture must be accompanied by prayer – the Bible cannot be read like a novel – so that the conversation between God and us can take place” (n. 2653). This is how prayer leads you, because it is a dialogue with God. That Bible verse was also written for me, centuries and centuries ago, to bring me a word from God. It was written for each of us. This experience happens to all believers: a passage of Scripture, heard so many times already, one day suddenly speaks to me and illuminates a situation I am experiencing. But I need to be there that day, at the appointment with that Word, to be there, listening to the Word. Every day God passes by and sows a seed in the soil of our life. We don’t know if today He will find dry ground, brambles, or good ground, which will make that sprout grow (cf. Mk 4:3-9)”.
____________________________________________________________________________
E-mail: srmterzo@gmail.com Website: www.sanbiagio.org info@sanbiagio.org Blog: livingscripture.wordpress.com Comment: Claudio Del Brocco
