Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Growing up in the Church in the late 50’s and early 60’s (prior to Vatican II), Catholics had a somewhat different attitude toward Scripture, especially for lay people. Many families, even our Catholic Churches, had Bibles that were more akin to pieces of furniture than to a book to be picked up and used. You may have had such a Bible in your home during that time. It needed to be dusted just as the coffee table it adorned was. The really observant guest in your home might have noticed that the Bible was opened to the same page it was when they last visited five years before.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council called by Pope St. John the 23rd, this was the Church’s approach to Scripture. The Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church made up the Deposit of Faith, but the Church, always led by the Holy Spirit, took responsibility for both the proclamation and the explanation of the Deposit of Faith and she still takes this calling very seriously. Even prior to the Second Vatican Council however, Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu in 1943.This was the earliest beginnings of the Church encouraging Catholics to begin to study the Bible and grow in their understanding of God through knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Logos, the Word. And this greater emphasis on the laity and Scripture was increased at Vatican II. Adult Faith formation programs begin to develop and in this 21st century, one of the most common programs in parish based adult faith formation is on Scripture study. And certainly, all of us remember the John 3:16 placard that would show up at sporting events and other public functions.
As Catholics, we often hear other Christians quote Scripture verses and perhaps wander why we might not be so proficient in the Scriptures. I believe this is a great motivator for us to increase our own familiarity with Sacred Scripture and in so doing increase our love for our Catholic faith.
We are blessed here at St. Rose to have vibrant and very active Scripture groups. These groups approach the Scriptures in their own way. One such group is a Scripture Sharing group whose focus is on the readings at Mass for the upcoming Sunday. It seeks to answer three questions: What is being proclaimed? How do I hear and understand it? And finally, what am I going to do about it? How will it touch my life? There are two other very dynamic groups which seek to dig in to the Scriptures studying the cultures and contexts of the Sacred writings. Who was a particular book of the Bible addressed to and what was the historical setting? This approach also lends itself to us having a knowledge of Scripture that equips us for every day living. More details can be found in the Church bulletin or website.
In closing, I would like to invite you to take advantage of anyone or all of these groups. I promise that as you do, the Liturgy of the Word (the 1st part of the Mass) will really begin to speak so much more profoundly to your life, your faith and your love of our Catholic Tradition. Try it…you might like it.
Sincerely,
Deacon John
