When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Saturday, January 22, 2022

An unimaginable gift

 

St. Luke begins his Gospel with a short explanation.  This introduction to his Gospel gives us the opportunity to look more deeply at the Holy Bible.

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.  [Luke 1:1-4]

Sacred Scripture is a gift beyond our imagination.  It’s a gift from God through which He reveals His perfect love and His perfect plan for us.  We should know the Scriptures well, read them often, pray over the verses and allow all that’s revealed within those pages to become the foundation of our lives.  I reflected today upon one particular aspect of Sacred Scripture.

Usually, when there is a collaboration between two persons, the endeavor is defined as “50/50”.  But the Bible is 100% the work of God and 100% the work of the human author.  It is 100/100 so to speak.  By that I mean that the human author completely cooperated with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in writing each book and letter.  And God, for His part, guaranteed that all that was written came from His heart and inspiration.  Therefore, this joint effort reveals that God used the human author for a divine purpose.

This is of great significance to understand for two reasons.  First, it reveals that we should love Scripture because it reveals the heart and truth of God as well as the unique personality and humanity of the human author.  We are benefiting from the full revelation of God as well as the unique gift of the human author.

Second, it should reveal to us that, though God will not use us in the same way (i.e., to add to the Bible), He does desire to use us for divine purposes.  He desires to consume our unique human personality and use us to shine forth the beauty and splendor of His divinity.  He wants a 100/100 cooperation with us, also, so as to shine through us in a radiant way.

Our openness to the gift of Holy Scriptures enables us to become living gifts of the Word of God to the world.

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