(pdf copy attached for printing)
Five Important Spiritual Thoughts from the Liturgy of the Word
…and follow up for the Secular Franciscan
November 17 – November 23
1 — “If this day
you only knew what makes for peace.” (Lk 19:42)**…Do others consider me a peaceful person?
2 – “He said to me,
‘Take and swallow it.’” (Rev 10:9)Extended meditation:
Why are Jesus’s words so important?
Before we even answer that question, we have to clarify “Jesus’s words.” First of all, we must be certain that they
are his words. The Gospels give us the
words, and although sometimes there must be scholarly study with regard to the
words, most of the time they can easily be understood. Mark Twain famously said, “Most people are bothered by those passages of
Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I
do understand.”Secondly, Jesus’s words come through
others. For example, we must listen to
the words that come from the Hebrew Scriptures, words often spoken as a
foundation for Jesus’s words in the Gospel.
Also, we must hear the words of preachers of Jesus’s words who were
speaking of what Jesus said and their application to our lives, namely the
words of the New Testament Scriptures.The General Instruction on the Roman
Liturgy says this about the first part of the Mass called the Liturgy of the
Word:The
Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation,
and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided.
During the Liturgy of the Word, it is also appropriate to include brief periods
of silence, accommodated to the gathered assembly, in which, at the prompting
of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response
through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods
of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after
the first and second reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the homily.Periods of silence in which “at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may
be grasped by the heart” is suggested by the document. The words of Jesus and about Jesus must be
the guide that the Christian accepts in order to live in our world. That is, the beginning of a good life comes
from words, words that we think about in “the heart.”Of course, thinking about those words is only the beginning. “The heart” must direct those words to
“living,” in action. Francis of Assisi famously spoke that fact at one time: “It is no use
walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching,” which has been
roughly translated: “Preach the Gospel at all times; and if necessary, use words.”
3 – “My house shall be a house of prayer.” (Lk 19:46)**
…Can I make my prayer schedule/life a little better than it is?
4 — “Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Lk 23:42)**…This should be a daily prayer, and a daily challenge to deserve the kingdom.
5 — “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in
more than all the rest. (Lk 21:3)**…Do we give of ourselves completely to the Lord?
