Psalm 19:6 says,the law of god is perfect it delights the soul.. the Jewish community had turned toward the Old Testament – the Torah, seeking salvation and hope (Nehemiah 8:8-11). On the first day of the seventh month Ezra in full view of the people read the Law of God, he explained to them in such that the people understood it clearly.
In such a scenario, one could imagine, how terrified the people would have been and within that same atmosphere, Nehemiah, Ezra together with all the priests instructed them saying, “ This day is sacred to the Lord, do not be sad…The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
With that, what was about to turn to a fiasco came out to become a feast. The occasion turned out into a great celebration and the gathering became a harvest of joy.
Such was the intention of our Lord Jesus Christ . In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus recognized the fact that he alone as a person cannot do all the preaching and so he decided to appoint for himself seventy-two others whom he tutored and sent out ahead of him in pairs to spread the Good News. The message of salvation is a message of peace, a message of hope and the announcement of God’s reign in the life of all mankind.
Dei Verbum succinctly addresses the Catholic Church’s beliefs in regards to Sacred Scripture.
First and foremost, Sacred Scripture is truly divine revelation; God revealed who He is to us so that we might know Him. “The invisible God…out of abundance of His love speaks to men as friends…and lives among them…, so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Him.”1
Secondly, The Word made flesh united deeds and words so that “the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words.”2
Jesus Christ was the fullness of revelation and there is no new revelation. What was revealed more two thousand years ago was everything. Any further understanding is just that; a further maturity and understanding of God’s Truth, but not a new truth.
Most importantly, under the Magisterium, i.e. The Pope together with the college of bishops-the succsors of the Apostles, under living tradition of the whole Church must be taken into account along with the harmony which exists between elements of the faith.”15
Above all, “all the preaching of the Church must be nourished and regulated by Sacred Scripture.”17
That being the case, the Sacred Scriptures should be accessible to all the Christian faithful18
through careful translations and through the liturgy itself.19
And, “prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together; for ‘we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying.’”20
This is the message we too are called to spread God’s word to every part of our lives and to the entire human race.
What keeps you from spreading the word of God in your life?
When Jeremiah protested that he didn’t know how to speak and he was too young, God answered, “Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak . . . See, I place my words in your mouth! . . . This day I set you . . . to build and to plant.”-Jeremiah 1-:1-10
Every excuse you have for not spreading the good news, God has taken care of. Do you think you’re too young or old? Or too inexperienced? Do you think your words will fall on infertile soil?The answer to all is the same: Trust in the Lord.
Psalm 71 says, love: “I will sing of your salvation . . . My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation.” Who knows what fertile ground our words will find?
We do not have to go door to door. we can just lead by example-a life of Christ. As Catholics we are lead to spread the word where and whenever we can. By action, Word, and prayer. We have to be strong enough to do this work God calls us to do
Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ‘Till your good is better and your better is best-St. Jerome, pray for us. Amen.
