 Music became my passion when I picked up my first instrument as a young girl. However, in a more hidden manner there was another great love developing, a fascination with the Bible. I attempted to read Bible commentaries to understand better what the Scriptures contained, but honestly, I did not really understand the commentaries all that much. However, my searching did foster continued reflection on Jesus and on His words. There was one particular section that drew me in, the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7) I still find it to be the one of the most powerful (if not challenging) teachings in the Gospels.* The best part, however, is that the Bible had helped me to know and love God better, and I began to understand that in reading it, I was actually hearing His words, His message. Therefore, to those who say they long to hear God speak to their heart, or that they wish they could hear His voice, I say, “Pick up your Bible.” Through the Bible we always have the voice of God speaking to us. We hear His voice every time we read it or listen to it being proclaimed in our churches: indeed, that is God speaking to you. No one who has ever attended even one liturgy can claim that they have never heard God speak. He has spoken throughout history and His voice remains as strong as ever.  Just before the Gospel is proclaimed at Mass, Catholics engage in a meaningful gesture. When the deacon or priest says, “A reading from the Gospel according to…. [Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John],” we trace the sign of the cross with our thumb on our forehead, lips, and heart. Simultaneously, we silently say the prayer that accompanies that gesture: “May the Lord be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.” ** It is important that we do say the prayer because it is a reminder that what we are going to hear is indeed the Word of the Lord. In word and deed, it was to speak the Word of God that He came: Jesus, the Son of God, the Word incarnate, entered our world to fulfill all God promised, to express the love and mercy of the Father, and therefore, to offer the gift of salvation to all people. In doing so, He wanted to make disciples who would assist Him in this work. Therefore, if we do not listen, and if we do not open our minds and hearts to His word, then we will not be able to speak them on our lips. In this light, His words spoken through Scripture ought to move our hearts to always invite Him in, focus our thoughts upon Him, and reveal that we are His in our words and actions.  While the Gospels are the heart of our Christian faith, we should be familiar with the entire Bible. If we have some understanding of the Old Testament, we will more fully appreciate what it means when Jesus is referred to as the fulfilment of prophecy, or the significance of his ancestry, for example. We will also better understand why and how the Jewish people were oppressed by the Romans; that is, the thousands of years of history that got them to where they were at the time of Jesus. Of course, studying the Old Testament also provides great insights into who God is, how He revealed this, and how the understanding of the Jewish people developed over the centuries. Without familiarity with it, we would lose the stories of the great heroes, the poetry of the Psalms, the significance of the Law, and the Wisdom of the holy ones carefully passed down, generation to generation. The same is true for the books of the New Testament after the Gospels: these writings describe what the early Church was like, offer the foundations of our theology, false teachings to avoid, and prophecy about the return of Christ. In truth, we should keep all the Scriptures in our minds, on our hearts, and in our lips insofar as we participate in it through our reading, study, reflection, and prayer with it.  Many people do read the Scriptures daily, and through this practice discover that the Word is ever new each time it is read and reflected upon. But what is most important is that we let it penetrate our hearts and minds. The Word dwelling in our minds will help us to discern between what is really from God and what is actually deception as we face challenges and difficulties in our daily life. The Word dwelling in our hearts will allow Him to reveal His desires for us, ways we might be healed, areas in which we need to let go of attachments, ways to put Him first in our lives more consistently, and to disclose more deeply how much He truly loves us. During these times there is much division and so many voices competing for our attention, often making it difficult to know which to listen to. But there is an answer, there is one Voice of Truth to which we can always turn and in which we can always trust: Jesus. If we learn to recognize Him, to hear His voice and respond to it, we will have peace within our hearts even when everything around us seems to be falling apart. With the Word of God in the forefront of our minds, always on our lips (and in our actions), and thus, deep within our hearts, we will be safe in the midst of storm, and we will glorify Him by our lives.  May we keep the Lord in our mind, on our lips, and in our heart! May we be drawn ever deeper into the Scriptures, the Word of God, so that we may hear His voice always! And in living the Word, may we glorify God! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!
©Michele L. Catanese * For more, see my post from June 2023, The Gospel Within The Gospels. https://www.catanesesd.com/micheles-blog/the-gospel-within-the-gospels ** https://mycatholic.life/catholic-question-and-answer/q-signing-head-lips-heart-at-gospel/#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20simple.,His%20sacred%20Word%20is%20proclaimed. The Jews used to practice something along these lines by wearing tefillin or phylacteries: men would wear the Law (Torah) on their foreheads, inside leather pouches held by cords, and the phylacteries were held in similar pouches worn on their arm. This was meant to keep the Lord in their mind and close to their heart. Jewish houses had a mezuzah on the door frame (many still do this) so that as they entered or exited, they would touch it in a gesture of prayer. What is contained within all of these are verses from the Law, most important of them the Shema prayer, that greatest of all commandments that proclaims God as One and that we are to love Him with all our mind, all our heart, and all our strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4) While Christians do not wear these particular reminders, we do wear crosses and medals which are worn not only to proclaim our faith, but as reminders to ourselves of Whose we are. As in all things we should honor the wearing of them by our behaviors so that we do indeed have the Word in our mind, on our lips, and in our heart. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin Images: 1. My photo; The Bible. 2. Icon; Cristo Pantocrater by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, or in any of his other images and icons, you can find this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/cristo-pantocrator-175-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. Drawing; Solomon's Temple, https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/First_Temple. I chose this to give an example of something of the history of Israel that was quite important and highly described in many books of the Old Testament. 4. Painting; First Steps (After Millet), by Vincent van Gogh. Let us run to the Father! 5. My photo; On the Snake River in Clarkston, Washington. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. Comments are closed.
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Heart Speaks to Heart
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