>> A READING FROM THE SECOND LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO TIMOTHY. BELOVED: REMAIN FAITHFUL TO WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND BELIEVED, BECAUSE YOU KNOW FROM WHOM YOU LEARNED IT, AND THAT FROM INFANCY YOU HAVE KNOWN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES, WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF GIVING YOU WISDOM FOR SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND IS USEFUL FOR TEACHING, FOR REFUTATION, FOR CORRECTION, AND FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, SO THAT ONE WHO BELONGS TO GOD MAY BE COMPETENT, EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ DEO GRATIAS ♪ >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> HOW SHALL A YOUNG MAN BE FAULTLESS IN HIS WAY? BY KEEPING TO YOUR WORDS. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> WITH ALL MY HEART I SEEK YOU; LET ME NOT STRAY FROM YOUR COMMANDS. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> WITHIN MY HEART I TREASURE YOUR PROMISE, THAT I MAY NOT SIN AGAINST YOU. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> BLESSED ARE YOU, O LORD; TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> WITH MY LIPS I DECLARE ALL THE ORDINANCES OF YOUR MOUTH. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. >> IN THE WAY OF YOUR DECREES I REJOICE, AS MUCH AS IN ALL RICHES. >> LORD, TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. (ORGAN) >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ OPEN OUR HEARTS, O LORD, TO LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF YOUR SON ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM MATTHEUM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> JESUS SAID TO THE DISCIPLES: THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A NET THROWN INTO THE SEA, WHICH COLLECTS FISH OF EVERY KIND. WHEN IT IS FULL THEY HAUL IT ASHORE AND SIT DOWN TO PUT WHAT IS GOOD INTO BUCKETS. WHAT IS BAD THEY THROW AWAY. THUS IT WILL BE AT THE END OF THE AGE. THE ANGELS WILL GO OUT AND SEPARATE THE WICKED FROM THE RIGHTEOUS AND THROW THEM INTO THE FIERY FURNACE, WHERE THERE WILL BE WAILING AND GRINDING OF TEETH. JESUS ASKED THEM: DO YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THESE THINGS? THEY ANSWERED, YES. AND HE REPLIED, THEN EVERY SCRIBE WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE THE HEAD OF A HOUSEHOLD WHO BRINGS FROM HIS STOREROOM BOTH THE NEW AND THE OLD. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ LAUS TIBI, CHRISTE ♪ >> LAST YEAR ON THIS DAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, THE CHURCH COMMEMORATED THE 1600 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF ST. JEROME. POPE FRANCIS TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE AN APOSTOLIC LETTER EMPHASIZING THE CONTRIBUTION OF ST. JEROME AND HIS EXAMPLE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH MOST ESPECIALLY HOLDING UP THE STUDY OF SACRED SCRIPTURE AND READING OF SACRED SCRIPTURE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. BY THIS APOSTOLIC LETTER POPE FRANCIS REAFFIRMED THE DOCTRINE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SACRED SCRIPTURE AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE FOR THE FAITH AND RELIGION OF ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST, CATHOLICS AND FURTHERMORE, THE EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN ENDEAVOR OF EVERY MAN AND WOMAN OF GOODWILL. THAT SACRED SCRIPTURES ARE THE FOUNT OF DIVINE INSPIRATION. THE WELLSPRING OF GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT GOD DESIRES TO TELL US ABOUT HIMSELF. AND ABOUT WHAT HE HAS DONE. ST. JEROME IS MOST KNOWN FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION OF TRANSLATING THE 1ST OFFICIAL TEXT OF SACRED SCRIPTURE FROM THE ORIGINAL HEBREW INTO LATIN. BOTH THE HEBREW AND GREEK INTO LATIN. AT THE TIME THROUGHOUT EUROPE THIS WAS THE COMMON LANGUAGE, LATIN. THIS GAVE ACCESS TO ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE TO THE READING OF SACRED SCRIPTURES THROUGH THE "VULGAR" OR THE COMMON LANGUAGE AND THAT IS WHERE WE GET THE WORD VULGATE FROM. THE LATIN VULGATE OF THE SCRIPTURES WAS DERIVED FOR ST. JEROME'S TRANSLATION. POPE FRANCIS SAID MEDIEVAL EUROPE LEARN TO READ, PRAY AND REASON FROM THE PAGES OF THE BIBLE TRANSLATED BY JEROME. HE SAYS IN THE BEGINNING OF HIS APOSTOLIC LETTER THAT DEVOTION TO SACRED SCRIPTURE, A LIVING AND TENDER LOVE, THAT IS WHAT THE BEGINNING PRAYER SAID AT MASS THAT GOD GAVE TO ST. JEROME A LIVING AND TENDER LOVE FOR SACRED SCRIPTURE, THIS LIVING AND TENDER LOVE FOR THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD IS THE LEGACY OF ST. JEROME, BEQUEATHED TO THE CHURCH BY HIS LIFE AND LABORS. NOW ON THE 16TH 1600TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH THOSE WORDS TAKEN FROM THE OPENING PRAYER OF HIS LITURGICAL MEMORIAL GIVE US AN ESSENTIAL INSIGHT INTO THIS OUTSTANDING FIGURE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH AND OF HIS IMMENSE LOVE FOR CHRIST. THAT LIVING AND TENDER LOVE FLOWED LIKE A GREAT RIVER FEEDING COUNTLESS STREAMS INTO HIS TIRELESS ACTIVITY AS A SCHOLAR, TRANSLATOR AND EXEGETE. JEROME'S PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES, HIS ZEAL FOR MAKING THEIR TEACHING KNOWN, HIS SKILL AS AN INTERPRETER OF TEXT, HIS ARDENT AND AT TIMES IMPETUOUS DEFENSE OF CHRISTIAN TRUTH, HIS ASCETICISM AND HARSH EREMETICAL DISCIPLINE, HIS EXPERTISE AS A GENEROUS AND SENSITIVE SPIRITUAL GUIDE, ALL OF THESE MAKE HIM 16 CENTURIES AFTER HIS DEATH A FIGURE OF ENDURING RELEVANCE FOR US THE CHRISTIANS OF THE 21ST CENTURY. AND HE DIED ON THIS DAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 420 IN BETHLEHEM IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HE FOUNDED THE GROTTO NEAR THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD. RIGHT WHERE OUR LORD WAS BORN. HE EMPHASIZED ALSO IN HIS WRITINGS THE SACREDNESS OF THE GROUND OF THE LAND THAT OUR LORD WALKED ON. THAT OUR LORD LIVED IN. THE HOLY LAND. AT THE END OF THE LETTER, POPE FRANCIS ENCOURAGES ALL ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE AN INVITATION TO LOVE, READ, KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND LIVE WHAT ST. JEROME LOVED AND LIVED. THE NEW AND ETERNAL WORD OF LIFE, THE WORD OF THE FATHER WHO IS CHRIST HIMSELF. WE ENCOUNTER HIM IN SACRED SCRIPTURE. DARE TO FIX YOUR GAZE ON THE YOUNG JEROME WHO LIKE THE MERCHANT IN JESUS'S PARABLE SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD TO BUY THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE. AND WITH THE SAME WORDS THAT ST. JEROME ONCE REPEATED, THE POPE EXHORTS US, READ DIVINE SCRIPTURES CONSTANTLY. NEVER LET THE SACRED VOLUME FALL FROM YOUR HAND. POPE FRANCIS MENTIONED A METHOD OF READING SACRED SCRIPTURE THAT HIS PREDECESSOR POPE BENEDICT THE 16TH WROTE ABOUT AND THIS IS CALLED "LECTIO DIVINA". DIVINE READING. TAKING SACRED SCRIPTURES INTO OUR HANDS AND TO READ. AND TO PRAY AND MEDITATE. TO CONTEMPLATE. POPE BENEDICT SAID I WOULD LIKE IN PARTICULAR WAY TO RECALL AND RECOMMEND THE ANCIENT TRADITION OF "LECTIO DIVINA" THE DILIGENT READING OF SACRED SCRIPTURE ACCOMPANIED BY PRAYER BRINGS ABOUT THAT INTIMATE DIALOGUE IN WHICH THE PERSON READING HEARS GOD WHO IS SPEAKING AND IN PRAYING, RESPONSE TO HIM WITH TRUSTING OPENNESS OF HEART. I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT THAT. THE DILIGENT READING OF SACRED SCRIPTURE ACCOMPANIED BY PRAYER BRINGS ABOUT THE INTIMATE DIALOGUE IN WHICH THE PERSON READING HEARS GOD WHO IS SPEAKING. GOD SPEAKING. AND IN PRAYING, RESPONDS RESPONSE TO THE ONE WHO IS SPEAKING. AND RESPONDS WITH OPENNESS OF HEART. "LECTIO" WHICH IS READING IS WHAT GOD WANTS TO COMMUNICATE TO US. READING WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY. THERE ARE MANY MANY BOOKS OUT THERE. SELF-HELP BOOKS THAT ARE VERY HELPFUL. I HAVE READ MANY OF THEM. BUT THERE IS NO BOOK BETTER THAN THIS. THERE IS NO SELF-HELP BOOK, A GOD HELP BOOK THAN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES. NO MATTER HOW MANY BOOKS WE MAY READ THAT MAY BE HELPFUL IN THE SELF-HELP CATEGORY, AGAIN I AM NOT PUTTING DOWN SELF-HELP BOOKS. I LIKE THEM AND RECOMMEND THEM VERY MUCH BUT THE GREATEST BOOK WE CAN POSSIBLY READ IS SACRED SCRIPTURES. PICKING UP THIS BOOK AND DUSTING IT OFF YOUR COFFEE TABLE OR YOUR CORNER CABINET OR YOUR BOOKSHELF. PICK IT UP AND READ IT. IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE A DECORATION. IT IS MEANT TO BE A LIFE-GIVING AND AUTHORITATIVE WORD. LIFE-GIVING WORD. AGAIN TAKING THESE WORDS THAT GOD WANTS TO COMMUNICATE TO US AND TO MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE WE BEGIN BY READING THE WORD A SELECTED PASSAGE, AND THE GOSPELS ARE A GREAT PLACE TO START. THE NEW TESTAMENT. BUT ALSO THE PSALMS. THE PROPHETS. AND PRAYERFULLY READ THROUGH GOD'S WORD SLOWLY AND ATTENTIVELY. SIMPLY OPEN THE WORD OF GOD MAYBE TO THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD. HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD. ALL THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH HIM. AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE. IN HIM WAS LIFE AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN. THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS. AND THE DARKNESS HAS NOT OVERCOME IT. AND PRAYERFULLY AND REFLECTIVELY AND REPEATEDLY READING AND LISTENING TO WHAT GOD HAS SAID TO US. ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK. ANOTHER VERSE MAY BE FROM ISAIAH OR ANOTHER VERSE THAT YOU CHOOSE OR THE PSALMS MAYBE OR JEREMIAH. JEREMIAH. BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU. I DEDICATED YOU TO BE A PROPHET TO ALL OF THE NATIONS. BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU. GOD KNOWS WHO WE ARE. FROM THE PROPHET ISAIAH 43. BUT NOW SAYS THE LORD, HE WHO CREATED YOU JACOB AND HE WHO FORMED YOU ISRAEL, FEAR NOT. FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU. I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME AND YOU ARE MINE. FEAR NOT. FOR I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME. I HAVE REDEEMED YOU AND YOU ARE MINE. PASSAGES THAT WE MIGHT READ DURING TIMES OF ISOLATION, TIMES OF FEAR, TIMES WHERE WE MIGHT NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO OR NOT KNOW WHAT WE ARE TO DO. AND THE NEXT PHRASE, THE NEXT STAGE AFTER READING IS MEDITATION. THIS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS MEDITATION AS REALLY TAKING THE PASSAGE AND LIKE FOOD CHEWING ON IT. SITTING WITH IT. SEEING WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY. NOT ALWAYS EXPECTING IT TO COME RIGHT AWAY. AND TO REALLY SIT WITH THE PASSAGE AND MEDITATE WITH IT. IT MAY COME ONE WEEK FROM NOW OR A MONTH FROM NOW. AND THE 3RD STAGE WOULD BE PRAYER. TAKING WHAT YOU HAVE READ, WHAT YOU HAVE MEDITATED ON AND TAKING THAT TO PRAYER. THIS IS OUR RESPONSE TO WHAT WE HAVE READ AND MEDITATED ON AND LIKE MARY WE CAN PRAY, LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. WHAT WE HAVE READ, LET IT BE DONE TO ME LORD, ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. WE CAN ACCEPT GOD'S LOVE, SURRENDER TO HIS WILL, EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR HIS GRACE AND THIS IS AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE, WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY AND ASK HIM TO SHARE THIS GRACE WITH OTHERS AS WELL. AND FINALLY THE LAST STAGE IS CONTEMPLATION. CONTEMPLATION IS ACCORDING TO POPE BENEDICT THE 16TH THE MOMENT OF TRANSFORMATION WHERE GOD MEETS MAN. THE SACRED SCRIPTURES ACCORDING TO POPE ST. PAUL THE 6TH IS GOD AND MAN WALKING TOGETHER. WHEN GOD AND MAN WALK TOGETHER ON THIS JOURNEY. TO ETERNAL LIFE. POPE BENEDICT THE 16TH SAID A PRIMARY ACTION IN THIS STAGE IS SIMPLY TO ABIDE IN HIM, SAVORING THE SWEETNESS OF LOVING UNION AND TO REST IN GOD'S PRESENCE TAKING IN ALL YOU HAVE LEARNED AND EXPERIENCED IN THIS TIME OF PRAYER. IN THIS TIME OF ENCOUNTER. AGAIN JUST GOING BACK TO ISAIAH 43. BUT NOW SAYS THE LORD HE WHO CREATED YOU JACOB, HE WHO FORMED YOU ISRAEL, FEAR NOT FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU. I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME AND YOU ARE MINE. THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD. TO MEDITATE ON THESE WORDS THAT THE LORD IS SPEAKING TO US IN HIS SACRED WORD. IT SHOULD BE A LIFE-GIVING ENCOUNTER AS POPE ST. JOHN PAUL THE 2ND WOULD SAY. THIS DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOD AND MAN IS LIFE-GIVING. MOTHER ANGELICA WOULD SAY THAT READING THE SCRIPTURES IS NOT JUST LIKE READING ANY OTHER MAGAZINE. BUT WE READ SACRED SCRIPTURES WITH SHE WOULD SAY, BLOOD AND GUTS, WITH GUSTO. AND WE EVEN PUT OURSELVES INTO THE PASSAGES AND SITUATIONS WHAT IS THE LORD SPEAKING TO ME? WHAT IS HE SPEAKING TO YOU IN THE WORD OF GOD? IT IS NOT A DEAD LETTER. IT IS NOT A LETTER WRITTEN SIMPLY 2000 + YEARS AGO BUT IT IS A LIFE-GIVING WORD, A WORD THAT GOD WANTS TO COMMUNICATE HIS LOVE AND HIS KNOWLEDGE TO YOU. TODAY. RAYMOND ARROYO PUT TOGETHER A BOOK OF MOTHER ANGELICA'S PRIVATE AND PITHY LESSONS FROM SACRED SCRIPTURE AND IT IS A VERY GOOD COMMENTARY IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HEART AND MIND AROUND MOTHER ANGELICA AND HER METHOD OF READING SCRIPTURES. SHE WOULD OFTEN PICK UP THE SCRIPTURES AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF A LIVE SHOW. SHE WOULD JUST OPEN UP HER SCRIPTURES AND LOOK DOWN AND BEGIN. NOW SHE PROBABLY PRAYED AND SHE PROBABLY READ THE SCRIPTURES VERY OFTEN THROUGHOUT HER LIFE BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW HER AND SAW THAT SHE WOULD PICK UP THE SCRIPTURES AND JUST SET HER EYES DOWN ON WHATEVER 1ST CAME, SHE COULD GO ON AND ON. THIS WAS BECAUSE SHE READ THE WORD OF GOD OFTEN AND SHE KNEW WHAT WAS IN THERE AND MOST OF ALL SHE KNEW THE AUTHOR. SHE KNEW WHO GOD WAS. SHE KNEW THAT GOD WANTED TO COMMUNICATE A WORD THAT WAS LIFE-GIVING THAT WAS TRANSFORMATIVE AND EFFECTIVE. THIS SAME WORD CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND MY LIFE. IF ONLY WE WOULD PICK UP THE SCRIPTURES AND EVEN FOR 5 MINUTES A DAY OR 10 MINUTES A DAY, TO READ, "LECTIO" TO MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD AND TO PRAY AND TO SIT AND CONTEMPLATE AND SIT IN HIS PRESENCE AND TO READ AND MEDITATE AND PRAY AND CONTEMPLATE. PICK UP YOUR SACRED SCRIPTURES EVERY SINGLE DAY. FOR 5 OR 10 OR 15 MINUTES. I PROMISE THAT YOUR LIFE AND THE WAY THAT YOU THINK AND THE WAY THAT YOU ACT AND THE WAY THAT YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE. AND WE ASK THE INTERCESSION OF ST. JEROME AS HE PICKED UP THE WORD OF GOD SO DILIGENTLY AND PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.
