The Word of God

It meaning is Sanc

James 1:21-27

1 Peter 1:22-25

IMPORATNCE OF THE WORD OF GOD:

Importance attached to the word of God.

The word of God is very seed of all our new life.? God is something from which we are born
again from

To get in \touch with the word of God is like getting intouch with God himself.

The ~ of is a living extension of God himself.it is a reality of God,it is the living energy of
God.this is why Saint James recommended to the people to purify themselves before reading
and getting touch with the ~

This is happen in EUCH

EUCH or word of God

It is similar to what happens in Euchort before receiving the Holy communion .we Catholics
have been instructed to purify ourselves to go to confession sometimes ask for pardon before
beginning of each mass, ask pardon for our sin. we should similarly before receiving the Holy
communion.

We do the same before reading and approaching the ~ .Being pre-occupied we are in
improper state to approach Himself. From these two passages we can sketch a kind of itinerary
Holiness in three stages.

1st STAGE:

READING:- welcoming the word of God,expose oneself to the word of God.

2nd stage: CONSISIT:

lingering over or fix,one gaze upon the ~.one contemplating or meditating upon the~
3rd stage: Putting the word into practice:

Most important stage according to Jesus. this is the most important stage putting the word into
practice.According to jesus this is the most important thing jesus very often insisted this point.if
u listen and don’t act on the word you are ike people who built your house on sand.

We want to go through these three stages how the word of God can become for us a spiritual
director.a path way to holiness the perfection of christian life.

The church has developed a kind of special science to read in this way,this complete way.the
word of God.

This science is called LEXIO-DIVINA.it is latin definition which simply means,divine reading,in a
sense that what we read is divine(The word of God).

A passage from the founder of lexio-divina.his name was Wig2.a(carthosiasn).

The book is entitled as the letter of monks.we are all monks in this sense.it is a science for all
christians specially for monks. He was a abott monk.he was pre-occupied to sanctify his monks
but it is for every believer.

One day when I was busy working with my hand,I began to speak about my spiritual work aand
all at one. 4way spiritual eg.

Spiritual exercise came into my mind.

1-Reading

2-Meditation

3-Prayer

4-Contemplation.

This makes a ladder for momks by which they are lifted from earth to heaven.

Reading is the careful study of the scripture.concentrating all once power on it.

Meditation: is the busy application of the mind to seek with the help of one own reason for
knowledge of hidden truth.

Prayer: is the hearts devoted thing to God, to drive away evil and obtain what is good.

Contemplation: isa when the mind is in some sort lifted up to God and help the body so that it
tasted the joy of ever lasting sweetness.
Reading seeks for the sweetness of the blessed life.

Meditation perceives it

Prayer ask for it

Taste it.

Reading seeks

Meditation perceives it

Prayer asks for it

Contemplation tests it.

Just to remember there is in tradtion of the church special approach to scripture.a practical
approach which is called lexio-divina a particular spiritual reading of bible.let us try to go
through each one of the three stages. Try to understand first and then try to practice in our life.

1st stage: Reading the word of God

St james speaks about welcoming the word of God. Which embraces all occasions in which
come into contact with the word of God? From the most solemn one which is listening to
reading of scripture in the liturgy.durring the mass. this is the most solmn,which when we
receive the pure milk from the breast of our mother church.

Listening to the word means also listening to a sermon or personal reading of scriptures, private
reading of scripture. All the occasions in which we receive the word of God we are exposed to
the word of God.

We should be careful not to let any word by God pass unattended by us.

Sometimes we are unable to attend and accept, every word and to respect every word but we
should receive the word. as we receive many books and we are unable to read all the boks we
receive. we put on the shelf and the time will come. When we need this particular book.

Similarly time will come when we need this particular book. a time will come when we need this
word and if it stored .Some part of our mind we can find it. St Origin (very ancient writer)used it
to say,when people approach to receive the Holy Communion they are very very mindful not to
let any fragment fall on the ground.we should pay the same attention when we receive the
word of God.because the words of God are like the fragments of the bread of life. They are also
bread of life.we should be therefore very careful not to dismiss any word of scriptures sent to
us,or reaches us in any possible way.

TWO POSSIBLE DANGERS: there are tow possible dangers to this first stage.1 st danger is to stop
at this stage,and pass all our times in reading studing consulting books dictionaries and so on or
the Bible.

Offcourse especially for the people who are destained to teach others the Bible,they must
study.it is a blessing to study,even to learn the ancient languages in order to reaf the Bible in its
own language. We should be grateful to scholars who spend their life studying the word of God
and providing us such beautiful tools for understanding the Bible.

When u open the Bible and read the beautiful note you should be grateful to the people who
provide us with such beautiful note.but the change is