I was reading
through St. Paul's letter to St. Timothy when I chanced to read,
"Take as your norm the sound words..." (NAB). Another
translation reads: "Hold fast the pattern of sound
words..."(NKJV). And yet another, "Retain the standard of
sound words..." (NASB). St. Paul encouraged the young Timothy to
clearly focus on what he had learned from study of Holy Scripture and
from the words of Christ that Paul had shared with him.
I thought of
the Vatican II Encyclical, “Word Of God” (Dei Verbum), that
amazing call by Pope Paul VI to renewed study of Holy Scripture. And
so, in my quiet time with the Lord I pondered the gift of Christ, the
precious Word of God, and my need to read more of God's Word. The
exhortation of St. Paul echoing in the words of Pope Paul VI rang
true for me:
But in
order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the Church,
the Apostles left bishops as their successors, "handing over"
to them "the authority to teach in their own place."(3)
This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the
Old and New Testaments are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church
on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until
she is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face (see 1 John
3:2).
This goes right along with "where I'm at right now"... I love it. Thanks be to God.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful quote.
ReplyDeleteYes, hold fast to sound words, and the words of those who speak with the authority of their teaching office. So much confusion in this day and age springs from words, muddied and muddled, that appeal from pop psychology and prosperity preachers. People speak of following their consciences without first forming them or acknowledging that we can know Truth, and it's not all relative.
ReplyDelete