Friday of the Eighth Week Ordinary Time
The words from the heart and soul of St. Paul to Timothy offer a reminder to all of the importance of Scripture. It is a key to the treasure chest that contains the "gold" of prayer. Take note of Paul's understanding of the value of the Scriptures when praying: "... from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." It is in the Sacred Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments that we have a pathway to understanding Jesus Christ.
How often there is the challenge to say to ourselves that "a course in Scripture is an experience that I have never had. Learning about Jesus this way is almost impossible for me." Yet Paul continues in his letter to Timothy, " ... All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness ...."
Another weekend is upon us. Yes, it might be time to cut grass, work in the garden, clean up the house or drive to the lake or to the beach. However, it might just be the time also to allot a half hour to reading Sacred Scripture. Coming to have a deeper relationship with Jesus is next to impossible if the wisdom of Jesus himself and other writers of the sacred letters and thoughts are not given entrance to our hearts and minds. Were an announcement appearing in our daily papers or on the Internet or TV broadcasts that there was a certain part of a book that would lead to gold, the bookstores would be jammed, the Internet would be clogged. Yet this is precisely what St. Paul is "advertising" when he describes sacred Scripture as a power that can offer "wisdom for salvation." It is worth the reading time!
