Learn the Heart of God

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” Luke 11:27-28

Jesus' mother exemplifies one who hears the word of God and observes it! She it is who proclaimed, “I am the handmaiden of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) I like reading stories and words of the saints, men and women of clay, who became enamored of God and filled with enthusiasm to read His word and let it dwell in their hearts. May we be one of those who wake up in the morning to hear what God has to say to us, and to be eager to try again to follow Him more nearly. 

Saint Teresa of Avila was canonized in 1622 AD and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970. In The Book of Her Life, an autobiography, she wrote that Truth was telling her: “...all the harm that comes to the world comes from its not knowing the truths of Scripture in clarity and truth; not one iota of Scripture will fall short... Alas, daughter, how few there are who truthfully love Me! For if they loved Me, I would reveal my secrets to them.” 

Indeed, in the Bible lies available for us all the most wonderful secrets of God! How sad it is when a person refuses to read what God has given us so lovingly, what He has prepared and planned for through the ages! St. John Chrysostom, another Doctor of the Church emphasized, “To become adult Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures.” There are definitely no shortcuts. In one of his homilies St. John explained, “But what is the answer to these charges? 'I am not', you will say, 'one of the monks, but have a wife and children, and the care of a household.' This is what has ruined everything, your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only, when you need it more than they do. Those who are placed in the world, and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine. So, far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous. Such things were invented by the devil.” In Proverbs 4:20-22, we read, “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life into those that find them and MEDICINE to all their flesh.” 

Pope St. Gregory implored, “Study them, I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator. Learn the heart of God in the words of God, that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal, that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys.”

And then there are what Bishop St. Isidore wrote in the Office of Readings: “If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God speaks to us.” So important was the Bible to St. Bonaventure, that he composed the “Biblia Pauperum”, which means Bible of the Poor. In his day, most people could not read or write, so he made a collection of pictures. His Biblia showed the important events of the Old Testament paralleling scenes in the New Testament, how the Old prefigured and was fulfilled in the life and teachings of Jesus. 

Today, we have no excuses. All sorts of Bibles are available for us to read and study, all versions, small, with big letters, huge margins to write on or draw on, etc. Let us read His Word, listen to videos about it, learn, study, meditate, and be blessed.