The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary

APOSTOLIC LETTER

ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE

OF THE SUPREME PONTIFFJOHN PAUL II

TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGYAND FAITHFULON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

INTRODUCTION

1. The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness. It blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life, which, after two thousand years, has lost none of the freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God to “set out into the deep” (duc in altum!) in order once more to proclaim, and even cry out, before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, “the way, and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6), “the goal of human history and the point on which the desires of history and civilization turn”.(1)

The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium.(2) It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.

A path of contemplation

5. But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte as a genuine “training in holiness”: “What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer”.(9) Inasmuch as contemporary culture, even amid so many indications to the contrary, has witnessed the flowering of a new call for spirituality, due also to the influence of other religions, it is more urgent than ever that our Christian communities should become “genuine schools of prayer”.(10)

The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation. Developed in the West, it is a typically meditative prayer, corresponding in some way to the “prayer of the heart” or “Jesus prayer” which took root in the soil of the Christian East.

Prayer for peace and for the family

6. A number of historical circumstances also make a revival of the Rosary quite timely. First of all, the need to implore from God the gift of peace. The Rosary has many times been proposed by my predecessors and myself as a prayer for peace. At the start of a millennium which began with the terrifying attacks of 11 September 2001, a millennium which witnesses every day innumerous parts of the world fresh scenes of bloodshed and violence, to rediscover the Rosary means to immerse oneself in contemplation of the mystery of Christ who “is our peace”, since he made “the two of us one, and broke down the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14). Consequently, one cannot recite the Rosary without feeling caught up in a clear commitment to advancing peace, especially in the land of Jesus, still so sorely afflicted and so close to the heart of every Christian.

A similar need for commitment and prayer arises in relation to another critical contemporary issue: the family, the primary cell of society, increasingly menaced by forces of disintegration on both the ideological and practical planes, so as to make us fear for the future of this fundamental and indispensable institution and, with it, for the future of society as a whole. The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.
“Behold, your Mother!” (Jn 19:27)

7. Many signs indicate that still today the Blessed Virgin desires to exercise through this same prayer that maternal concern to which the dying Redeemer entrusted, in the person of the beloved disciple, all the sons and daughters of the Church: “Woman, behold your son!” (Jn19:26). Well-known are the occasions in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries on which the Mother of Christ made her presence felt and her voice heard, in order to exhort the People of God to this form of contemplative prayer. I would mention in particular, on account of their great influence on the lives of Christians and the authoritative recognition they have received from the Church, the apparitions of Lourdes and of Fatima;(11) these shrines continue to be visited by great numbers of pilgrims seeking comfort and hope.

Following the witnesses

8. It would be impossible to name all the many Saints who discovered in the Rosary a genuine path to growth in holiness. We need but mention Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, the author of an excellent work on the Rosary,(12) and, closer to ourselves, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, whom I recently had the joy of canonizing. As a true apostle of the Rosary, Blessed Bartolo Longo had a special charism. His path to holiness rested on an inspiration heard in the depths of his heart: “Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved!”.(13) As a result, he felt called to build a Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Pompei, against the background of the ruins of the ancient city, which scarcely heard the proclamation of Christ before being buried in 79 A.D. during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, only to emerge centuries later from its ashes as a witness to the lights and shadows of classical civilization. By his whole life's work and especially by the practice of the “Fifteen Saturdays”, Bartolo Longo promoted the Christocentric and contemplative heart of the Rosary, and received great encouragement and support from Leo XIII, the “Pope of the Rosary”.

The Sacrament of Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism

CCC 1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."

1214 This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to "plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature."

1215 This sacrament is also called "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one "can enter the kingdom of God."

1216 "This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this [catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding . . . ." Having received in Baptism the Word, "the true light that enlightens every man," the person baptized has been "enlightened," he becomes a "son of light," indeed, he becomes "light" himself:
Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift....We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.

The Baptism of Infants

The usual church for Baptism is the parish church of the family whose baby is to be baptised. Contact should be made with the Parish Priest to arrange for the baptismal preparation and a suitable date for the baptism.
Most parishes offer baptismal preparation and the opportunity to meet parishioners and other families with children for baptism. This enables those seeking baptism to feel part of the parish community and heightens the significance of the baptism being celebrated in the local parish community.
Where for some good reason, the family is seeking to celebrate the baptism outside their parish church, the permission of their parish priest needs to be obtained and given to the celebrant of the baptism.
Godparents share in the responsibility with the parents, of introducing to, instructing in, supporting and forming the Catholic faith in their godchildren. For this reason, parents need to take great care in choosing godparents and take into account in their choice the commitment to and practice of the Catholic faith and preparedness of the godparents to be involved in the faith development of the child for whom they are accepting this responsibility. Because of the importance of the godparents’ role as a model and mentor of the Catholic faith they must be Catholics. Provision is made for further support by non-Catholics through the role of Witnesses of Faith who stand with the godparents.

From http://www.melbourne.catholic.org.au/teaching/baptism.htm

The Eucharist Explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."199 In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."200 "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."201

1375 It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion. Thus St. John Chrysostom declares:

It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.202

And St. Ambrose says about this conversion:

Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed. . . . Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.203

1376 The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."204

1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.205

1378 Worship of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession."206

1379 The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

1380 It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental presence; since he was about to offer himself on the cross to save us, he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us "to the end,"207 even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us,208 and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love:

The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.209

1381 "That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that 'cannot be apprehended by the senses,' says St. Thomas, 'but only by faith, which relies on divine authority.' For this reason, in a commentary on Luke 22:19 ('This is my body which is given for you.'), St. Cyril says: 'Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words of the Savior in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot lie.'"210

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore

Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,

See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost,

all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;

How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;

What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;

Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.211 - St Thomas Aquinas

The Eucharist

Eucharist (Greek eucharistia , thanksgiving)

The name given to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar in its twofold aspect of sacrament and Sacrifice of Mass , and in which Jesus Christ is truly present under the bread and wine. Other titles are used, such as "Lord's Supper" ( Coena Domini ), "Table of the Lord" ( Mensa Domini ), the "Lord's Body" ( Corpus Domini ), and the "Holy of Holies" ( Sanctissimum ), to which may be added the following expressions, and somewhat altered from their primitive meaning: "Agape" (Love-Feast), "Eulogia" (Blessing), "Breaking of Bread", "Synaxis" (Assembly), etc.; but the ancient title "Eucharistia" appearing in writers as early as Ignatius, Justin , and Irenaus, has taken precedence in the technical terminology of the Church and her theologians . The expression "Blessed Sacrament of the Altar", introduced by Augustine, is at the present day almost entirely restricted to catechetical and popular treatises.

This extensive list, describing the great mystery from such different points of view, is in itself sufficient proof of the central position the Eucharist has occupied from the earliest ages, both in the Divine worship and services of the Church and in the life of faith and devotion which animates her members.

The Church honors the Eucharist as one of her most exalted mysteries, since for sublimity and incomprehensibility it yields in nothing to the allied mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation . These three mysteries constitute a wonderful triad, which causes the essential characteristic of Christianity, as a religion of mysteries far transcending the capabilities of reason, to shine forth in all its brilliance and splendor, and elevates Catholicism, the most faithful guardian and keeper of our Christian heritage, far above all pagan and non-Christian religions.

The organic connection of this mysterious triad is clearly discerned, if we consider Divine grace under the aspect of a personal communication of God. The Trinity, Incarnation, and Eucharist are really welded together like a precious chain, which in a wonderful manner links heaven with earth, God with man, uniting them most intimately and keeping them thus united. By the very fact that the Eucharistic mystery does transcend reason, no rationalistic explanation of it, based on a merely natural hypothesis and seeking to comprehend one of the sublimest truths of the Christian religion as the spontaneous conclusion of logical processes, may be attempted by a Catholic theologian.

The modern science of comparative religion is striving, wherever it can, to discover in pagan religions "religio-historical parallels", corresponding to the theoretical and practical elements of Christianity, and thus by means of the former to give a natural explanation of the latter. Even were an analogy discernible between the Eucharistic repast and the ambrosia and nectar of the ancient Greek gods, or the haoma of the Iranians, or the soma of the ancient Hindus, we should nevertheless be very cautious not to stretch a mere analogy to a parallelism strictly so called, since the Christian Eucharist has nothing at all in common with these pagan foods, whose origin is to be found in the crassest idol- and nature-worship. What we do particularly discover is a new proof of the reasonableness of the Catholic religion, from the circumstance that Jesus Christ in a wonderful manner responds to the natural craving of the human heart after a food which nourishes unto immortality , a craving expressed in many pagan religions , by dispensing to mankind His own Flesh and Blood. All that is beautiful, all that is true in the religions of nature, Christianity has appropriated to itself, and like a concave mirror has collected the dispersed and not infrequently distorted rays of truth into their common focus and again sent them forth resplendently in perfect beams of light.

It is the Church alone, "the pillar and ground of truth ", imbued with and directed by the Holy Spirit, that guarantees to her children through her infallible teaching the full and unadulterated revelation of God. Consequently, it is the first duty of Catholics to adhere to what the Church proposes as the "proximate norm of faith" ( regula fidei proxima ), which, in reference to the Eucharist, is set forth in a particularly clear and detailed manner in Sessions XIII, XXI, and XXII of the Council of Trent . The quintessence of these doctrinal decisions consists in this, that in the Eucharist the Body and Blood of the God-man are truly, really, and substantially present for the nourishment of our souls , by reason of the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ , and that in this change of substances the unbloody Sacrifice of the New Testament is also contained.

Taken from www.catholic.org/encyclopedia

The Syllabus for Term Two

In Term Two the syllabus requires us to examine expressing and experiencing religious belief and ritual. Below are some of the areas that the syllabus expects us to examine. I have highlighted the ones that we will be examining in this blog.

Social and cultural influences

· Accepted ways of being within societies and cultures (e.g. expression of emotions, dress, relating, communicating, working, worshipping, celebrating, recreating, culinary practices, attitudes and values, use of the Arts, laws, community, gender roles)
· Regional differences in religious practice and imagery (e.g. celebration of the Eucharist, celebration of Christian death, rites of passage, holy days and festivals, fasting, reconciliation, iconography, statuary, religious art, Western and Eastern Rites)
· Devotions for particular societies (e.g. Marian devotions, processions, fasting, sacred actions)
· Current events and trends (e.g. ritual response to trauma, war, fear and suffering, significant world and local events)
· Accepted ways of being within religious traditions (e.g. Buddhism in Asian and Western societies, Judaism in Israel and America, Islam in Iran and Australia, Christianity in Africa and South America)
· Variations within faith traditions (e.g. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, Orthodox and Liberal Judaism, Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims)

Prayers and rituals across faith traditions

· Rituals of initiation / Rites of passages
· Funeral rites
· Prayer text types and uses
· Holy days and festivals

Purpose and meaning of sacraments for the lives of believers

· Variations in liturgical and theological expressions of the sacraments
· Understandings of the sacraments across Christian denominations
· Secular influences on celebration of sacraments in the lives of contemporary believers
· Eastern and Western rites of the sacraments
· Contemporary challenges to the practice of sacraments in Australia (e.g. ordination of women, celebration of 3rd Rite of Reconciliation, married priests)

Spiritual movements within the Christian tradition

· Benedictine monasticism
· Franciscan spirituality
· Spirituality of theologies (e.g. creation, liberation, feminist)
· Asceticism
· Piety (e.g. pious practices, icons, devotional practices, Benediction, scapulars, holy cards, statues, pilgrimages)
· Eucharistic devotion
· Spirituality of service
· Pentecostal movements

Spiritual movements beyond the Christian tradition

· Zen Buddhism
· Sufism
· Hermits
· Hasidic Judaism
· Aboriginal spiritualities
· Asceticism
· Transcendental meditation
· New Age groups

The human quest for meaning and transformation

· The quest for meaning is part of the human condition (e.g. purpose and direction, identity, leading a worthwhile life, death, success, the existence / nature of God, fulfillment, meaning of suffering)
· The human capacity for transformation (e.g. reflective practices, metanoia – change of heart, inner conversion, personal development, reconciliation, search for wholeness)

Elements of spiritual traditions

· The ultimate Other
· Beliefs
· Sacred and other texts
· Stories and accounts
· Prayer and meditation
· Ritual and devotional practices
· Use of art and symbol
· Reflection
· Outreach and mission
· Community
· Significant leaders
· Quest / journey
· Way of being
· Transformation

Issues for a preferred future

· Political
· Social / Cultural
· Economic
· Ecological
· Scientific / technological
· Religious

Expressions of a future vision

· Wish list
· Dreams for a future
· Vision statement
· Utopian narratives
· Contracts
· Lists of goals
· Statements of commitments
· Strategic directions
· Futuristic representations in the arts
· Predictions
· Prophecies
· Estimations
· Pledges
· Covenants

The syllabus also has a number of learning experience that it suggests. Below are some of these experiences.

· Prepare a multi-modal presentation on regional differences in religious practice and imagery
· Observe / participate in and describe ways a contemporary ritual reflects cultural and social influences (e.g. community crisis ritual, indigenous reconciliation, national historical celebrations)
· Prepare a report on how prayer, ritual and devotional life at a particular point in history reflected social and cultural influences of the time (e.g. Corpus Christi procession in 1950’s Australia, Gregorian chant in Middle Ages, hymn, “Faith of our Fathers” in 19th Century Ireland, Latin Mass in pre-Vatican II era, reception of Eucharist in pre-Reformation Europe, devotion to relics in Middle Ages)
· Prepare a folio collection to illustrate how the arts represent changes in Marian devotion over time (e.g. painting, statues, music, literature, film)
· Create a PowerPoint presentation identifying the influences of society and culture on images of Jesus.
· Create a class multi-faith expo highlighting social and cultural influences on prayers and rituals in each faith tradition
· Complete a retrieval chart depicting social and cultural influences on the celebration of rites of passage across diverse faith traditions (e.g. initiation, marriage, death, adulthood)
· Conduct a web search exploring differences in the practice of prayer and ritual within a faith tradition (e.g. Orthodox and Liberal Judaism, Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims)
· Use film / video extracts to accompany an oral presentation on the diversity of prayer practices across faith traditions (e.g. meditation, prostration, whirling Dervishes, ecstatic practices, kneeling)
· Use a jigsaw strategy to analyse how religious dress and accoutrements in religious rituals reflect social and cultural influences (e.g. priests’ vestments, Shinto priests’ dress, prayer shawls and yarmulkes in Judaism, saffron robes in Buddhism)
· Communicate with a member of a faith tradition about the social and cultural challenges of observing prayer and ritual practices in a foreign culture (e.g. a Muslim in Australia, a Buddhist in a European country, an Hasidic Jew in America)
· Write a report about peoples’ experiences of sacraments drawn from literature and film excerpts (e.g. Angela’s Ashes, O Brother, Where art thou, The Harp in the South, Brides of Christ)
· Artistically express personal or related experiences of the reception of sacraments
· Critique diverse artistic depictions of sacramental celebrations
· Critique hymns used in sacramental celebrations
· Collaboratively research and prepare a multi-modal presentation that reflects on key questions of the human quest for meaning and transformation (e.g. Where does humanity come from? Who am I? How do I find purpose and direction? Why is there suffering in the world? What happens after death?)
· Investigate how spiritual movements have responded to questions surrounding the human quest for meaning and transformation (e.g. Buddhist response to suffering, Hindu understanding of death and rebirth, Islamic understanding of care for others)
· Design a vision statement for a preferred future considering the following design elements: past and present practices, contemporary needs, issues and contexts, authentic and relevant beliefs and practices (e.g. a class / school vision statement, a vision for a purposeful adult life, a vision for living justly)
· Design an artistic representation of a preferred future drawing on beliefs and texts about wealth, poverty and sharing from a spiritual tradition to address an economic issue (e.g. feeding the world, third world debt, economically sustainable future, consumerism, economic rationalism)
· Write a prophetic speech, informed by a particular spiritual tradition, highlighting a vision for future access to the benefits of science and technology (e.g. critique current practice and propose alternative wisdom)
· Write a utopian narrative about a world in which diverse religious traditions co-exist harmoniously to create a world of peace and toleranceAdapt an existing vision statement to create a new futuristic vision for a particular group by incorporating elements of a spiritual tradition (e.g. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream”, Micah 6:8, workplace vision statement)

Sacred Scripture and the Modern Catholic Part 5

5. Faith of Our Fathers: Analogy of Faith

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us" (2 Thes. 2:15).

A final interpretive principle allows us to experience the breadth and length and height and depth of the fullness of the Roman Catholic Faith. This principle is called the analogy of faith, and is described in the : "Read the Scripture within 'the living Tradition of the whole Church.' According to a saying of the Fathers, sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church's heart..." (, no. 113). The analogy of faith is based on the fact that "sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church" (, no. 10). This deposit of faith is given by God and entrusted to the Church, "the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). The analogy of faith is the secret weapon of the Catholic Church. If we as Catholics were to realize in our lives the analogy of faith, we would become suitable laborers in the work of authentic Christian unity.

The unity among Christians willed by God can be attained only by the adherence of all to the content of revealed faith in its entirety. In matters of faith, compromise is a contradiction with God who is Truth (Pope John Paul II, , no. 18).

It was the discovery of this interpretative principle which led me back to the Roman Catholic Church. Although the Bible is the very Word of God given in the words of men, there is still room for human error and misinterpretation. In the book of Acts, the deacon Philip comes across an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading a passage from the sacred Scriptures, and Philip asks him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" and the eunuch replies, "Well, how could I unless someone guides me?" (cf. Acts S:30-31). There are more than 25,000 different Christian denominations, each claiming the Bible as their rule of faith. So without someone to guide us, we would be unable to discern the authentic meaning of the sacred page. St. Jerome illustrates this point, stating: "What I have learned I did not teach myself-a wretchedly presumptuous teacher!-but I learned it from illustrious men in the Church" (, no. 36).

Many sincere Christians disagree on biblical interpretation. For example, should our Lord be taken literally when He says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" (Jn. 6:53)? Imagine how much insight we could gain if we could speak with St. John himself and ask him what he understood our Lord to mean. Well, this is exactly what the Fathers of the Church were able to do. St. Ignatius of Antioch was a disciple of St. John, and St. Ignatius is not silent on the subject. He writes in his letter to the church of Antioch, "They [the heterodox] do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior, Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins in which the Father in His goodness raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes."

When I discovered the analogy of faith, I realized that I was no longer left to my own devices and subject to my own limitations in trying to discover the fullness of faith. Rather, I was able to enter into a "dialogue" with other faithful followers of Jesus Christ. And I also had the wise and anointed leadership of the Magisterium, the servant and teacher of God's word. For the Catholic, the riches of the Bible are open completely. We have the very word of God, in Tradition and in Scripture, as preserved and proclaimed by the Teaching Church. This means that Catholics among all Christians should be the most biblical.

Some people are concerned that by reading the Bible we may fall away from the Church. But what I have seen is quite the opposite. Catholics who read the Bible within the Church help others to come into the Church. Catholics who are ignorant of Scripture are easily drawn away to a "Bible church," which rightly focuses on the importance of the Word of God, but does so outside of its God- given context, the family of God, the Church.

TWO WAYS TO START

There are many styles and methods of studying the sacred Scriptures. The most basic is an inductive Bible study: to go to the very words of Scripture and allow them to teach you. As a Catholic, this must be done in light of the five principles of interpretation already mentioned. These principles allow us to read the Bible with freedom and confidence, knowing that if we encounter something that we do not understand or that seems to contradict the Church, we will humbly defer and allow the Church to guide us into the right interpretation. The Gospels may be the most fruitful subject for this inductive approach. In them, we are confronted by the very words and person of Jesus Christ, who invites us to repent and believe, and challenges us to live, not for the sake of this world, but for the sake of the world to come.

Seemingly, every passage of Scripture is an invitation to have our lives transformed by God. St. Paul writes, "I appeal to you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:1-2).

Another type of study is a deductive study, in which we allow a topic or a teaching to lead us into the Scriptures to show us its foundation and its biblical principles. Perhaps the most useful guide for a deductive study is the . The is filled with scriptural references, so much so that one modern theologian accused it of citing the Bible in a "fundamentalist way" (E. A. Johnson, "Jesus Christ in the Catechism," , p. 208, 3/3/92).

Taken from www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/SSMODCAT.TXT

Sacred Scripture and the Modern Catholic Part 4

4. The New in Light of the Old: Analogy of Scripture

"God, the inspirer and author of the books of both Testaments, in His wisdom has so brought it about that the New should be hidden in the Old, and that the Old should be made manifest in the New" (, no. 16).

The complete canon of Scripture includes 73 books. But as the teaches, there is an inner unity which also allows us to refer to the Bible as a single book:

"Be especially attentive 'to the content and unity of the whole Scripture.' Different as the books which comprise it may be, Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God's plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open since His Passover" (, no. 112).

This principle of interpretation is called the analogy of Scripture. The analogy of Scripture allows us to see how the plans, promises, and covenants of the Old Testament salvation history are realized and fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ and the foundation of the Roman Church. Salvation history, viewed in this light, allows us to see that "His story" becomes "our story." This realization allows us to read the Scriptures with a new-found interest. What may have appeared to be an obscure story now becomes our family history. St. Paul states: "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).

When viewed in this light, the Scriptures invite us in and provide us with a God-given worldview. We become acquainted with "the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3:1 1). We have become "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" (Eph. 2:19-20). It is with this knowledge and through the life of prayer which must accompany it that we may begin to make sense of our lives and our role in the modern world. Vatican II provides that "Christ fully reveals man to himself" (, no. 22), and without this Christ-centered knowledge of self we have no hope of living the life that God intends for us.