Pope calls Catholics to daily meditation on the Bible

CNA ^ | Vatican City, Oct 28, 2009

[GonzoII]

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Pope calls Catholics to daily meditation on the Bible

Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican City, Oct 28, 2009 / 10:37 am (CNA).- At today's General Audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Benedict provided a lesson on the theological renaissance of the 12th century, advising Christians to learn from the monks and set aside time every day to meditate on the Bible, “so that the Word of God will be the lamp that illuminates our daily path on earth."

Benedict XVI began his address to the 15,000 faithful by recalling how the 12th century was a time of a spiritual, cultural and political rebirth in the West. In that time, theology “flourished, refining methods, advancing towards new problems, in contemplation of the mystery of God,” he said.

As fruits of this development, figures such as St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure would appear in the thirteenth century. The two different environments in which this theological activity flourished were monasteries and schools, which would soon gave birth to universities, an invention of medieval Christianity.

Monastic theology, the Pope added, was due to abbots gifted with evangelical fervor and dedicated to inspire and nurture the desire for God. The method was primarily linked to the prayerful contemplation of Holy Scripture and the texts of the Church Fathers. The monks, he expounded, "were devoted to the Sacred Scriptures and one of their main activities consisted in lectio divina, that is, a meditative reading of the Bible." The Holy Father noted the Synod on the Word of God last year recalled the importance of reading Scripture and said it must be built on monastic theology.

"As monastic theology is listening to the Word of God," the Pontiff said, "it is necessary to purify one's heart to welcome it and, above all, one must be full of fervor to encounter the Lord. Theology therefore becomes meditation, prayer, a song of praise, and the impetus for sincere conversion."

The Holy Father emphasized "it is important to reserve a certain time each day for meditation on the Bible so that the Word of God will be the lamp that illuminates our daily path on earth."

Scholastic theology, the Pontiff explained, was formed "around a master and his disciples, to train professionals of culture in an era in which knowledge was increasingly appreciated." The method involves the placement of a "quaestio," a question around which "the discussion between teacher and students revolved."

"The organization of the ‘quaestiones’ led to the compilation of evermore extensive syntheses, the so-called ‘summae’ that were vast dogmatic-theological treatises,” Pope Benedict said. “Scholastic theology sought to present the unity and harmony of Christian Revelation with a method, called precisely 'scholastic,' that grants faith in human reason."

"Echoing the invitation of the First Epistle of Peter scholastic theology invites us to be always ready to answer whoever asks the reason for the hope that is in us," he noted. It "reminds us that between faith and reason there is a natural friendship, founded in creation itself." Faith liberates reason, enabling the human spirit to rise to the loving contemplation of that fullness of truth which is God himself.

Let us pray, Benedict XVI concluded, "so that the path of knowledge and exploration of the mystery of God is always enlightened by divine love."

In his Italian-language greeting to young people, the sick and newlyweds, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Today the liturgy remembers the Holy Apostles Simon and Jude Thaddeus. Let their evangelical testimony sustain you, dear young people, in the commitment of daily faithfulness to Christ. Let it encourage you, dear sick, to always follow Jesus along the road of trial and suffering. Let it help you, dear newlyweds, to make your family a place of constant encounter with the Love of God.”

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[NYer]

Ping!

[mgist]

I try to go to adoration daily. I discovered it during a difficult period, and it was a blessing.

I also read the bible in adoration. I either open up the bible and decide that that page has a message for me from God, or read the daily Gospel from the Magnificat.

Love it!

[AnAmericanMother]

Sidelight on the word "emeth" -- C.S. Lewis made that the name of his Good Calormene in The Last Battle.

Scripture during Mass is a Good Thing, since of course the same lectionary and the same basic pattern of readings went on in my former denomination, nothing has changed as far as the quantity (but of course, Everything has changed, on a different level.)

But, given the variable audibility or intelligibility on the part of the readers (although our deacons have good strong voices so nobody misses the Gospel), not to mention screaming babies and the inevitable distractions (especially if you sing in the choir and you're not quite sure what the offertory anthem is going to be) I think reading/study at home is a very good idea.

My Greek is pretty rusty too, with the additional disadvantage of having learned it as Classical and then Homeric Greek -- I will say that koine is very straightforward (mostly - St. Paul gins up some pretty complicated clauses sometimes, even in English).

But I'm going to get a GOOD dose of Greek this evening. The Patriarch of Constantinople is in town, and our choir is participating in the Ecumenical Service, representing the Latins. There will also be the Greek Cathedral choir as well as a brave buncha Bible Baptists (who will no doubt sing rings around the rest of us). We're going to sing the Litany of the Saints, as a species of compliment to our hosts and the guest of honor with all the Greek Church Fathers inserted, then the chant Ave Maria and the Victoria Ave Maria.

[AnAmericanMother]

I will carry along a Bible the next time I go to Adoration. That’s a really good idea.

[Mad Dawg]

Yeah - I caught that when that word came up in Hebrew Vocab mumble mumble years ago.

I got my wife a subscription to Magnificat which she brings to Sunday Mass so I can always follow along. This helps with the varying quality of the lectors.

I wish I could be at this service you describe. Wow! IT sounds beautiful.

[Mad Dawg]

Do you know about Lectio Divina? It’s da Bomb!

[AnAmericanMother]

I'll give a full report when I get back.

His full title is "His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch".

[GonzoII]

"One of my favorite things to do at adoration is to read the Bible."

Me too MD. A new Church was just built about 200 yards from my place of work and its always open when I punch out!! And I usually go in with Bible (big Douay Rheims) in hand or pocket (little King James Version New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs) to read.

When I think about going in without my Bible I hear Bp. Sheen's voice ringing in my ears "Always, always the Scriptures!", words he spoke when he talked about how to make a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He left room for just about anything during it, but the Scriptures should always be included.

Freegards.

[GonzoII]

Thanks GonzoII for the post!

—

You’re welcome!

[Melian]

OH, my! Please blast this to all the people on FR who continually try to throw the old “Catholics don’t read the Bible” in our faces.

We read the Bible as a community ever Sunday at Mass (4 passages) and the list of scriptures to read for the week is printed in our weekly bulletins. Then add in what we should be doing on our own, parish Bible studies, etc.

Will any of them have the courage to let go of that old stereotype and look at these facts?

[Cronos]

But, but, I thought we weren’t allowed to read the Bible!!

We Catholics are supposed to read the Bible. dunno about others... :-P

[ELS]

Full text of Pope's catechesis

[ELS]

the chant Ave Maria and the Victoria Ave Maria

Victoria's Ave Maria, like many works of sacred music of the Renaissance, begins with a chant intonation and then continues with a chant influence. Victoria's Ave Maria is one of my favorite versions.

[AnAmericanMother]

Yep, and our choirmaster's standard performance practice is to lead with the chant and then transition into the motet. It's easy with the Victoria, although you either have to pitch the chant quite high or do a little noodling on the organ to get into the proper key for the Victoria. A true soprano melody is a bit high for the rest of us . . . .

Fortunately for our choirmaster that's not a problem. He can sight read and transpose at the same time, and also create musically- and historically- appropriate transitional filler between two works on the fly.

We were torn between the Victoria "Ave Maria" and the Hassler "Dixit Maria" for this venture, decided the Victoria was more appropriate since we're not quite into Advent yet.

[Campion]

Weekend Mass = Four gospels over 156 readings

There are epistle readings and Old Testament* readings at Sunday Mass as well.

*Except during the Easter season, when we read from Acts.

The readings for each month are posted on the USCCB site.

The "Revised Common Lectionary" used by a number of Protestant denominations is based on ours.

[A.A. Cunningham]

I encourage you to read all of Scripture not just the heavily abridged and edited copy you possess.

[Melian]

Have you considered an iPhone? I have the entire Bible (complete with a boolian search feature), Catholic calendar with daily readings, a compendium of prayers, the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, etc. in an app called iPieta. It’s fabulous. I still use a missal at Mass though because when I’m using the phone people might think I’m just checking my messages or something!

[AnAmericanMother]

Does it have the Little Office of the Virgin Mary?

[Melian]

My dear, the iPhone app iPieta has so much I can’t even begin to write it:

For Mary alone, it has Basic prayers- Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, Memorare, Angeles, Regina Caeli, Litany of Loretto, Sub Tuum, Magnificat, Ave Maris Stella and Jesus Living In Mary.

For Devotions, it has- The Rosary, Little Office of BVM I, Fatima Prayers, Our Lady of Victory, Chaplet of Mount Carmel, the Tessera, Mt. Carmel Novena, and the Fatima Novena.

iPieta also has a nice examination of conscience, many prayers and novenas to different saints (St. Philomena!), a simple exorcism blessing and other blessings, the Chaplet of Padre Pio, the Complete Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Summa Theologica, the Baltimore Catechism, the Imitation of Christ, and the Lives of the Saints. There’s more than this, but you get the idea! Keep in mind that you are carrying all this wealth around in your pocket, along with your music, your calendar, your address book etc. It all weighs a few ounces. You can also download free audio files from iPieta.

It is priceless. If you want to see a bit more about it, you can go to iTunes and look it up in the Apps section. I’ve been very happy with it. Like the Faith, it is bottomless!

[Melian]

I forgot to mention you get all that in the iPieta app for $2.99!