Wednesday, June 25, 2014

King Josiah's conversion inspires us to encounter God's Word: Daily Mass Homily--Wednesday, June 25th, 2014


           Something happened in our first reading that would be next to impossible today—the Scriptures were lost!  With the printing press and modern technology, the Bible is easily accessible and can be found in millions of places around the globe.  But this wasn’t so in ancient Israel.
            The priest Hilkiah discovered the book of the Law (the Pentateuch or part of the Pentateuch) in the temple after it had been forgotten.  He showed it to king Josiah and we saw a heartfelt conversion in Josiah’s heart.  This great reforming king not only returned to the Lord in his own life, but also stimulated the return of the Law into his subjects.
            By coming to daily Mass, each of you encounters God’s Word every day in public worship.  And, since you are faithful and disciplined in your Mass attendance, I encourage you to never forget the Scriptures in your personal prayer.
            Here is a challenge for you: read the entire Bible.  Have you ever done this?  Might God be asking you to?  As I read the Scriptures I find it helpful to follow a guide.  That way I don’t march through Genesis and Exodus only to get lost in Leviticus!  Find a Bible track online or in a Catholic bookstore that will lead you through it in a year.
            Like king Josiah models, the Scriptures inspire us to repent of our sins and grow in fidelity to God.  We have the assurance of God’s Word in our lives, we have only to pick up our Bible to read and pray.

No comments:

Post a Comment