Reflection Of The Week
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WHOSE AUTHORITY?
A man stands on your front doorstep, holding a Bible:
“Good afternoon. May I share a few words of Christian truth with you?”
“Sure. Where do you get this truth?”
“From the Bible, of course.”
“That’s your authority? The Bible?”
“Yes, it’s the only authority for Christians.”
“Can you prove that from the Bible?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I don’t believe the Bible claims to be the sole rule of faith. Please show me where the Bible claims such a status for itself.”
Sometimes the conversation goes more like this:
“Good afternoon. May I share a few words of Christian truth with you?”
“No, I’m a Catholic.”
The door closes.
Many door-to-door proselytizers have good intentions. They want to convert you to the “truth”–as they see it. From their perspective, the Bible is the sole authority for the Christian faith. Some are taught that Catholics are prohibited from reading the Bible or know nothing about the scriptures. However, not only do we have full access to the Bible, but we hear segments of it proclaimed every time we celebrate Mass. In today’s first reading God gives Moses the right to speak with divine authority to the people of Israel. In today’s readings Jesus and Moses are recognized as speaking and acting with the authority of God. Both Jesus and Moses acted as a bridge between the people and God. For us the scriptures are a bridge for God’s truth, but so are the sacraments and the lived experience of the Church–what we call Tradition. It is part of our responsibility as disciples of Jesus to learn from the scriptures, to listen attentively at Mass, to read scripture prayerfully for ourselves, and to learn more about the Bible through reading, studying, and learning with others.
Living Stewardship Now
Join a scripture study group in your parish to listen more responsibly. Your parish doesn’t have a group? Start one. You need not be a scholar or an expert to begin.