ON THE PATH OF SALVATION - 10
10
CATECHETICAL TEXTBOOK SERIES OF THE SYRO - MALABAR CHURCH
LESSON 6
PERSONS WHO LIVED ACCORDING TO
THE WORD OF GOD
Once Bl. Virgin Mary went to see Jesus who preaching the Word
of God. She was not able to reach her son because of the crowd. Some
understood this and said to Jesus: “Then His mother and His brothers
came to Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd. And he
was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, waiting to
see you’. But He said to them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who
hear the word of God and do it” (Lk. 8:19-21).
THE EXAMPLE OF MARY
Bl. Virgin Mary is a person who received the Word of God and
lived it in its fullness. From the moment she uttered ‘Behold the
handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Word, the
Word dwelt in her. She gave flesh to the Word who dwelt in her. The
mother who nursed Jesus, surrendered herself to the will of God at the
foot of the Cross too. After the death of Jesus, she lived with His
disciples and encouraged them and prepared them to become witnesses
to the Word, helping them to receive the Holy Spirit. Mary glorified God
on earth and God glorified Mary in heaven.
PERSONS WHO WITNESSED
TO THE WORD OF GOD.
The apostles proclaimed the word of God that was there from the
beginning, that they had heard, that they had seen with their eyes, that we
have looked at and touched with their hands (1 Jn. 1:1). They formed
ecclesial communities through the proclamation of the Word of God. The
Fathers of the Church helped the people of God to live according to the Word
by giving authentic teachings and correct interpretations of the word of God.
They fought with the sword of the word of God when there were crises
against faith and communion in the Church. They suffered for the word of
God and were martyred by the enemies of faith and entered heaven.
Activity -1. Prepare a write up on missionary works of St. Francis in
India and present it in class.
A great number of saints are in heaven. Those who tried to live
the Word with a spirit of sacrifice and those who sacrificed their lives to
witness to the word of God are in the group of saints. Each Christian is
called to this great communion of saints.
LIFE OF THE SAINTS.
The church is the community of saints. Saints
are those who received the word of God and lived
heroically. The lives of saints inspire the members of
the church to move foreward courageously in the path
of the word of God. According to the teachings of St.
Paul all those who received baptism are saints. He
addresses each church community as ‘saints’ (1 Cor.
1:2, 2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1). The Church officially
announces saints,the persons who lived the Gospel
message heroically.
“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your
possessions, and give the money to the poor and
you will have treasure in heaven; then come,
follow me”. (Mt. 19 : 21). This word of God
prompted St. Antony to give up worldly pleasures
and riches and to take to solitude and do penance.
The same word of God prompted St. Benedict and
St. Francis Assisi to lead religious life. “What will it
profit them if they gain the whole world but forefeit
their life or what will they give in return for their
life?” This word of God inspired Francis Xavier, the
son of a rich lord to give up wealth and positions
and come to India as a great missionary. He is
known as the second apostle of India.
St. Augustine heard an interior voice saying ‘take and read’.
When he took up the Bible and read the word what he got was this:
“The night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the
works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us live
honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in
debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarelling and jealousy.
Instead, put on Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the
flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13 : 12-14).
St. Augustine realised that it was an invitation from God to
turn away from his sinful ways became a changed man and turned
to the path of goodness. He became one of the Fathers of the
Church who gave authentic teachings in the Church. There are
many saints in the Church who lived according to the word of God
and led a blissful life.
Saints like St. Francis Assisi, St. Clare, St. Antony of
Paduva, St. Thomas Acquinas, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John Maria
Vianni, St. Don Bosco, St. Pius X, St. Theresa of Lissieux, St.
Maria Goretti and so many other saints enriched the Church by
living the word of God. Bl. Chavara, St. Alphonsa, Bl. Mariam
Thresia, Bl. Euphrasia, Bl. Kunjachan Thevarparambil and Bl.
Mother Theresa of India also attained holiness by living the word
of God. There are so many others in the present Church like
pastors / bishops and priests, religious, lay apostles, social
workers etc. who are the living witnesses to the word of God.
Activity – 2. Study and prepare a brief note on the dedicated life of
St. Maria Goretti.
THE PASTORS
Bishops and priests, the shepherds, are appointed to help the
members of the Church to grow in holiness through pastoring, teachings
based on the word of God and the administration of sacraments. Second
Vatican council exhorts that “the priests who are to administer the word of
God should read and meditate the word of God which they ought to teach
others. (Priests 13). After appointing Timothy as the Pastor of the
ecclesical community which he formed, St. Paul exhorts. “Until I arrive,
give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching”
(1 Tim. 4:13). These words remind us of the responsibility of Pastors to
receive the word of God, to live it and to proclaim it. St. John Vianny, who
converted thousands of people of Ars who lived in tepidity and immorality
by the proclamation of the word of God, confession and other sacraments
and above all, by his own exemplary life, is the crowning glory of priestly
missionary activity.
THE RELIGIOUS
The religious are persons who are prompted by the Holy
Spirit to take in a special way the vows of chastity, poverty and
obedience, to live the evangelical counsels. The most fundamental
principle of religious life is to imitate Jesus in the Gospel. (Religious Life.
P.C-2) Pope John Paul II through his apostolic teaching ‘Vita Consecreta’
(Religious Life) exhorts the religious to bear living witness to Jesus who is
chaste, pure and obedient unto death. They bear witness to the holiness
of the Church by living according to their state of life and moving towards
the fulness of love. They inspire others to grow in holiness. There are
many religious who go to the mission giving up pleasures, comforts,
home and homeland to do mission work among those who have not
known Jesus even today. The attempts that the religious make, imitating
Jesus, the total liberator, to conscientise the ignorant and exploited and to
keep them away from exploitation, have led some of them even to
martyrdom.
LAY MISSIONARIES
The duty and right of the laymen for mission work originates from
the same union with Christ that arises from baptism. They are called to
bear witness to Christ in the world around and to offer spiritual sacrifices
through all their activities. Only through the meditation of the word of God
in the light of faith can one see God everywhere and at all times and to
bear witness to Him (Lay Apostolate AA 3,4). They are obliged to
sanctify the millieu they move in, events and experiences by the spirit of
the Gospel. Saints like St. Monica, Bl. Frederick Osanam, St. Elizabeth of
Hungary, Mumma Margret, the mother of St. Don Bosco, St. Geanna
Beretta Jhanna Molla who gave up her life to save the child in the womb
etc. teach us how lay people can become saints through lay missionary
activities.
CHARITABLE WORKERS
The essence of the word of God is love. It is love that
prompted God the Father to send His only Son, the Word itself, to
the world. (Jn. 3:16). Those who read and meditate the word of
God and desire to live accordingly will naturally be engaged in
charitable work. Because charitable work is the expressions of
love. The measuring rode to evaluate how much we have put into
practice the word of God ischaritable deeds. “I was hungry and
you fed me” (Mt. 25: 31-36) The word of judgement which God
gives on the last judgement day is also clearly based on acts of
love. The services of the Church like protecting the orphans and
the widows and helping those who suffer spiritually and mentally,
are living witnesses of the word of God. St. James (Jacob)
reminds us that faith without action is dead (Jam. 2 : 14-17).
The word of God purifies us. Jesus said to his disciples:
You have already been cleansed by the words I have spoken to
you. (Jn. 15:3). Those who meditate on the word of God and live
in its Spirit will become holy. Let us read and meditate on the
word of God and live it in daily life and join the group of saints
who lived the word of God.
LET US
READ THE WORD OF GOD
AND MEDITATE
Mk. 3:31-35
A WORD OF GOD TO
REMEMBER
“But He said to them: ‘My mother and my brothers are
those who hear the word of God and do it”
(Lk. 8 : 21).
LET US PRAY
Jesus, our Lord, just like the saints who
attained holiness through a life of service,
help us to attain holiness through a life of
hard work.
MY DECISION
I will constantly strive to grow in holiness through a
life obeying the word of God.
LET US THINK WITH THE CHURCH
All Christians, whatever be the state of life or
circumstances are called to attain the fulness of love and
Christian life. This holiness encourages us to live in a more
human way in society. Christians should follow the footsteps
of Jesus by seeking the will of the Father in all things and
dedicating themselves totally for the glory of God and
service of humanity. (L.G. 40)
LET US FIND OUT THE ANSWERS
1. How did Mary become a model of a life lived in
accordance with the word of God ?
2. How did the apostles and Fathers of the Church become
witnesses to the word of God ?
3. Saints lived the word of God heroically Illustrate.
4. What is the influence of the word of God in religious life ?
5. How does the word of God influence charitable work ?
