kiss
"Of this much I assure you: until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true." —Matthew 5:18
In the beginning of creation was the Word. In the beginning of the new creation of this Lenten-Easter time is also the Word. When God's word begins to come alive in our lives, we know that the risen life of Easter is not far behind. When our hearts begin to burn as Jesus explains to us the Scriptures, we know that soon we will recognize Him risen from the dead (Lk 24:31-32).
During this first half of Lent, the Lord is giving us a grace to cherish His word, even "the smallest part of a letter" (Mt 5:18). We will delight "in the law of the Lord," and meditate "on His law day and night" (Ps 1:2). We will value His word more than the finest food (Ps 119:103) or "thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Ps 119:72). We will devour God's word; it will become the joy and happiness of our hearts (Jer 15:16). By God's grace, we will devote ourselves to the apostles' instruction in the word (Acts 2:42), and carefully observe the statutes and decrees of the Lord (Dt 4:5-6).
At Mass, the priest customarily kisses the Bible after the reading of the Gospel. Ask the Lord for the spontaneous desire to kiss His word, not out of custom but out of love.
Prayer: Jesus, may I have the desire to kiss the Bible because I'm in love with You.
Promise: "Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children." —Dt 4:9
Praise: For Albert it has been his witness to his children's children that has drawn his children back to the Church.
Reference: (To grow in love of His word, read it daily. For encouragement, order our tape series on Biblical Counseling on audio AV 13A-1, AV 13A-3, AV 13B-1 or video starting with V-13A.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 16, 2005
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