Several times in Sacred Scripture, prophets are told to eat pages of God’s Holy Word. This happens to the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah. I remember this because, it really makes an impression on me when I hear this. Today, in Revelation, John is told take take the scroll that is in the hand of the angel and to eat it. Asking these men to actually eat the pages of God’s word is symbolic of how the word is to become a part of their entire being. Rather than remaining on the surface of our lives, the word of God is to enter our lives, we are to chew on it and digest it, to be strengthened by it and nourished by it. Only then can we become evangelizers of God’s word and to transmit that word to others. By eating God’s word in the book of Revelation, John acquired a greater understanding of the word.
On September 30, on the 1600th anniversary of the death of St Jerome, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter entitled Devotion to Sacred Scripture (Scripturae Sacrae Affectus). In this document, the Pope spoke about how St Jerome lived his life devoted to God’s word, as a hermit and as a scholar. He had a great knowledge of the ancient languages such as Greek and Hebrew, which allowed him to translated Scripture into Latin, the universal language of the day. Pope Francis states that St Jerome’s love for divine Scripture was grounded in obedience. However, Pope Francis points out that this obedience was not merely passive, but but that it demanded an active personal effort to understand God’s word. Jerome’s response was faithfulness to the word and devoted study.
God’s word is truth, not just mere information. God’s word seeks to transform us. In the present mood in our secular society, we are often pressured to accept a secular version of what is truth based on what is politically correct. But, in truth, God’s Word can be difficult and challenging. Often it requires sacrifice. But, if we truly apply God’s Word into our lives, it will transform us and change us. And then there is no turning back.
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