IN FOCUS - LEAD KINDLY LIGHT | KAIROS GLOBAL | MAY 2019

Author: Sunita

Intro: Sharing her experience, Sunita exhorts and encourages everyone to delve deeper into the word of God, finding the Word incarnate in the word.

“Your word is lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The light that made things clear and visible for me, preventing me from tripping and falling is the Word of God. The greatest treasure we have and own is the Scripture. God has given us His word for direction and guidance in our everyday walk, and that Word is Jesus.

CCC 108 states Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book." Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, a word which is "not a written and mute word, but the Word which is incarnate and living". If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures.

Since our religion is of the Word of God, we are without excuse bound to live by the Word of God. The Holy Bible commences with the story of the creation of heaven and earth in Genesis, and finishes in Revelation with the creation of a new heaven and earth. In between the two creations is the Cross – the Love of Jesus for us. It’s hard to read and follow the Word of God unless we are in love with it. When we love, we would devote as much time as we can with the scriptures. To do this we need a helper, the Holy Spirit, as is mentioned in CCC 111 – But since Sacred Scripture is inspired, there is another and no less important principle of correct interpretation, without which Scripture would remain a dead letter. “Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written."

For me, the Bible was fearsome prior to 2013. I read the Bible, one or two passages at a time by opening random pages every night before going to bed. I did so out of the fear that God might punish me if I didn’t read the Bible and I read it just like any other book, simply in order to lessen my fear. The word of God was just a dead letter for me, with no impact on my life. In 2017, when I came across Jesus Youth movement and attended fellowships, I saw that the word of God was one of the pillars of JY. I started reading the word of God diligently, seeking the help of the Holy Spirit to comprehend His messages for me. As time passed by, I felt joy growing within me, fear vanishing away, and my faith being built up. To my surprise, I became a different individual, the Word having transformed me. Having realized that the Word of God is incarnate and living, I began to apply it into every situation I was going through. 

The first word that I put into practice was “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.’’ (Pro 3:5-6). I printed out the verse and put it up in my bedroom. As I rose in the morning and retired to bed at night, I looked at the verse. This Word soon turned into an integral part of my life, and even today remains a guiding principle. Through this Word, miracles started happening in my life, and whatever seemed impossible, started turning possible. I began to love the word so much that I needed it every day. I contemplated on it, with the help of the Spirit, to understand what God wanted to convey to me through it. Whenever I feel troubled and my spirits down, the word of God leads me out of such situations. I’ve shared my testimony with family, friends and with people on different walks of life, which has inspired them as well to love the Word of God.

I now begin each day, by reading the word of God and through scripture, He talks to me and equips me for the day’s work. I go through the teachings on Scripture by Catholic preachers, and joining online bible studies (by the St. Paul Center for instance) has helped me to expand my understanding of the word of God. St. Jerome says, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Journeying with the word of God is a necessity for every Christian. The Word of God is the daily bread – we must eagerly feed on it.  

On the way to Emmaus, when Jesus revealed himself they asked each other, “were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening to scriptures to us?’’ (Luke 24:32). Like those two, our hearts should be inflamed and our spiritual eyes opened upon reading the Scriptures. For St. Augustine, the scripture transformed his life and brought him to a true and constant conversion. One who reads the scripture must desire conversion and be transformed every day. Only then can the word yield fruit in multifold, as the sower sows the seeds on a fertile land. My friend in Christ, are you willing to graft the Word of God, nourishing your life and successfully bearing good fruit?

“Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

Sunita S. Fernandes works as Quality & Accreditation officer and lives in Kuwait with her husband and daughter. She is currently part of the National Council, JY Kuwait.