(August 20, 2009) “That the Word of God may be better known, accepted, and lived
as the source of freedom and joy.” This is Pope Benedict XVI’s General Prayer Intention
for the month of September. According to an old popular song, the word ‘BIBLE’ stands
for Basic, Instructions, Before, Leaving, Earth. True enough, the Bible is a manual
for living in peace, freedom, and joy, both here and hereafter. It’s the Word of
God and contains everything essential for our good. The Bible, which includes both
the Old and the New Testaments, is the inspired World of God. It is a living book
that can speak to our hearts and help us in our daily struggles. Reading it stirs
up faith, hope, and love. It gives us insights. It inspires us to pray. It helps
us draw close to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. By reading the Scriptures
regularly with an open heart we come to realize how Jesus asks us to live by loving
one another, and we discover new ways to do that. As we live in the Word of God,
we find supernatural peace, incredible freedom from fear, and unspeakable joy in being
a child of God. Let’s therefore pray during the month of September that people everywhere
may deepen their personal experience with the Scriptures aware of the power of knowing,
accepting, and living God’s Word.