Word of God
Fr. Anthony Le

Vietnamese have this to say about the necessity to use words wisely. we say words are inexpensive therefore learn to use words wisely to build up one another. Words, if you pause and think, we would realize that everything that we do, every area of our society, community, and family, individually, or communally, Words are the main communication tool that we have, to either share our thoughts, formulate our thinking process, plan of action. therefore, concretely impacts our future here, now, and beyond. Our words have an amazing capacity to stir up feelings in our heart. perhaps positively, or negatively as well.

I would like to read to you a few sayings from some of the most famous people. you probably never heard, and see how you react to them., "the time is always right to do what is right". Do you know who said that? Martin Luther King. "If you can't fly, then run, if you can't run, then walk, if you can't walk, then, claw, by all means keep moving ``. Who's saying that? Martin Luther King again "if you want to change the world, go home and love your family". Who's saying that one? This is Mother Teresa of Kakadu. "God does not create poverty, we do. because we do not share". Who says that? Mother Teresa again. You could hear all these words and you begin to feel a little bit. "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why". Who said that? Mark Twain. "it's better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, then to open it and remove all doubt" who said that? Mark Twain, he's a great writer and comedian as well.

now a little bit more serious, more than anything, “A person's right to abortion is a person's right to their own body” I'm not going to name anybody here, how do you feel about that statement? Now the next one - "I have noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born". True, Isn't it? Ronald Reagan "I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. I can testify to this, in the context of confession and private spiritual direction". you know who said that. Holy father pope Francis "Come to me those who are burdened with life, because my yoke is light". you know who said that "let the children come to me, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as this", you know who said that "I am the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody could come to the father, except through me" you know who said that "whoever believes in me shall live even if he dies, shall live with me forever".

Those of us who listen to the Word of God, we are stirred. Words have been used by politicians, by poets, by a lot of people, but why are they not called the Word of God? even though they convey a message, appeal to thousands and millions of people. Why are they not called the Word of God? Why are we not bowed down in submission? Why are we not? Even though we admire, we don't call them, being read in the church, and call it the Word of God? Because they are not spoken by God. They are spoken by men and women of our ages.

However, my dear brothers and sisters, on this Sunday our holy father, Pope Francis, established this day to be the day we celebrate, and honor, and remind ourselves of the significant and powerful Word of God.

the Word being proclaimed, being shared, and, therefore, transforms our lives. my dear brothers and sisters, notice what happened in the context of the liturgy, in the context of the liturgy, from the beginning to the end, throughout the liturgical year of the church, the Word of God permeates everything we do, guides every decision the church ever made, formalist ever dogmatic teaching of the church. Every dogmatic teaching of the church has been inspired directly or indirectly, taught by holy scripture, and sacred traditions, being passed along from apostles to the modern-day bishops, cardinals, and the lay faithful. For the beginning of our mass, the deacon carried the book of the gospel into possession. Together with the presider. We show a great respect to the Word of God going to be proclaimed, used by the human voice, and delivered the message of salvation. It is not a scientific book, it is not a historical record, but the Word of God saturated throughout the history of mankind, inspired by the spirit of life, delivered for salvation of mankind, specifically faith and morality.

Then, we place the book of the gospel on the altar. At mass, we have two tables. the table of the Word of God, and the table of the holy Eucharist, equally important. One is a Word spoken by our lord, the other one given his body and blood, his divinity and humanity.

Then the Word being proclaimed in exactly the same manner, my dear brothers and sisters, like Ezra the great high priest of God's people, after great exile the return. For the first time in a long time, Ezra opened the book of torah - five books, first five books of the bible - proclaiming to the people. they all stood, they all raised their hands, and said 'Amen modern-day '. So be it, whatever is being proclaimed by God, we believe exactly the same way we say amen at every end of our prayer, at every moment when we receive the body of our lord, we say amen. We acknowledge, we believe, and we accept what has been proclaimed as the Word of God.

The first reading today shows how the Word renewed the people of Israel. How the Word renews really all the spirit of the people who were there. the Word of God.

We have been accused in the catholic church, we have been accused by protestant brothers and sisters, that we don't really learn the Word. that well, we don't really read the Word that often. I want to give you a counter argument. Every three years, if you go to church daily, you're going to listen to the entirety of the gospel. everything in the bible will be selected and proclaimed. if you go to all daily mass, on Sunday mass, you hear the entire bible. if you live 30 years old and you listen to that, you read it, heard it, 10 times over. if you live 60 years old and you have heard that how many times are they? 20. That's a lot. and if you live longer, you listen a lot more. and throughout the mass, everything that we do in the context of the mass is saturated with the Word of God as well. Every little thing if you could trace, if you line them all up together, from the greeting of the priest, down to the amen, almost 90 percent coming out of the bible. 90% of the Words being said, except a few prayers fabricated, worked together, formulated by the church, and everything else Word of God.

and then we come to the second reading, reading normally being selected from the epistles of Paul, or John, or Peter. the New Testament to show the church after our lord has gone, continue to proclaim that Word, live out that Word, and share that Word, in the context of the private home and also in the context of the early church community and then the Word of the gospel being proclaimed. Listen carefully, my dear brothers and sisters, that is not father Anthony’s teaching. This is the teaching of the church. Every time the Word of God is spoken, God himself says to his people exactly the same way he encounters Paul, Peter, Moses, Isaiah, Elias, all these great prophets receiving message from God is the same way that we receive here at mass. When the Word of Ezra, the Word of the prophet Nemaha, Jeremiah, the prophet Isaiah, or Paul, john, peter, the Word of God being proclaimed, he himself addressed his people. when the Word of the gospel being proclaimed, the deeds of Jesus and the Words of Jesus being used and delivered. Christ himself presents and delivers to his people. we believe that because the spirit of God who inspire all the authors of the bible, all the authors of the sacred books, the same spirit that has been given to the church, the same spirit has been given to the entire church, and the same spirit inspires us to listen once again to this beautiful Word, and therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, we have a responsibility to respond to that, we have the responsibility to listen to that Word, we have an obligation to learn and appreciate that Word, so that the effectiveness and the power of that Word could really penetrate our life, cut through the lines that the world presented to us, cut through the lines of falsehood that have been permeated in our society, in our life.

let's listen once again how to listen to that Word and respond to that Word of God. First we listen with reverence, we listen with reverence, not only we stand up to listen to the Word, not only we sign our forehead, our mouth, and our heart, before we can see the Word of Christ proclaimed to us. We also visibly show we respect the Word by having an altar, having candles, to show the importance of the Word of God in our life. and when we prepare, we take great care to learn about history, we learn about the teaching of the church, look through the lances of our faith into the reading being selected, and chosen and proclaimed at mass we don't just come up with all opinions filtered through the lens that society provided. no, no, no, we're going to read with the community of faith, with the community of the church. we're going to read with the teaching of the church, we're going to read with those who believe, those who conceived that Word. With Mary, with Joseph, with all these things not with politicians, not with poets. no, no, we refuse to do that.

So, we read, first of all with respect and reverence, and then we read with obedience, just like Mary. When we read the Word, when we listen to the Word, Mary receives that Word with obedience. Do whatever he tells you. Let it be done according to that Word. our blessed mother responded. This obedience, my dear brothers and sisters, makes the Words truly powerful and takes root in our life. and therefore, transform. Imagine you are a parent. You tell your children to do the right thing, and they say they don't want to follow. I do the opposite. then your Word has no effect on them even though it's true and beautiful.

The same goes with the Word of God. when being proclaimed without obedience, without openness to accept that Word, it won't do a thing, to change our life. and then lastly, when we listen, when we read the Word, we've got to read, and listen, with a great sense of zeal and mission. I'm going to do it. I'm going to embark on this new journey with you. The same way our lord Jesus walked on the path with the disciples after he had passed. He resurrected, he returned, he walked with them. He explained to them the Old Testament, he taught them what it means for the son of God to die on the cross. What that means for him to be resurrected again, and therefore their hearts on fire. They returned to Jerusalem, and they returned to where they ran away, and they proclaimed Christ without fear.

My dear brothers and sisters, when we hear the Word like that, with that kind of zeal and openness, we go back into our life, into our family, and we declare Christ by way of living our lives according to the Word being proclaimed to us. Amazing things will happen.

Asking Paul when he listened to the Word, he became an evangelist, asked saint Francis when he listened to the Word of Christ asking to give up his life for the sake of the gospel, asking Benedict the one who listened and abandoned the world, the world of roman empire, and embraced poverty of Christ, and set in motion the most beautiful monastic life through the next 17th century. Ask the St. Therese of Lisieux, how the Corinthian hymn of love transforms her life and she became a patron of all missionaries. “In the heart of the church, I shall be loved”. Ask Mother Teresa of Kolkata to listen to the Word of Christ on the cross, I thirst. She became the missionary to the poor and, therefore, her sisters saved thousands of souls worldwide.

Oh, my dear brothers and sisters let the Word stir you on a mission, let the Word stir us on a mission, and we do that together. and together, we move the world, and move this community together. Like every single part of the body, we are united because the Word of God, like blood running through our veins, running through every aspect of our community and family. and let that Word be our light. The psalm today sang very beautifully. The Word of God is a light unto my path. Because our lord Jesus is that Word, let's together profess our faith

圣言

越南人有这样的说法，来劝导我们学习说智慧的言语：“珍惜从你口中说出的话语，学习用智慧的言语，来建立彼此。” 我们所做的每一件事，我们的想法、思考的过程和行动计划，都是用语言来与人分享。我们讲的话，无论是此时此地，甚至于将来，对我们都会有影响。从正面或反面，来影响我们的命运。

让我引用一些名人的金句，看看你们知道不知道是谁讲的。
“任何时机都是好时机去做你该做的事。” 马丁路德
“如果你不能飞，那就跑。如果不能跑，那就走。如果不能走，那就爬。无论如何必须继续前进。“谁说的？又是马丁路德。
“如果你想改变世界，从爱你的家人开始做起吧”。谁说的？德蕾莎修女。
“天主没有创造贫穷，贫穷是我们创造的。因为我们不愿意分享财富。”谁说的？又是德蕾莎修女。
从这些名言中，希望你开始有一点感觉。
“生命中最重要的两天是：你出生的那一天，以及找到你为什么存在的那一天。”谁说的？马克吐温。
“与其开口，让人确认你是个笨蛋，不如闭上嘴，让人以为你可能是个是笨蛋。”这话是谁说的？又是马克吐温，他是一位伟大的作家和幽默家。

现在让我们转向严肃一点的话题，有人说“一个人有权利去堕胎，因为人对自己身体有处理的权利”在这里，我不问你的意见是什么。
下一句名言是 “我注意到每个赞成堕胎的人，都已经出生了。”真的，不是这样吗？美国前总统雷根说的。
“我遇到过许多女性，她们心中承受着这个痛苦决定的可怕伤痕。我可以在听告解和辅导个人神修的经历下，为此做见证。”你知道这是谁说的？教宗方济各。

“凡劳苦和负重担的，你们都到我跟前来，因为我的担子是轻松的。”你知道谁说的？
“你们让小孩子来罢！因为天国正属于这样的人。”你知道是谁说的？
“我是道路、真理、生命，除非经过我，谁也不能到父那里去。“ 你知道是谁说的？
“我就是复活，就是生命；信从我的，即使死了，仍要活着”。这些都是耶稣的话。

为信主的人来说，耶稣的话就是圣言，听到耶稣的话，激起我们的对主的热情。政治家、诗人、很多人都说智慧的言语。这些言语，传达了信息，也影响了成千上万的人。虽然我们很钦佩这些话语，但为什么不称他们为天主的话语呢？为什么我们不在教堂里诵读呢？为什么我们不跪拜臣服呢？因为它们不是天主说的。我们称这些话语为：这个时代的智慧言语。

教宗方济各订这个星期天来庆祝、纪念，并且提醒我们天主圣言的重要和祂的德能。

圣言的宣讲和分享，改变了我们的生命。亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，请注意教会礼仪的内涵。在教会的礼仪年中，从开始到结束，天主的圣言贯穿一切，祂指导每一个决策，形成每一个教理。我们的教理，都在圣神的启发、圣经的教导和圣教会传统下成形。圣教会的内涵是从宗徒传给主教、红衣主教和平信徒的。

弥撒开始时，执事高举圣经，和主祭一起进入圣祭。这表现出我们对将要被宣讲，并传递救恩信息的天主圣言的尊崇。圣经不是一本科学书籍，也不是历史记录。圣言渗透在人类历史，受到圣神的启发，以信仰和道德来拯救人类。

然后，我们将圣经放在祭坛上。在弥撒圣祭中，我们有两张祭台：天主圣言的祭台和圣体圣事的祭台。同样重要。一张放置圣经 ，另一张有天主的身体和血，天主的的神性和人性。

今天读经一说到以色列人在流放到巴比伦后，终于恢复了自由，回到了耶路撒冷。他们举行第一次圣祭。大司祭厄斯德拉打开圣经向以色列人宣讲。群众门都站了起来，举起了双手，说：“阿们，阿们！” 在我们的弥撒圣祭中，我们也以完全相同的方式宣讲圣言。对于所宣讲的圣言，我们说阿们；祈祷结束时，说阿们；领受圣体的那一刻，我们说阿们。我们承认、相信，并接受所宣讲的圣言和领受的圣体。读经显示了圣言如何更新了以色列人，圣言如何更新了在场的每一个人。

读经二通常是从保禄、若望或伯多禄书信中挑选出来的。新约记录了在主耶稣升天后，早期教会如何继续的在各个家庭中、在会堂中，继续宣讲，活出并分享圣言。

亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，这不是我安东尼神父的教导，这是教会的教导。每次的宣讲圣言，是天主亲自对他的子民说话。就像天主对保禄、伯多禄、梅瑟、依撒意亚、厄里亚交谈一样，先知们与天主的交谈，和我们今天在弥撒内与天主交谈是一样的。当先知厄斯德拉，耶肋米亚，依撒意亚，或保禄，若望，伯多禄的话语被宣讲时，就是天主亲自向祂的子民讲话。当耶稣的作为、话语被传扬出去，当福音被传扬时，也就是基督亲自向祂的子民显现。

圣神启发了所有的圣经作者，圣神也将祂自己赐给了整个的教会。圣神不断地鼓励我们再次聆听美丽的圣言。因此，我们有责任回应、聆听、学习和欣赏圣言。只有如此，圣言的有效性，和祂的德能才能真正地渗透到我们的生命中，帮助我们切断与这个虚伪及世俗社会观的牵连。

如何再次学习、聆听，并回应天主的圣言。首先，我们要怀着虔敬的心来聆听。在聆听圣言以前，我们不但要站起来，在额头、嘴巴和心上画圣号，我们还要通过设立祭坛、点亮蜡烛，来明表对天主圣言的尊重。当我们做准备时，我们先要仔细的了解历史背景和教会的教导，然后通过我们信仰的眼光，来阅读弥撒所选择的圣言。不要随便接受世俗眼光过滤过的意见。我们与信仰团体一起阅读，与教会团体一起阅读，和教会的教导一起阅读，我们要和那些信的人一起阅读，那些心中有圣言的人一起阅读，与玛利亚、若瑟、所有这些与圣言有关的人一起阅读。不是与政治家、诗人，我们拒绝与这些无关的人来研读。

当我们阅读时，首先要有尊重和崇敬的心态，然后在顺从的心下阅读，就像圣母玛利亚一样。圣母玛利亚顺从地接受了圣言。 「他无论吩咐你们什么，你们就作什么。」亲爱的兄弟姐妹，这种顺从能使圣言强大，并在我们的生活中扎根，来改变我们的生命。就像你是一位家长。你告诉你的孩子什么是对的事，他们不听你的话，反而做了相反的事。那么，你的话，不管是如何的真实和美好，对他们是没有任何影响的。神的话语也是如此。当被宣告而不顺服，不敞开心接受那个道理，它就无法影响我们的生命。当我们聆听、阅读圣经时，我们必须带着极大的热忱和使命感去做。

我要去做。我要和你一起踏上这个新的旅程。就像我们的主耶稣复活之后，与门徒一起走在路上。祂回来了，与他们同行。祂向他们解释旧约，教导他们天主子为什么要死在十字架。告诉他们复活的意义。耶稣的话点燃了他们的心火。他们回到了耶路撒冷，回到了他们逃跑的地方，毫无畏惧地宣扬福音。

亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，我们以热情和开放的态度领受天主圣言，带圣言回到我们的生活、我们的家庭。遵照我们领受的圣言来生活，我们的生命就会发生惊人的改变。

当保禄听到圣言，他成了传福音者； 当圣方济各听到圣言，他放弃自己富足的生活，完全按照福音的指示来生活。 圣女小德兰受到格林多书的爱赞美诗的感动，成为了所有传教士的主保。 “在教会中，我将被爱”。 德蕾莎修女听到十字架上基督说：“我渴！”。她接受了服务最穷的人的使命。她修会的姐妹们拯救了成千上万的灵魂。

亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，让圣言激发你传教的使命，派遣我们。让我们一起做，推动这个社区，推动这个世界。我们就像一个身体的各个肢体，团结在一起。天主的话语，就像血管中的血液，流过我们的身体，流过我们的社区和家庭。让圣言成为我们的光。今天的圣咏非常的美，“神的话是我路上的光”。主耶稣就是我们的圣言，就是照亮我前行路上的光。