Directory of Spirituality, 238
DirecMemorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Rome, Italy September 30, 2017
Dear Priests, Brothers, Seminarians, and Novices,
Today we celebrate the memory of the august doctor of the Church, St. Jerome, one whose doctrine richly nourishes our proper law and gives shape to various specific aspects of consecrated life in our Institute. I would like to just provide one example: it is from him that we take the phrase “to follow the naked Christ being ourselves naked” in speaking of our way of living the vow of poverty, which for us, “consists of the voluntary surrender of material riches and the external goods of this world with the aim to seek only God.” It is also his wisdom which alerts us against the disorder of our own will at the time of practicing the vow of obedience; he says: “My words are intended to teach you not to rely on your own judgment.” It is also his example which guides us in our apostolic efforts: “If you want to carry out the priestly ministry, do it in such a way that you save your soul by saving the souls of others.”
But, above all, it is from St. Jerome, whom “the Catholic Church acclaims and reveres as her ‘Greatest Doctor’, divinely given her for the understanding of the Bible” that we learn to love and value the “wealth of this heavenly treasure of the Word of God.” This, to the extent of longing that the “Sacred Scripture be the ‘soul of our soul’ of our spirituality, theology, preaching, catechesis and pastoral work” so that, “what Saint Jerome said about an acquaintance should also be said of us: ‘Indeed by constant reading and long-continued meditation, he had made his breast a library of Christ’, since for us, ‘[t]he Word of God is nothing less than the Body of Christ’.” For, since he has taught us that “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”, we fervently confess that “studying Scripture is studying Christ.”
Therefore, in this Circular Letter, I would like to expand on the importance that the study of Sacred Scripture has for us, and the necessity of the practice of lectio divina, both of which are irrevocable means to arrive at the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus.
1. The study of Sacred Scripture
The Magisterium of the Church in the last Ecumenical Council earnestly urged “all the Christian faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ.”
We “aspire to form priests for the Catholic Church according to the Heart of Christ”, thus being faithful to the teaching of the Tradition and Magisterium of the Church which commands that “all the clergy must hold fast to the Sacred Scriptures through diligent sacred reading and careful study, especially the priests of Christ and others, such as deacons… active in the ministry of the word. This is to be done so that none of them will become ‘an empty preacher of the word of God.’” We also hold as absolutely true the affirmation that “a loving knowledge of the word of God and a prayerful familiarity with it are specifically important for the prophetic ministry of the priest. They are a fundamental condition for such a ministry to be carried out suitably, especially if we bear in mind the ‘new evangelization.’” For this reason, we want all of our members—beginning from the Minor Seminary and the Novitiate —to “nourish their spirit with the word of God”, for it is in the light of Sacred Scripture where the heart of Christ is revealed, and where ours learn what it means to love and to give of ourselves.
Therefore, the “loving knowledge and prayerful familiarity with the Word of God” is one of the means by which we acquire a holy “familiarity with the Word made flesh” and become priests useful to the master of the house, which means to be living and clear images of the Good Shepherd.
Even more, given that it is proper of us “to imitate Jesus Christ as perfectly as possible”, by reproducing Him, by becoming like Him, by configuring ourselves to Him, and that we want, moreover, to give “testimony that the world can neither be transfigured nor offered to God without the spirit of the beatitudes”, Sacred Scripture is the central axis of our formation, in all its aspects. Just “as the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, the Word also—in one way—became words in the Gospels, because he wanted to leave us written documents, which the Apostles and the Church pass on to us, and through which, in an authentic way, we receive the certain truth about Jesus Christ.” Therefore, the Word of God is the foundation stone upon which the four pillars of our formation are laid down, and which here I will briefly point out:
– In reference to our human formation: for it is in our contemplation of the Word in his human nature in Sacred Scripture that we learn “the virtues of self-denial: humility, poverty, suffering, obedience, self-surrender, mercy and charity to all men.” More so, Sacred Scripture permits us to come to know the perfect model of a balanced, solid, and free personality, in Jesus Christ.
– Regarding our spiritual formation: for, if spiritual life is understood as “relationship and communion with God”, meditation on the Word of God strengthens and deepens our friendship and our intimacy with Christ. It is in the contact with Christ in his Written Word that our religious “grasp the ‘style’ of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
– With respect to our intellectual formation: because if “in intellectual formation, the beginning and end is Jesus Christ” He is known in a special way through Sacred Scripture. Furthermore, “He is the light of the Sacred Pages: he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and He is the center of Holy Scripture: he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.”
– And, concerning our pastoral formation, Sacred Scripture has a very principal place: because the Incarnate Word himself who “without ceasing to be God” dwelt among us, and sent us: Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature, also taught us to “be in the world”, “without being of the world.” And, it is precisely in understanding the heart of the Gospel that we learn that which is diametrically opposed to that which the world wants. Since for us, “the Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert solely through the divine power of the message she proclaims, both the personal and collective consciences of people, the activities in which they engage, and the lives and concrete milieu which are theirs. For this reason, “studying and teaching Sacred Scripture” are some of our principal apostolates. Pope Francis also reminds us of this: “All evangelization is based on that word, listened to, meditated upon, lived, celebrated and witnessed to. The Sacred Scriptures are the very source of evangelization.” Therefore, all of our members, and especially those “dedicated to intellectual apostolates should commit themselves with great effort to the study of Sacred Scripture, which should occupy a preeminent place in their teachings and publications; not only as the main source of their affirmations but also they should write and teach about the Scripture itself.” For, we are convinced that “it is indispensable that the word of God ‘be ever more fully at the heart of every ecclesial activity’.”
The reading and studying of Sacred Scripture which our proper law encourages us to do is also accompanied by a characteristic, i.e., it honors us. Namely, “the reading of Sacred Scripture should be done ‘in church’ because: …No prophesy of the scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation. The strictest fidelity to the Supreme Magisterium of the Church of all times, the proximate norm of faith, is absolutely necessary.”
Saint Jerome said: “Anyone who is united to the chair of Peter, he is with me”, and “since he had learnt this “rule of faith” from his study of the Bible, he was able to refute a false interpretation of a Biblical text with [that] simple remark”.
We too, faithful to the Church -for ““the same Christ is incarnated in his Body, the Church”- and to the exhortation of the Apostle Saint Paul mentioned above, receive the divine word not as the word of men, but as it truly is: as the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe. “This word is written in the Gospel -John Paul II said- “and has been faithfully translated, clarified, and developed in the word of the Church.”
May we keep far from us the belief that a better understanding of the biblical texts can be found outside of the community of believers. On the contrary! For the biblical texts have not been given to individual researchers “to satisfy their curiosity or to provide them with material for study and research.” Rather, these texts have been entrusted to the community of believers, to the Church of Christ, to nourish her faith and guide her life of charity.
“This study of Sacred Scripture ‘in church’ must lead to ‘a complete and unified vision of the truths which God has revealed in Jesus Christ and of the Church’s experience of faith. Hence arises the need both to know all the Christian truths, without arbitrarily selecting among them, and to know them in an orderly fashion’.”
It is worth mentioning that, in such an illustrious task, our proper law presents the Angelic Doctor as a model in saying: “We should hold Saint Thomas, exegete, as a model and source of study of Sacred Scripture, for he is the one who has best penetrated the meaning of the Scriptures.” Therefore, our Directory of Intellectual Formation strongly points out, that a knowledge of Saint Thomas “is of indispensable and fundamental importance for a right interpretation of Sacred Scripture.”
And so, imbued with the spirit of the Incarnate Word we can make ours the affirmation of Pope Benedict XVI, which Pope Francis was pleased to cite in his first apostolic exhortation: “We do not blindly seek God, or wait for him to speak to us first, for ‘God has already spoken, and there is nothing further that we need to know, which has not been revealed to us’.” And, although, we are recipients of divine revelation, we also recognize ourselves as its announcers, for as the Word was sent by the Father to fulfill his will, so He also brought us to himself and made us partakers in his life and mission, calling us to live, to believe, and to communicate the Christian faith. It is from the very Word of God that the mission springs forth, and for this reason we say: Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! Furthermore, with a healthy pride we confess that She is our very strength.
Convinced that our faith “is not a ‘religion of the book’: Christianity is the ‘religion of the word of God’, not of ‘a written and mute word, but of the incarnate and living Word’”, we dedicate ourselves with great strength to the preaching of the Word of God “in all its forms”:
– With such catechism that faithfully and orderly presents the teaching of Sacred Scripture, with “an orderly and systematic initiation of the Revelation that God himself made to man in Jesus Christ, revelation that is conserved deeply in the memory of the Church and in Sacred Scripture, as well as constantly communicated, by means of a living and active tradition, from generation to generation.”
– Because “all the faithful have the right to a celebration of the Eucharist that has been so carefully prepared in all its parts that the word of God is properly and efficaciously proclaimed and explained in it”; our priests seek out with dauntless eagerness the most conducive means recommended by the Magisterium so that the Word of God “might reach the faithful as a true light and a force for the present.” In fact, our proper law lively recommends us to take great care of the reading and the interiorizing of the Word of God which we are to proclaim. May the ambo be a worthy place to lay out the Word of God. May “the books which are used to proclaim the liturgical texts [including the Lectionary and the Book of the Gospels] have such a dignity that their exterior aspect might lead the faithful to a greater reverence for the Word of God and for all that is sacred”. May the sacred images which beautify our churches and the liturgical hymns used, properly bring to life the mystery of God which he reveals to us through his Word, and be an aid “so that the mystery celebrated is imprinted in the memory of the hearts and is then expressed in the new life of the faithful.”
– By means of an integral preaching of the Word of God, instructing the lay faithful “in the truths of the faith, above all through the homily” always following the wise warning of Leo XIII that says that the Bible is the principal and most accessible source of sacred eloquence, and our proper law presents a detailed explanation in three reasons: “a) for the power of the one who teaches, which is infinite; b) by its immutability: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever; c) because it teaches always and only the truth:
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.” Taking great care so that we do not become like those “preachers…who, upon seeing that the churches are full to the brim, do not care if souls remain empty. That is why they don’t mention sin, the last things, nor anything else of importance, but rather, they stick to words which are pleasing to hear, with an eloquence which is more proper of a worldly discourse rather than a sacred and apostolic sermon… Saint Jerome, in opposition to these orators wrote: ‘When teaching in church seek to call forth not plaudits but groans. Let the tears of your hearers be your glory’.” Therefore, may our priests work so that “that which precedes the strength and efficacy of the proclamation of the Gospel, may never be lacking, which is the zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.” Nor may we lack in religious content: “that breath of Christian piety, that divine strength and that virtue of the Holy Spirit which moves souls and impels them towards that which is good.”
– Through publications of books and articles, because we are convinced that it is a means which is of “singular efficacy for the spreading of the Gospel.”
– Promoting in our parishes and diverse institutions Bible studies, as a propitious means for knowing, studying, and spreading Sacred Scripture. There are, honestly, countless initiatives which can be used to achieve this objective: meetings of reading and studying the Scriptures, conferences, Biblical study weeks, Biblical expositions, presenting diverse documentaries related to this topic, etc.
– We also make recourse to the reading of Sacred Scripture, in our preparation of the practice of spiritual direction—first to acquire discernment, and then to form and illumine the consciences of those being directed.
– We also hold in great esteem the use of Sacred Scripture for the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, in such a way that “the hearing and meditation of the Word of God might assist the faithful to celebrate this sacrament with great fruits.”
– Instilling in the members of the Third Order “the faithful meditation of the Word of God” as a fundamental pillar of their formation, encouraging them to give it “a privileged place in their lives”, so that they might acquire a great “familiarity and love for the sacred texts, and that they might read them frequently, meditate upon them, expose them and defend them.” Moreover, may we always invite them to “cooperate with great efforts to spread the word of God, especially through the teaching of catechism.”
– Also, in our apostolate with vocations, the countless vocational testimonies which are taken from Sacred Scripture can help us at the time of arguing “that God calls men to a specific vocation”, and to ‘disarm’ the false excuses that discourage or dissuade a soul in following his or her vocation.
We do all of this because we are convinced that the center, the end, the goal, the light and the protagonist of all Sacred Scripture—Old and New Testament—is the Word, the Word made flesh which engenders and increases faith in souls; which is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword , which is life-giving because it is words of salvation, and words of the Only One who has the words of eternal life and should therefore be preached whether it is convenient or inconvenient. In short: this is that to which we dedicate ourselves.
I would like to point out that this readiness for the ministry of the Word, without borders, guided by reasons of urgency, opportunity and efficacy for the service of the kingdom of God is, without a doubt, a preponderant characteristic of our Institute. That is why we do not only want to “…preach the Gospel in broader geographic zones or ever larger populations, but we also want to reach and transform, with the strength of the Gospel, criteria of judgment, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life for humanity, which are in opposition with the word of God and his plan of salvation.” God has thought of us for this very reason.
And, as the Incarnate Word is the Verbum Dei, whose words are like the rays which come forth from the sun so as to illumine interior shadows, so we also want to be for others verbum Christi, the word of Jesus Christ. That is what the apostles and the first Christians were, through whose mouths the Holy Spirit spoke to the pagans. This is what Saint Paul calls us to: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another. Consequently, it is imperative to listen to Christ who speaks to us in Sacred Scripture. This brings us to the second point.
2. Lectio Divina
As we have been saying, our proper law, faithful and firmly inspired and established in the Magisterium of the Church, proves that the faithful meditation of the Word of God is one of the indispensable means -together with the “participation in the Sacred Mysteries and fraternal charity”- by which our relationship with God becomes ever more intimate, favoring the full development of the interior life. God speaks to each one of us -and I would like to emphasize: ‘with his priests’- face to face, as if giving a kiss to our souls in the attentive and meditative reading of his Word. To such an extent that, if we priests, have not come to experience the revelation of God in this way, we will never be more than mere representatives. “Faithful meditation on the Word of God is how we know the divine mysteries and make its values our own”, and is, for each of us, “particularly related to the prophetic ministry.”
Therefore, we should be conscious that our interior life, in virtue of our religious profession, is not a private exercise of spirituality, highly praiseworthy in itself, but it is a mission and an ecclesial service which each one carries out for the benefit of the entire Church.
The Spiritual Father of our Religious Family already said this: “May you always be deeply convinced that the future of the Church depends, in great part, on holy priests and religious, in love with Christ, and animated by a great zeal in favor of their brothers […] priests and religious who make great efforts to deepen their knowledge of the Word of God through study and prayer, to find direction and help in their consecrated life and in their daily pastoral activities.”
In this way, lectio divina becomes for us an admirable and indispensable instrument to achieve the “supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus” of which we spoke earlier on.
Consequently, we are vividly encouraged to practice lectio divina, which is “capable of opening up to the faithful the treasures of God’s word, but also of bringing about an encounter with Christ, the living word of God.” I would like this Circular letter to serve, in a way, as an incentive to carry out this great practice (of lectio divina) in all our communities, keeping in mind the different possibilities and ways of implementing it.
Therefore, I take advantage of the opportunity to briefly call to mind the constitutive and fundamental steps which should be taken even in the diverse circumstances in which it might be practiced, whether it is practiced individually or in community.
1. It begins with the reading (lectio) of the text, which raises the question about the knowledge of its authentic content: What does the biblical text say in itself? Without this moment, one runs the risk of turning the text into a pretext to never leave one’s own way of thinking.
2. Then follows meditation (meditatio) in which part the question is: What does the biblical text say to us? Here, each one personally, or also in community, should let himself be questioned and examined, for it is not about considering the words as uttered in the past, but what they say to us in the present.
3. Next, arrives the moment of prayer (oratio), which presupposes the question: What do we say to our Lord in response to his Word? This prayer may be of petition, intercession, thanksgiving, or praise, and it is the first way by which the Word changes us.
4. Finally, the lectio divina includes, and reaches as it were, its peak in contemplation (contemplatio), during which we accept God’s proper way of looking at reality as a gift from Him, and we ask ourselves: What conversion of mind, of heart, and of life is our Lord asking of us? Saint Paul says to us: Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. Indeed, contemplation tends to create within us a vision of wisdom about reality, according to God, and it forms within us the mind of Christ. The Word of God presents itself here as criterion of discernment, living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
5. It is helpful to keep in mind, as well, that lectio divina does not reach the end of its process until it is carried out in action (actio), driving us to become a gift for others through charity. The interior listening to the Word of God “illumines and confirms our heart, guiding us to follow Christ in an ever more radical way.”
Let us not forget, either, that this practice of the ancient tradition of the Church, considers the possibility, according to the ordinary dispositions of the Church, to obtain indulgences for oneself or for the deceased.
From this perspective, the reading of the Word of God helps us on our way of penance and conversion, it allows us to deepen our sense of belonging to the Church, and it fills us with an ever-greater familiarity with God, giving us and increasingly lively and deep understanding of His Word. As St. Ambrose said, when we take Sacred Scripture in our hands with faith, and we read it with the Church, man walks again with God in paradise.
I want to insist again on practicing lectio divina in our communities, pointing out that many communities which stand out for their practice of it, as directed by their proper Constitutions or Rules, are also characterized by the perseverance of their members and a fecundity of vocations.
We are thinking especially of our contemplative communities, although, why cannot our active and apostolic communities continue or begin its practice as well? Maybe, in the third point of the weekly chapter, this topic can be discussed, to determine the particularities of its practice, such as the convenient time: half an hour, or one-hour (after a prudential time of its practice, this should be evaluated); the place: usually, it is best to do it before the Blessed Sacrament, because one is in the substantial presence of the Lord. But it can also be done in other places; the matter: in earlier times, it was common that the entire community would pray about the same topic, which brought about greater unity between the members, as also occurred with the readings in the refectory. Probably, it was also that way because there was not a sufficient amount of texts for each member, which is no longer a difficulty. But the possibility of doing lectio divina based on the same topic should be studied, doing pros and cons. For example, starting with the books of the New Testament or the wisdom literature of the Old Testament (in which case, priority could be given to the book of the Song of Songs). If the decision is made to practice Lectio in community, the Provincial Superior should be notified, so that he is aware of its practice, and its fruits might eventually be made known and shared with the other communities in his jurisdiction.
Whatever the case may be, the community must have an apt bibliography placed at the disposition of the members with sufficient copies for everyone, so as to pray with knowledge founded in the biblical texts.
It is desirable that each one, in so far as possible, might possess, read, study, and pray always with the same biblical version, because this allows, with greater ease, to memorize texts which are more important and are useful in one’s own prayer, in preaching, in teaching, in apostolate, and in giving advice. I think that a very authorized and up-to-date version, is the official version of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, edited by the Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos. In any case, we should choose the best version available in the different languages.
On the other hand—as a suggestion—we think that, with due adaptations so highly esteemed by Saint Ignatius, it could be of great help, if necessary, to make use of the different types of prayer, for example, those which are proposed by Saint Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises, and that they could be incorporated in the different points of Lectio. This would mean, taking matter from our Lectio to apply it to the different ways and forms of praying.
The unwavering fidelity to the Word of God, meditated and taken in through Lectio Divina demands us to always conserve that interior silence and the attitude of humble adoration before the presence of God, which allows us to be attentive and open to the action of the Spirit within our souls, and in this sense, our hearts are turned again to the Mother of God, from whom we implore this grace. For She is, without a doubt, our model of the docile reception of the divine Word, for She kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. May we learn from her example how to find the deep bond which unites in the great design of God all events, actions, and details, which are seemingly unrelated.
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Dear all: this experience of a vital relationship with the Word of God is an authentic patrimony for us, as well as a unifying inspiration and an inescapable commitment in the various situations of life which our missionary mandate leads us to face in each of our missions.
For, it is this same familiarity with the Word of God—which our proper law so strongly recommends—which will, undoubtedly, infuse in our souls a serene trust, excluding all false securities and plant in our souls the living sense of the total lordship of God. It will protect us from convenient interpretations which turn Scripture into an instrument for our own purposes, and it will also keep us away from “the dangers, that is, the errors frequently made in contemplation by those who are ignorant of the Scriptures.” At the same time, we will acquire an ever-deeper awareness of our human weakness, in which shines forth the power of God.
“The priest is the man of the Word of God.” Today, we ask through the intercession of St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church, to be humble and faithful witnesses to the Word of God in our ordinary life. Because, as Blessed Paolo Manna said: “Only the missionary who faithfully imitates Christ Himself can join Paul the Apostle in saying: Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ, only He can reproduce that image in the souls of others. Those who do not do this begin to weaken and to complain if their efforts are not rewarded.”
May the Word of the Incarnate Word be a light and guide for your souls.
I greet you, in Christ, the Incarnate Word, and his Mother, the Most Holy Virgin.
Fr. Gustavo Nieto, IVE
General Superior
