Year of Faith: Celebrating Our Catholic Tradition

Session #2: “The Word of God: Interpreting Scripture and Tradition”

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Cornerstone Vatican II Document

Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: Dei Verbum

Date: November 18, 1965

Copy online:

What Is Divine Revelation?

Definition: “God’s communication of himself, by which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan” (CCC Glossary)

God has revealed himself through creation, through the Law, through the prophets, but most fully through the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ.

Revelation has the purpose of revealing God to man and inviting him to share in his love and divine nature.

What Constitutes Divine Revelation?

Two elements:

  • Holy Scripture – the set of holy writings inspired by the Holy Spirit
  • Sacred Tradition – “the living transmission of the message of the Gospel in the Church” (CCC Glossary)

However, these are not separate or distinct elements but “one sacred deposit” that along with the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church) “are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others.” (DV 10)

Development of Canon of Sacred Scripture

Process

  • Old Testament compiled during centuries before Christ
  • Apostles witness the words, deeds, and life of Christ
  • Apostles and followers commit oral tradition to writing
  • During the first six centuries of the Church, individual Church Fathers and then councils determine by tradition the canon of Scripture.
  • During the Reformation (16th century), Martin Luther rejects some books traditionally held as canonical
  • The canon is dogmatically defined by the Council of Trent in 1546

The Canon of Scripture, that is, the understanding of what is divinely inspired, comes from Tradition (DV 8)

The Canon of Scripture is closed with no new public revelation forthcoming – Christ represents the fullness of revelation (DV 4)

Inspiration of Scripture

The Holy Spirit inspired imperfect men to write, edit, and compile the Scriptures – God did not dictate.

God is free from error, but human writers are not.

Words, details, facts, etc. may be wrong, but the true message of God is not. (DV 11)

The Church and individuals must guard against rationalism (the tendency to view Scripture stripped of faith, like one would an ancient myth or piece of literature) and fundamentalism (taking each word of Scripture literally as if dictated by God, while ignoring genre, context, rest of Scripture).

Interpretation of Scripture

Scripture Study has been furthered by Historical-Critical Method, which studies the ancient texts scientifically while analyzing the patterns, genres, forms, sources, redaction, underlying history, archaeology, anthropology, etc.

This approach is very useful, but used alone can tend to remove the Scriptures from a context of faith and inspiration. Thus, it is important to balance this method with canonical exegesis, a method by which each passage of Scripture is read in context of the whole of the canon.

Literal Sense vs. Spiritual Sense

  • Literal sense is the direct meaning conveyed by the words of the human author (not necessarily literalism that ignores metaphor or context)
  • Spiritual sense is the meaning of a text when read under the influence of the Holy Spirit in the context of the paschal mystery of Christ

When reading a passage, keep in mind its genre (historical, legal, liturgical, wisdom, prophetic, psalm/song, apocalyptic, epistle, parable/allegory, etc.) in order to understand the author’s intent.

The Old Testament is not replaces by the New Testament – the two are tightly linked by the Christ event. The Old points to the New and the New fulfills the Old.

When encountering a difficult passage (especially in the Old Testament) that contains approval of violence, promiscuity, or other actions or moral behavior that seems contrary to the Gospel, always remember that revelation is deeply rooted in history. It unfolds in stages in spite of human limitations and resistance.

While praying with the Scriptures on an individual basis is good, always remember that interpretation is never done on the individual level but in the communion of the Church. Truth is that which unites us – it is not an individual possession. Attempts to ascertain “Truth” individually can lead to dangerous outcomes.

The Word of God in Liturgy and Christian Life

The proper response to God’s revelation is “the obedience of faith” while “offering the full submission of intellect and will to God.” (DV 5)

When God speaks to us, we should speak back to Him. This may seem difficult, but in His revelation, God has already given us words to speak (for example, see the psalms).

Private revelations (such as the Rosary, Divine Mercy, apparitions, etc.) are not to be held at the same level as public revelation (Scripture and Tradition). The role of private revelation is not to add to or complete public revelation, but to help live it out more effectively during a period of history. Catholics are required to assent to public revelation, but not necessarily to private revelation.

In the Mass, we receive Jesus in both Word and Sacrament. We receive the Word proclaimed and then receive the Word made flesh (the Eucharist). We often treat the Eucharist with the utmost reverence, not letting a crumb hit the ground, but do we show the proclaimed Word such reverence?

Praying With Scripture: LectioDivina

Lectiodivina(Latin for divine or holy reading) is an ancient prayer practice that involves praying and meditating upon a Scripture passage. In the Word of God, we hear God speak to us and then respond in prayer.

This prayer was put into practice in monasteries by St. Benedict in the sixth century. In Dei Verbum, Pope Paul VI recommends this form of prayer for all Christians.

Silence is a critical part of prayer in general, but especially this process. We do not take enough time to be truly quiet in the presence of God, away from the noise of the world, other people, our lives, and even our own racing minds and hearts.

In lectiodivina, one can choose a random passage with which to pray, or develop a regular pattern. For example, a good practice is to pray each day with the Gospel from that day’s Mass. If you do not have a print source for the readings (Missal, Magnificat,Word Among Us, etc.), the daily Mass readings can be found online at the USCCB website (

The Traditional Steps:

  • Lectio – what does the biblical text say in itself?
  • Meditatio – what does the biblical text say to us?
  • Oratio – what do we say to the Lord in response to his word?
  • Contemplatio – what conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of us?

Another Way (The Format Used Tonight):

First, pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. Then read the selected passage four times, with long pauses in between readings for each step.

  • Read and LISTEN (just listen)
  • Read and THINK (hone in on a word, phrase, or image that jumps out)
  • Read and FEEL & RESPOND (How is God reaching out to you in this word or phrase or image? What feelings or movements of the heart are you experiencing? How do you respond to God?)
  • Read and ACTION (What is the Lord calling me to do? Am I called to change? Am I called to action?)

Sometimes writing down these words, feelings, and nudges is useful. What may not be obvious during one time of prayer may become clear over a period of days or even weeks, especially if patterns emerge.

Be sure to take your time and not rush through this. Give time for God to move you in each step. If it feels like “nothing is happening”, do not just hurry on to the next step. Part of prayer is to encounter God in the silence of our hearts – something is always happening, even if we do not realize it. Our time is never wasted with God. Finally, be sure to thank God for his graces at the end of the time of prayer – the ultimate result of the encounter with God is praise and thanksgiving.