Opening Prayer
Just as I would wipe my eyes to see the light of the sun, I acknowledge the necessity of washing and cleansing my soul to see the light of the Word. Grant me a virtuous mind and an intention to imitate the lives of the saints, for without holiness, I cannot comprehend their teaching. Let my way of life correspond to the pure light I desire to see.
I petition Thee for the grace to wash and cleanse my soul so that I may comprehend the mind of the sacred writers. Approach me to the saints as I imitate their deeds, that I may eventually see the light of the Word clearly. Through this purity of mind, let me escape the peril of judgment and receive what is prepared for those who love Thee.
Amen.
John 19:31-37
31Then the Jews, (because it was the parasceve,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. 33But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water. 35And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe. 36For these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him. 37And again another scripture saith: They shall look on him whom they pierced.
St. Athanasius
St. Athanasius teaches that a “good life and a pure soul” are necessary to search the Scriptures rightly. “Without a pure mind and an intention to imitate the life of the saints, we cannot possibly comprehend the teaching of the saints.” This Church Father perspective ties our moral excellence to our intellectual understanding. This purity is maintained through the Sacraments, particularly the “cleansing” of Baptism and the “forgiveness” of Confession. By “washing and cleansing” our souls, we are “closely joined to the saints” in the One Body of Christ.
Athanasius compares spiritual reading to wanting to see the sun: one must “wipe your eyes clear first.” We approach the saints by “imitating their deeds” to understand what God revealed to them. Only with the intellect “guided on its path by Christ-like virtue” can we attain the understanding we desire.
“Whoever wishes to comprehend the mind of the sacred writers must begin by washing and cleansing his soul through his way of life. He must approach the saints themselves by imitating their deeds.”
— St. Athanasius
Mary and the Magisterium
Mary is the “Mirror of Virtue” and “Star of the Sea”. Her “outward appearance was the image of her soul”, making her the “pattern of life” for those seeking to understand the Word. The Magisterium, through the Bishop, “preserves the unity” of this moral standard. The Pope and Bishops, as “servant leaders”, call the flock to “conduct ourselves virtuously” so that our “vision” of God’s truth is not obscured by vice.
- Do I find that my sins make it harder to hear God's voice in Scripture?
- How does "washing and cleansing" my soul in Confession improve my spiritual understanding?
Closing Prayer
Holy Spirit, you inspired the authors of Sacred Scripture both to write and to live holy lives. Show me how to imitate them.
Amen.
