The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church

 

The topic of discussion of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to be held in Rome from 5 to 26 October 2008 is the Word of God in the Life  and Mission of the Church. The intrinsic connection between the Word of God and the Eucharist is the reason behind the choice of the theme. We may remember that the Synod in 2005 was on the Holy Eucharist. The Church has to receive nourishment from the one "bread of life from the table of both God's Word and Christ's body" (DV 21). This Synod intends to spark an appreciation and deep love of Sacred Scripture. 

 

The Lineamenta has three chapters:

The first chapter defines what the Word of God is. God reveals himself through his Word. His revelation can be compared to a Symphony played with different musical instruments. God harmoniously communicates himself in many and various ways (Heb 1,1-2), the climax and culmination of which is the historical person of Jesus. 

Both sacred Tradition of the Church and the sacred Scripture contstitute one single sacred deposit of the Word of God. Tradition preceded Scripture. Only part of the Apostolic Kerygma is written down, the rest lives in the life and worship of the Church. Therefore the need of interpreting the written Word in the context of the life of the Church. 

 

The second Chapter shows how the Church is born through the proclamation of the Word by the apostles and how the Church is nourished by the Word. The Word permeates and animates every aspect of Church's life.

 

The third Chapter exposes the mission of the Church - the proclamation of the Word (Mt 28,16-20). The Word of God must function as teh Leaven in the modern culture. To help the believer encounter the Word of God in Jesus the Lord, Lectio Divina with its four stages (lectio, meditaio, oratio and meditatio) is suggested.