Symphony of the Word

File:Scène de foire - ca 1400 - BNF Fr12559 f167.jpg

Theme: "a single word expressed in multiple ways."

Illuminated Manuscripts

Régine Pernoud, Those Terrible Middle Ages! Debunking the Myths (San Francisco

Ignatius Press, 2000).

One ornamented letter is enough to reveal what artistic creation could be in the Romanesque period. Let us not even speak of those that recount, for instance, an entire biblical or historical scene. A quite simple initial, in its essential, readable, recognizable form, is found taken up anew by every copyist, every illuminator, who made it his own and developed its inner possibilities, so to speak. It can be almost intoxicating; one becomes a veritable maze of foliage and interlacing, another gives birth to an animal that ends in a man's face, or a man becomes a monster or angel or demon; nevertheless, the letter has not been betrayed; it remains, but ceaselessly recreated. And this is without doubt what characterizes Romanesque art (and Gothic art as well, despite certain excesses that marked its end): respect for the essential function within a perpetual rediscovery of its inherent possibilities. (44)

The image, the knowledge we have of the Middle Ages through architecture, sculpture, stained-glass windows, frescoes, even tapestries--"open air" documentation--represents not even a hundredth part of what we might learn from the reproduction of manuscript miniatures, if this were systematically carried out with the means of color reproduction we have available today. It is quite surprising that in the audio-visual era nothing has yet been undertaken in this sense on the requisite scale. A profound gap will remain in our knowledge of the Middle Ages as long as the necessary effort has not been carried out in this domain. (151)

Schemas

Section 7 of Verbum Domini:

1. the Word and Creation
2. Revelation and Salvation History
3. Incarnation
4. Tradition
5. Scripture

Three Parts of Verbum Domini:

1. Verbum Dei
   1. Creation
   2. Tradition and Scripture
   3. Incarnation
2. Verbum in Ecclesia
   1. Scripture and liturgy
   2. Lectio Divina
3. Verbum Mundo
   1. Mission
   2. Culture
   3. Communication

Material from Three Parts reorganized

Sunday (persistent theme) -- Lectio Divina / Scripture and Liturgy

Teach them how to pray over the scriptures in anticipation of attending liturgy.

Monday -- Creation and Incarnation (creation and re-creation, Gen 1 and John 1)

The Word is GOD, not just words on a page. All we see is a word of God (natural theology). Everything we know about God's inner life comes from hearing the Word (Trinitarian theology).

Tuesday -- Tradition and Scripture

The Body of the Christ is the Living Word of God. The written word aids the living word, but does not and cannot replace it. We are People of the Word, not people of the Book (Carl E. Olson or the Pope).

Wednesday -- Mission

Each member of the Body is sent to "tell the good news." Meditation on Sacrament of Confirmation, which they have probably all received.

Thursday -- Culture

Learning the language of our audience. The message is one; embodiments of the message are many, within limits. Thirty different ways to be Catholic (Western and Eastern rites) as an example.

Friday -- Communication

Actions speak louder than words. Beauty is soul food. Dwell within the bounds set by the Body. Don't garble the message!

July	Liturgy	Meditation
14	St. Kateri Tekawitha	the Word and creation
15	St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor	Revelation and salvation history
16	Wednesday, 15th Week Mt 11:25-27 At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”	the Incarnation
17	Thursday, 15th Week Psalm 102 You, O LORD, abide forever, and your name through all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to pity her. For her stones are dear to your servants, and her dust moves them to pity. Mt 11:28-30 Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”	Tradition
18	Friday, 15th Week Mt 12:1-8 I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.	Scripture
19	Saturday, 15th Week Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.	"A single word expressed in multiple ways."

Scripture

Old Testament

Is 45

I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I have not spoken from hiding
nor from some dark place of the earth,
And I have not said to the descendants of Jacob,
“Look for me in an empty waste.”
I, the Lord, promise justice,
I foretell what is right. ...

By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree
and my unalterable word:

To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,
Saying, “Only in the Lord
are just deeds and power.

New Testament

1 Jn 1:1-4

¹ What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life—

2for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—

³ what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

⁴ We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

Themes

The Word of God is accessible.

God accommodates Himself to our understanding.

We cannot reach Him; He can reach us.

Feast of Pentecost: The Word of God is not confined to any sacred language (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek). God speaks all of our languages. The Good News of the Word-made-flesh is for all of God's children!

The Word can never be put fully into words. The Word is a "Who," not a "what."

The Father sings the Son in the Spirit from eternity to eternity.

As with us, so with the Father: no breath, no word. The Spirit is in the Word; the Word is in the Spirit; the Spirit and the Word remain in the Father even as they go forth to create and re-create the world.

Kenosis is in the life of the Trinity before there is a world for the Word to enter.

"Those who have eyes to see will see. Those who have ears to hear will hear."

Faith comes by hearing.

My favorite work of Rahner--before he became Rahner: Hearers of the Word. That's us! We take God at his Word.

The Father speaks no words that are only words. The glory of Creation is how the Father says, "I love you." The death of God the Son on the Cross is how the Father says, "I forgive you."

Links

• John's Prologue.
• Vatican II, Dei Verbum.
• Benedict DVI, Apostolic Exhortation,Verbum Domini.
• Carl E. Olson, "A Symphony of the Word: A Short Guide to Pope Benedict's Apostolic Exhortation, Verbum Domini."