Claret And the Holy Bible

“Our Founder’s practice of the daily and ‘vocational’ reading of the Bible, and our acceptance of it as God’s Word for us today, must be family traits that allow us to give constant proof that we are hearers-servants of the Word” (SW 14).

“Read it, then, every day, but read it with devotion and with a will to profit from its reading, and you will see by your own experience how by this means the Lord will favor you with his graces and will send you the helps you need so much in order to comply with your obligations and duly fulfill the functions of the sacred ministry”

Let them enjoy proceeding with the simplicity of faith Let them enjoy proceeding with the simplicity of faith...above all very much appreciating the books of Sacred Scripture and holding them in great veneration. Let these books be very familiar to all of them…. (RCS I, 7, n. 39 in Miscelánea, 301).

“Let them interpret them [the Scriptures] “Let them interpret them [the Scriptures].. in the sense in which the Church, the Holy Fathers and the common run of orthodox theologians have always understood and understand them” (RCS I, 7, n. 39 in Miscelánea, 301).

“The obstacles to meditating are well known: pride and vain self-esteem; for the voice of God is for the simple and humble. The Lord set his eyes on the humble and looks on the haughty from afar...” (CI 1,2,4,1). “Another grave obstacle is dissipation of mind during the day and small control over the senses. For it is not possible for one whose imagination is filled with vanities to meditate devoutly, nor is it for a person to have a recollected spirit if he is always going about distracted, not by the plausible occupations assigned to him, but rather by curiosity, lack of modesty or other defects” (CI 1,2,4,1).

“But why is it that the Scriptures are not understood “But why is it that the Scriptures are not understood? There are three reasons: 1. Because men do not have the love of God in their hearts, as Jesus himself told St. Teresa. 2. Because they do not have humility, as the Gospel says: ‘I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the learned and the clever, and have revealed them to the merest children’ (Lk 10:21). 3. Finally, because there are some who do not want to do understand them, because they do not wish to do good” (Discourse on Papal Infallibility: SAW 110-111.

“Divine Scripture is the level whereby every clergyman should adjust his actions and those of the faithful, whom he is obliged by office to nourish with the teaching of Jesus Christ” (PSM: Miscelánea, 163-64).

We must meditate on and conform our conduct with the rule of morality which Jesus Christ gives us in it, for in it we find the truth, free of all error” (CAs 11: SSW 170). In order to be able to cut, a sword must be both well honed and withdrawn from its scabbard... Just so, the sword of God’s word, in order to cut with both edges against the enemies of love of God and neighbor, must be well honed with purity of intention and withdrawn from the scabbard of human eloquence and flowery rhetoric..., just as I am now handing it over to you” (CMT Ch. 4, n. 9: SSW 437).