Thursday, April 30th, 2020

“He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah.” When was the last time, on your way home from somewhere, you sat reading the prophet Isaiah? Or any book of the bible? Its quite an astonishing thing: Eternal God has given us his Word, in the Person of Jesus Christ, who speaks to us, through the Holy Spirit, through the inspired Word of God. And yet so often the closest we get to our bibles is hearing a brief excerpt read to us from someone a few metres away during Holy Mass. So often too - when people are in trouble and ask our counsel - we direct them to all kinds of novenas and people and ascetical practices: how often do we direct them to the Word of God?

Because as we see today, it’s not like it’s ineffective. The Ethiopian’s encounter with the Word of God aroused his curiosity and hunger for the Risen Christ - and for the fraternal service of someone in the Church, leading ultimately to his baptism into what he desires. The effect on the Ethiopian?: he “went on his way rejoicing.” Maybe we need to spend a good deal more time with the bible - reading a chapter a day, for example. And maybe we need to know it a lot better so we can recommend passages in it to assist, counsel and comfort those in need.

Let us pray:

“Almighty ever-living God,

let us feel your compassion more readily

during these days when, by your gift,

we have known it more fully,

so that those you have freed from the darkness of error

may cling more firmly to the teachings of your truth.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.”