That’s It!!

Pastor’s Pen

Dear Church,

Expression-two words:  That’s It! That’s It! That’s it! Once you hear those words you know that you have come to a conclusion and you feel a new enlightenment—Alleluia!!  That’s It! Is that all scripture is inspired by God, and that scripture is capable to giving you wisdom for salvation and That’s it!  Then You own  the victory, Alleluia!

During The first class in sacred scripture, I was filled with the joyful, dedicated, totally convincing feeling that sacred scripture is where it’s at.  The teacher started us off in the class with something we did not like to do—that is, he had us memorize the sacred passage that we proclaim in St. Paul’s letter to Timothy today.  “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  We had to memorize that passage and I still remember it to this day although it was 60 years ago when I had this scripture class.  What a blessing for me to be aware of this for 60 years and so I have been able for 60 years, in a way, to hear the next words of St. Paul to Timothy when he said,
“I charge you, Timothy, to preach the word; to be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.”  So, the Word of God started becoming alive in me, 60 years ago, as a young seminarian of 21, I can really say, even all the way 60 years later, That’s it! That’s it!  That all scripture is inspired by God!  So, Church, make an effort to be inspired by the sacred Word of God and know that that is what it is, total commitment to God’s Word.

I guess if we really had that 60 years of being in love with the sacred word then we would be like Moses saying that he would be ‘steady’, even if he needed a little help from others to hold up his arms so that he would be victorious in battle.  And to also hear the parable of the poor widow who would be so persistent to the unjust judge until he delivered a just decision for her.  Telling us to pray always, to keep asking, to keep celebrating God’s presence.  Here I am 60 years later still filled with the Word of God.  It is every refreshing to me.  I cannot get enough of it.  There are so many passages that come alive all the time.  My retreat starts this week with reading passages of scriptures.  I can just rest in just little passages and that will be enough for salvation for me, staying in the Word on the right track.  “That’s It!!”