The Bible and ABP Historical Perspective

1. The Bible and ABP Historical Perspective .

2. How familiar was Jesus with the Bible? How many times does Jesus in the Gospels quote the Old Testament? Can you guess? • He was very familiar: 84 times, from at least 16 of 46 OT books. • From 600 and 3,000 direct quotes, paraphrases, allegories to the OT in Gospels and other writings of the NT. • NT quotes Isaiah at least 85 times • Jesus is recorded reading the bible to his listeners (Lk 4: 16-20)

3. Read together please • He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: • “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Is 61:1-2) • Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk4: 16-20)

4. Jesus urges us to know Sacred Scripture well • 6 times (Sermon on the mount) “You have heard it said to those of old... Do not commit adultery. But I say to you.... ( Mt. 5:27-48 ) • He challenged others: “If you are Abraham’s children do as Abraham did” (Jn 8:39), • He challenged who distorted the Scripture :“You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God (Mt 22:29)

5. Mt. 5,18 Read together ”Do not imagine I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish them but to complete them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved.”

6. Apostolic Period (1st century) New Testament born out  need to evangelize • First Christian Communities needed to : • proclaim their faith (Catechesis and Mission) • Celebrate (Liturgy and Sacraments) (Phil 2:6-10) • Reflect (Theology )(Acts 2,42)

7. Patristic period (2-5 Centuries, AD) Fathers of the Church: special characteristics: • Preach and live the values of NT • Unity of God Creator of OT & God Redeemer of NT • Reflexion in looking for synthesis: Faith & Life, Science & Salvation To service God’s People (Chrysostom & Augustine)

8. "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ“ (St. Jerome) “St. Jerome, a Father of the Church (347- 419 AD) Bible  centre of his life: • He translated  whole bible into Latin, • He helped establish the Canon of the Bible • he commented on it in his writings, • he was committed to living it concretely”

9. Middle Ages (5-15 Centuries AD) Sacred Scripture (SS) has become The Book of the Church: • Feeds prayer & Evangelization Mission • first translations of Bible into local languages • But there was also the sprea of Aristotle’s philosophy & rationalization of theology • SS no longer main fountain for theological reflexion, as in first centuries. • Centrality of Bible starts to fade with the rise of new schools of systematic theology (Thomist, Augustinian...) (Bishop Santiago Silva CELAM-The Word of God in Church and its Ecclesial Life)

10. Council of Trent (1545-1563) Trent - Counter Reformation positions response to Protestant Reformation: with its emphasis on Bible only and local language translations • Trent excludes translations except Vulgate because of Protestant versions & positions • It allows some translations of the gospels • but it restricts distribution of SS in vernacular for the ordinary people • The Bible was first book off the Protestant printing presses (Gutenberg 1450) • From 17 to 19 centuries Bible familiarity & personal use was lost to Catholics. • Church continued with the Word of God  liturgical celebrations. (Bp. Santiago Silva)

11. Catholic life At that time there was great emphasis on the observance of: • Sunday Mass, • Communion at Easter time, • Penance expressed by fasting, abstinence • and frequent sacramental confession • material support for public worship

12. Catholic & Protestant Biblical Associations (17 – 20 Centuries) • Promote: Translation, production & distribution of Bible in vernacular language or for sale at low price • Biblical Renaissance of the Bible • Growing Consciousness: importance & function in Church life. Thanks to: • Patristic studies, Catechetics, Liturgy. • Divino Afflante Spiritu (Pius XII,1943) new Bible translations – from original languages- instead St. Jerome Latin Vulgate

13. BEFORE VATICAN II It was commonly said that: • while celebration of Sacraments, especially Eucharist, was characteristic of Catholic Church • reading & interpretation of Bible characterized  Protestant world.” (Bishop Santiago Silva ,General Secretary of CELAM CEBIPAL)

14. Vatican Council II (1962-65) Renew & Evangelize: Read together please: • “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” (Pastoral Constitution on The Church in the Modern World ,1)

15. 4 Constitutions of II Vatican Council Summary of content in a phrase: • “God by Christ (Dei Verbum) • Saves people today (Gaudium et Spes) • In a community (Lumen Gentium) • Through sacramental signs (SacrosanctumConcilium)”

16. Dei Verbum - Key points “All scripture  inspired by God useful for: • teaching, • refutation, • correction, • training in righteousness, So, who belongs to God may be: competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17) (cited in DV 11)

17. Ignorance of Scripture... “The sacred Synod forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful ... to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ’ (Phil 3:8) By “Frequent reading of the divine Scriptures, for ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” (St Jerome, DV 25).

18. SACRED SCRIPTURES “...all the preaching of the Church, as indeed the entire Christian religion, should be nourished and ruled by sacred Scripture” (DV 21)

19. Biblical Animation in Prayer • “Lectio Divina”, medieval monks’ tradition, found spiritual nourishment in Sacred Scripture • One version  to answer 4 questions after personal reading or community proclamation  biblical passage (Severalversions) • First: What does the text say? • Second: What is God telling me in the text? • Third: How I respond to what the Lord tells me? • Four: What will I do now?

20. Aparecida (2008) This Document • Contains abundance of timely pastoral guidelines, • Explained wealth of reflections in light of faith and contemporary social context • Theme : “Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ, so that our peoples may have life in Him”

21. Verbum Domini (2010) Lets read together: “The Word of the Lord abides for ever, this Word is the Gospel which was preached to you” “I encourage all the faithful to renew their personal and communal encounter with Christ, the Word of Life made visible and to become his heralds...” (Introduction - Benedict XVI 2010)

22. Verbum Domini called for a greater “biblical apostolate”, not alongside other forms of pastoral work, but as a means of letting the Bible inspire all pastoral life”». Verbum Domini (2010) Biblical Animation of all Pastoral Life (ABP) • This does not mean adding a meeting • here or there in parishes or dioceses, • but rather of examining the ordinary activities of Christian communities, in parishes, associations and movements, • to see if they are truly concerned with fostering a personal encounter with Christ, who gives himself to us in his word.” • (VD 73).

23. AEC BISHOPS: WORD OF GOD PRIORITY FOR NEW EVANGELIZATION AEC Bishops priority 2013-15 APM April 2013, in Guadeloupe • to make the Word of God, central to their commitment to the New Evangelization of the region. • To give priority to the study, meditation and mission flowing from the Bible, AEC Press Release 24 April 2013

24. AEC sets up ABP Committee AEC Bishops established Committee for ABPheaded by Bishop E. Lafont, Cayenne. Objectives: • organization & implementation of ABP seminars in interested dioceses, • distribution of relevant information on ABP and solid but simple Bible study guides, • training opportunities for catechists, religious, deacons, priests, etc. in ABP

25. ABP Encounters in AEC Region • Guadeloupe ABP seminar by CELAM Gen Sec. B. Santiago Silva to AEC Bishops (19 April, 2013) • Bogota: ABP Training workshop 4 participants from AEC (1-12 July 2013) • Lima: 1st ABP Congress 11 participants from AEC including Bishop Lafont AEC-ABP Committee Chair (5-8 Aug 2013) • ABP Encounter 4 bishops 72 participants of AEC Castries province (10-12 Dec 2013) • ABP 40 delegates from AEC Region 1st Encounter Jan 2014 TT • Encounter in Tabaquita, 60 participants, TT March 2014 • Encounter in Barbados, May 2014 • Encounter in St Vincent, June 2014 • Regional ABP Encounter May 2014 TT

26. . Next presentation on Verbum Domini THANK YOU