You Read the Bible, But Does the Bible Read You?
First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33(34):4-7,16-19
Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15
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For many Christians, reading the Bible is a daily habit. They open the Scriptures, follow their reading plans, and even memorize verses and quote them effortlessly. Some highlight passages, take notes, and share reflections with friends. The Bible sits on their nightstands, appears in their social media posts, and fills their prayers and even conversations with friends. Yet, despite all this, something pertinent may be missing. It is one thing to read the Bible, but does the Bible read you? Does it challenge you? Does it convict you? Does it transform you? Many people approach Scripture as information, but not as formation. They treat it like an encyclopaedia of spiritual knowledge, looking for answers and doctrines, but fail to let it shape their hearts and actions. The danger is that we can know the Bible without living it, quote it without embodying it, and preach it without practicing it.
This is the message of today’s readings. The First Reading (Isaiah 55:10-11) reminds us that God’s word is not just ink on a page – it is alive and effective. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return without watering the earth… so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but shall accomplish what I please” (Is 55:10-11). God’s word is meant to work in us, to take root and produce fruit. But if we treat the Bible as mere reading material and not as a divine force meant to change us, then we are like dry soil that refuses to absorb the rain. In biblical tradition, the Hebrew term דָּבָר (dāḇār), often translated as “word,” also means action. God’s word is not just spoken, it does something. If we truly allow the Bible to read us, it will expose our sins, purify our motives, and call us to conversion. But if we only skim through it as religious routine, we resist its power.
Psalm 33(34) continues this theme by showing how the word of God leads to real-life consequences: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; from all my terrors, He set me free” (Ps 33:5). The Psalmist does not just listen – he acts, seeking the Lord, trusting Him, and experiencing His salvation. This is the difference between merely reading Scripture and being read by it. It is not about how many chapters we cover, but about how much our lives change.
The Gospel (Matthew 6:7-15) takes this lesson even deeper. Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray, introducing the Our Father, one of the most well-known prayers in Christianity. Many people recite this prayer daily, but Jesus warns: “When you pray, do not use empty words as the pagans do” (Mt 6:7). He is not condemning repetition – after all, the Psalms repeat prayers often, but He is warning against mindless repetition, where words are spoken without meaning. The historical context of this passage is Jesus correcting the mechanical approach to prayer that some religious groups practiced at the time. In the ancient world, pagans believed that long, elaborate prayers would impress their gods. Jesus contrasts this by teaching that prayer is not about words, but about relationship.
And here is the real challenge: many Christians pray the Our Father daily, yet live in contradiction to its words. They say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” but refuse to forgive. They pray, “Thy will be done,” but resist God’s will in their lives. They recite, “Give us this day our daily bread,” but fail to trust in God’s providence. This is the real test: Do we simply say the words, or do the words shape us? The Greek word ὑποκριτής (hypokritēs), from which we get “hypocrite,” originally referred to actors – people who played roles on stage. If we read the Bible but do not allow it to read us, we become religious actors, saying all the right lines but living a different reality. The Scriptures are not meant to be performed; they are meant to be lived.
So, what does this mean for us practically?
First, reading the Bible should never be just about finishing a chapter but about letting the chapter finish its work in us. Instead of rushing through Scripture, we should pause and ask, How does this passage challenge my heart? What is God calling me to change? A small passage deeply applied is more powerful than a large passage quickly read.
Second, we must not only read the word but obey it. James 1:22 warns, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Many people enjoy Bible studies, sermons, and religious books but struggle to actually live out what they learn. The true test of reading the Bible is not what we know, but what we do.
Third, prayer should not be empty words, but honest conversation. The Our Father is not a script to be recited without thought: it is a model for real, deep, heartfelt communion with God. If we pray it daily but do not let it read our hearts, we miss its power.
At the end of our lives, God will not ask how many Bible verses we memorized or how many theological debates we won. He will ask: Did my word transform you? Did it convict you? Did it lead you to love more, forgive more, serve more? The Bible is not just a book to be read: it is a mirror that reveals who we truly are. The question is: When we look into that mirror, do we change, or do we walk away unchanged?
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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Have you prayed your rosary today?
