COMMON OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. 

A two-edged sword—what an ominous-sounding image! But the author of Hebrews used this image for a good reason. One of the most important ways God uses his word in Scripture is to slice through our doubleminded ways and expose our true thoughts and actions.

Scripture is filled with assurances of God’s deep love for us and his never-ending mercy. But sometimes Scripture can cut us to the heart as well. It can convict us of sin and warn us of the dangers of disobedience. That’s why God’s word is “able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Once our eyes are opened to our true motivations, we can begin to make the necessary course corrections in our thinking and in our actions.

For example, a psalm about deceit in the human heart may bring to mind a sin you’ve been hiding from yourself and from God. That allows you to bring it into the light and ask for his forgiveness. Or maybe you read in the Gospels that God is a Father who provides, and you realize that you are overly anxious about a need. So you surrender that anxiety to the Lord and ask for greater trust. Or you read about a widow giving her two remaining coins to the Lord (Luke 21:1-4), and you discover you’ve been holding your material possessions too tightly. So you decide to donate more of your income to charity.

This is the power of God’s word! It can lead you from resentment to forgiveness, from fear to trust, and from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ. It can change your heart in all the ways it needs changing.

Try it yourself. Read the Gospel passage for today slowly and carefully. Does a phrase or an image stand out? Ponder it and see what God wants to reveal to you. Then, if necessary, act on it, and watch how God’s word becomes “living and effective” in your own life!

“Lord, open your word to me!”

Hebrews 4:12-16
Psalm 19:8-10, 15
Mark 2:13-17