Then the Lord goes on: Eat this book and go speak to the children of Israel. And I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that book. Ezekiel 3:1-2
“Whatever is found in Scripture is to be eaten; even its least words bring calm and order to simple men, and it’s higher teachings instruct the minds of the more discerning…it is for this reason we must understand them: that they may be a means of help to ourselves, and that they may, by our spiritual effort, be also bestowed on others…Eat, and be fed. Be filled, and give forth. Receive my word, and spread it among others. Be strengthened and labor.”
Gregory the Great (540-604), pope and doctor of the church, in Sermon entitled “Hearing the Word of God” PL 76, Homily 10.
Gregory lived and ministered during the timeframe known widely as “the dark ages” (from the fall of Rome in 476 to around the year 1000) when civilization shifted from imperial rule to feudal structures, when regions were overrun by barbarians, and monastic communities attempted to preserve Christianity in localized settings.
In a world filled with disarray, Gregory reminds God’s people to nourish themselves on God’s Word and to share it richly with others. Though this message was proclaimed fourteen centuries ago, it rings true and applies today. Let us be people who eat the Scriptures and spread it among others. This requires intentional activity. Are you feeding on God’s Word and giving it forth?