The book which the Lord prescribed for Israel

“The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel.” (NEH 8: 1)

We know that the Bible is not only “prescribed for Israel,” but also for all of us. And we know, from the history of Israel, what happened, when Israel for many, many years forgot about the Bible and lived without it. The story given today by Nehemiah is part of it. Also today we celebrate the feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. She was so dedicated to God’s word and her desire was, if she only could, to learn Greek and Hebrew to read the Bible in their original languages—because of her respect for God’s word. The Bible is our guide and instruction for how to respect God’s love and presence in our lives.

“The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)