Whose Word Is It?
In general, the
attention that we give to another's words is an accurate indication of the
respect and love we have for the other person, and our attention is also a
measure of the importance that we attach to the message.
Thus, when a
supervisor is giving a presentation, his subordinates are expected to be alert
and focused, even if the material is lackluster. Or, when a newborn infant
starts to babble, all those around are driven by love to a hushed anticipation,
in spite of the inherent meaninglessness of the gibberish. Or, when even a
complete stranger has a message of life or death urgency, people will suddenly
pay attention.
When the biblical
readings are proclaimed at Mass, they are followed by a clear reference to the
Authorship: "the Word (or Gospel) of the Lord!" God is, of course,
deserving of our highest respect and greatest love. Moreover, His message is
more important than any merely human words. How is it, then, that you and I
would ever dare dismiss His Word? And yet, all too often, listening to the Word
of God proclaimed in our midst, or reading it on the pages of our Bibles, we
fail to muster much loving attention, and thus treat it, not as the Word of
God, as it truly is, but just as another annoying alien word.