Were
not our hearts burning when
he, along the way,
spoke and explained to us the Scriptures?
Two pilgrims “were
on their way to a
village called Emmaus." What are they talking about? About
Jesus. And Jesus appears
and entertains them. He shows up and disappears!
But his Name,
his Person cannot disappear from their
mind: drunk they exclaim:
"Were not our hearts burning when he, along
the way, spoke and explained to us
the Scriptures?"
I beseech you therefore to put serious attention to the Word of
God, to hear a message of highest importance.
Often just a
single proposition, one decision, one scriptural
passage well thought
to produce wonderful
effects. For this the Word of God is called seed:
the seed is a tiny
grain that is buried underneath
the soil and when cultivated develops
into a large tree. So a saying, well kept
inside your heart and cultivated with sound reflection,
takes root and spreads,
and ends up
giving the completion of its
fruits.
A rule in order to draw profit from the Word
of God is the reflection.
Reflection means to return over in mind
what was intended: it is a kind of meditation. Now this is
a most effective means to benefit
from the Word of God:
to think and rethink what we have heard.
Another indispensable condition to take
profit from it is the diligence in
listening; although a rule, a sentence,
a good example can sometimes produce strong
impressions and make
a sudden change
of heart, yet in most cases
a sentence, a
maxim, a good example are not enough.
One must need to be exposed for a long time under the
rain of grace it
so gradually filters
down to the marrow of our bones.
(Vol.13, file 1996 + Vol. 10, file 1797)
