Plumbing the Depth of Mind and Heart
MOSAIC, Summer 2010

Very Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton

"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures."

In the Gospel According to Luke (24:27), as our Lord walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus opened the minds of his companions regarding Scripture. The road to Emmaus story is about relationship: God's work in our lives is not simply "random acts of kindness." Jesus unveils his mission through the Word, the revealed Word of God.

In 1993, Pope John Paul II provided an address as well as promulgated a document of the Pontifical Biblical Commission in the text, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. This instruction provides guidelines by which we interpret Sacred Scripture.

Each week, I have the privilege to direct a Bible study at my former parish where I had been pastor four years ago. Each participant in the class brings a Bible and also an inquisitive nature, namely, a willingness to learn. But most importantly, we all bring our faith.

At Sacred Heart, we instruct our seminarians and all students that faith provides the necessary balance by which one avoids the trap of abstract scientific research (see IBC, no. 11). Research is a servant to our personal relationship with the Father, who so loved us that he sent his only Son for our salvation (see John 3:16).

I invite you to read our latest Mosaic, entitled "Is Everything in the Bible True?" May it provide you an opportunity to plumb the depth of our appreciation for Sacred Scripture at Sacred Heart, and inspire you to delve more deeply into God's Word.

With prayerful best wishes to you and your loved ones, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Very Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton
Rector/President