The proclamation of the living word of God in the Judeo-Christian tradition

Abstract

The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sancrosanctum Concilium paragraph 24 states that the: "Sacred Scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the Liturgy." This leads us directly to the aim of this paper: The Proclamation of the Living Word of God. What is the relationship between the Word of God and those who listen to and proclaim it? What impact does this Living Word leave on the listener whenever it is proclaimed during the liturgy of the Word? T4ese questions and others will guide us in this presentation in contribution to both the lectors and the active congregation during the liturgy of the Word. Therefore I am going to present this paper in five separate chapters. In the first chapter I shall examine the most relevant episode from the Old Testament taken from Nehemiah 8:1-12; where "Judaism is born Ezra reads the Law." We will have a look at the historical background with a commentary about the text. Then we will analyse some comparative studies found in the New Testament related to the readings during assemblies and other circumstances, in particular the episodes taken from Lk.4:14-30 and the experience of the two disciples of Emmaus in Lk.24:13-35. The second part concerns the Power of the Word. The third chapter will deal with the Liturgy of the Word, first in Early Judaism, then in the Early Church up to the 4th century. The fourth chapter deals with what Vatican Council II has to say concerning the Liturgy. The fifth chapter will concern the role of the lectors during the reading of the Word of God. The concluding chapter will include my personal views and reflections regarding the present situation during the celebrations of The Liturgy of the Word.