2 Timothy 3:10-17 / Mark 12:35-37
The Bible is the sacred book of the Church, and we call it the Word of God.
We revere it, read it, meditate on it, pray with it, because as we heard in the 1st reading "All scripture is inspired by God ... " so the Bible is a means of coming into communion with God.
The 1st reading also continues by saying that the Holy Scriptures "can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy".
It is surely very comforting and affirming to hear all this, just as in the gospel, the great majority of the people heard the teaching of Jesus with delight.
Yet the Word of God strengthens, as well as commissions. As we read and meditate on the scriptures, we must be aware that we are being equipped and made ready to do any kind of good work.
The 1st reading painted this scenario before us: You are well aware that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while the wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.
Well, the Word of God brings comfort to the distressed, and distresses the comfortable.
The Word of God is not for us to pick and choose what we want to hear.
The Word of God strengthens and commissions; the Word of God also probes and challenges us.
May the Word of God lead us to the truth and may it also bring us comfort in our distress.