There are certain phrases that everyone knows by heart:
“ We the People…”
“ May the Force be with You”
“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
“Houston, we have a problem!”
As Catholics, there are certain phrases that we should know by heart:
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing that I lack.
Come to me, all who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest
My Lord and My God!
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks.
Ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you
I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger
Do this in remembrance of me
Whoever’s sins you forgive, they are forgiven. Whoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.
Not only should we know these by heart, we should be living these words in our heart.
As I sat at Mass, I realized that every word that is read from the Bible is perfect. It is another affirmation that God is the author of the Bible. Every word and phrase has meaning for all of us. God’s words were written so He could show us how to live in Him. God didn’t need to write those words for Himself – as always, He does all things out of His great love for us. When I am troubled, it is in Scripture where I find my comfort and peace. It is in those words and phrases that I come to realize that I am never alone no matter what I am dealing with.
I have a particular Scripture passage that I actually carry in my wallet and read every day that reinforces my belief in His presence:
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; He’ll always be there to help you come through it ( 1 Corinthians 10:13 ).
Yes, there are many words that people know by heart. But, the Word of God lets people know that God wants to live in our hearts as we live in His. Let His Words – the words of everlasting life -penetrate your heart and mind. There is a reason that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time – I would say that it’s because of the Author.
Revelations 