The Sacred Scriptures, inspired by God, serve as the written manifestation of the Word of God—the very same Word that brought into existence all visible and invisible universes. To grasp this profound reality, simply reading and studying the Sacred Scriptures is enough. Perhaps even creating a list of its distinctive qualities, such as its energetic, exuberant, and creative power, would be beneficial.
Every expression, every letter, even the smallest jot, carries such excellence and value that the entire created universe could come to an end, yet the Word of God will never exhaust its creative meaning and sense nor will it lose its favor with God’s will. The Heavenly Father will never fail, hovering with His Holy Spirit over His Word, giving witness that this Word is His beloved Son in whom His favor rests (Matthew 3.17).
The Word of the Heavenly Father is the fundamental principle of life. This reality is a profound and awe-inspiring mystery because this principle of life grows and becomes fruitful, powered by its divine splendor and boundless abundance.
We hear this Word every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy with utmost respect and honor, and we should not harbor a failing faith that God’s Word will be ineffective. On the contrary, we must believe that this Word, which touches our existence, has the power to transform us into divine beings (as mentioned in John 10.35). It calls us to unite with its presence, making us part of His Body, the Church, His people, and a holy temple of His dwelling.
The Word heals with its abundant life the profound wounds inflicted by evil and death. It sustains this life through the essential daily bread, fostering a communion of prayer and conversation with the Heavenly Father (Matthew 6.9–13). Those who receive the Word’s life-giving breath become partakers of its own merit and virtues that expiate sin and redeem from evil. Moreover, the Word sends us as messengers carrying the good news announcing the advent of the Father’s kingdom and the rule of peace. This is what many fathers of the Church described as the new creation of God’s image in us.
John the evangelist recounts the first encounter of the Lord Jesus with his disciples gathered in the Upper Room on the evening of his resurrection. He greeted them with a simple “Peace be with you” and then unveiled his hands and the pierced side of his body. John describes the overwhelming joy that filled the disciples as they witnessed the Lord. This joyous reunion was not just a fleeting emotion but a transformative experience that transcended the boundaries of their physical existence, allowing them to experience a sense of communion that was truly divine (John 20.20).
Jesus reinforced this jubilation, repeating “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20.21–23), and gave them the personal power of God to forgive and to bind, that is to choose what is good and reject what is evil (Matthew 13.47–48) to dedicate mankind and the universe as an acceptable gift and sacrifice of atonement (Leviticus 1.3–4).
The gift of peace which God breathes into us through the freedom of salvation brought by his only begotten Son and Word is the greatest treasure and most valuable good. The Christian must treasure this immense Good with absolute dedication and loyalty. He must follow the command of the Lord to bind the evil and set free our salvation so that it may grow and bring forth the fruit of good deeds with joyful exultation.
