Korištenje Svetog pisma za sveto i plodnosno vršenje svećeničke službe
Use of Holy Scripture in the sacred and fruitful conduct of the priestly ministry

Summary/Abstract: From the title of the paper it follows that this is not a classical biblical theme, as it extends to the field of spirituality, liturgy, pastoral care, and so on. Given that there are works in the Croatian language (M. Vidović and A. Popović) that treat the status and role of Scripture in the Church in a comprehensive and systematic way, this article does not strive for a comprehensive approach but seeks to go as deep as possible: from the presentation of the nature of the Word of God embedded in the biblical text and the appropriate attitude of the Church towards it, to the key preconditions for activating its saving power (cf. Rom 1:16). The first part of the paper deals with the Church’s relationship to the Bible. It is first of all presented as the Word of God by which the Creator reveals himself to man in order to open the way to communion. The paper then analyzes the Church’s response to God’s saving initiative achieved through his word. The second part is devoted to the transformative character of the Word of God. The attitude towards God reflects the attitude of the church community to the Holy Scriptures. The consequences of this appreciation of the correct attitude towards the Word of God are then set out. The third part of the paper presents a New Testament example of following the transformative nature of Scripture: the attitude of St. Paul towards slavery, reactions to it and their consequences throughout the history of the Church. The demanding nature of the Word of God and the grace derived from following it comes to the fore here, while hesitation and neglect of the call of Scripture leads to ambiguity and a weakening of the historically redemptive role of church life and action. In the last part of the paper, two practical elements in the use of the Holy Scriptures that are of primary importance are highlighted: the liturgy and the homily. The intertextuality of biblical texts in the liturgy, their actualization and their proclamation require careful attention and careful examination by the preacher. This is why church documents appeal to the preacher’s commitment to a deep prayer life.

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