Saint Boniface, Bishop, Martyr
2 Timothy 3:10-17
Psalm118(119):157,160-161,165-166,168
Mark 12:35-37
bearing witness to the reality of the resurrection.
This day’s readings and feast focus on the central theme of the power of scripture and the presence of God's Word in our lives. The wonderful scripture teachers I’ve encountered over the years always encouraged us to ask deep, challenging questions of the text. The goal was not to discredit scripture but to hear it at a more profound level. Isn’t this precisely what Jesus models for us in today’s Gospel? He takes a familiar text—Psalm 110—and opens it up like a door no one had thought to try. “If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” It’s a simple question, but it manages to crack something wide open. The crowd was delighted because they recognized they were in the presence of someone who read Scripture from the inside out. Praying and reflecting on the Scriptures takes effort. It’s much easier to simply read the black letters on the page in a literal way than to ponder the Word in my heart. Like anything in life, without putting in the work, you can’t expect to see the reward.
Our first reading is from Second Timothy. It offers an ancient piece of advice: stay the course. Don’t let the noise of recent fads or trends sway you from your path. Paul urges Timothy to root himself deeply in the richness of Scripture, because it’s more than just a human document. This divinely inspired work has the power to teach, correct, shape, and equip us for every good deed.
The Church also gives us a companion in the feast of St. Boniface. He was a remarkable missionary to the Germanic peoples, carrying Scripture and faith into uncharted territory at great personal cost. He was willing to face persecution, trusting that the Lord would be with him. He exemplifies the disciple Paul was describing.
Today, many turn to artificial intelligence as a sounding board for life’s toughest questions. Yet believers have been doing exactly that with Sacred Scripture for thousands of years. For generations, scholars and faithful alike have posed their questions, doubts, and uncertainties to the text—waiting, praying, and listening for an answer. Scripture has always been a living dialogue, rich and profound. It’s alive, engaging, and never limited. That’s probably why so many of us who read these reflections daily keep coming back. We innately know that God’s Word is never dull or boring.
Every day offers us the invitation: “Is there something God is saying to us today?” Most importantly, this activity completes the cycle of Easter and Pentecost. We are a spirit-led people who see the resurrected Christ actively present in our lives and who bear witness to the reality of the resurrection. Living in the resurrection is what the scriptures call us to do. Isn’t that what the followers of Jesus are asked to do?
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