Word on Fire’s Vatican II Collection is probably the best way to read documents from the council. It’s scattered with reflections and explanations, including excerpts from related encyclicals. It all helps better understand what’s going on. Though the council’s documents are available online, this is a much easier version to digest. (and the design is lovely, too—cloth cover and ribbon marker!) The first document is Dei Verbum, “The Word of God.”
It starts at Christianity’s most basic level, with Scripture itself—the Word as both Scripture and Jesus Christ. Dei Verbum explores divine revelation, how the Word (i.e. God) communicates with us. He not only reveals himself, but also came to live among us. Jesus himself is the most obvious and literal example of this revelation.
It delves into the importance of both scripture and tradition together, and how they’re equally meaningful. I grew up on sola scriptura, so it’s easy to ignore the “tradition” part of the faith. But not everything was written down—that’s how we have rituals, which have been passed down over the centuries. Tradition and ritual without scripture is meaningless, and scripture without ritual feels incomplete. They had the same beginnings in Jesus!
Another major point is the writing of Scripture. Though composed by men, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Each book of the Bible should be read with the understanding that each author had his own style, and its varying genres. It’s packed with everything from historical documents to poetry, and must be read with that in mind. You don’t read genealogy and poetry the same way! Human language will always fall short of God’s intended meaning, too, though He inspired each author to write down what He intended for them to write.
The most intriguing part of Dei Verbum is its exploration of both the Old and New Testaments. Each are required to understand the other. It’s impossible to understand Jesus and the Church without the Old Testament. Its many symbols are a glimpse of the future Messiah, from the patriarchs themselves to the bronze serpent in the desert. Jesus references Torah frequently. It’s not obsolete.
Non-Catholics complain that Catholics don’t know or read the Bible, which is true. But it’s not the fault of the Church—the documents prove otherwise! The people are encouraged the read the Bible, and doesn’t hide it from them. It’s essential for spiritual growth. Vatican II pushed for more accurate translations in more languages, in order to get Scripture to more people. It puts the Bible itself on the same level as the Eucharist, our necessary spiritual food.
Dei Verbum is a great introduction to the rest of the Vatican II documents, encouraging the people of the Church to delve deeper into faith.
