In his Spiritual Diary, Pope St. John Paul II wrote that “The Scriptures are the library of the heart” for Christians. When I read that, it resonated with me, because of the rich and wonderful variety of material the Scriptures contain, that deals with the deepest concerns of human souls; and though very deep, the material in the Scriptures is amazingly simple and amazingly powerful.

Simply reading a passage from the Book of John triggered the conversion of St. Augustine, (345-430 AD) a Christian saint accepted today as a messenger of God by most Christian denominations.

Who has known the mind of Christ so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) The mind of Christ is given to us in the Scriptures and applied by the Holy Spirit of God. For a long time I wondered how St. Paul could write that “We have the mind of Christ”, until I remembered that Jesus’ mind had been tried in the most severe circumstances by Satan in the wilderness. (Luke 4:2) While he was physically reduced, not having food or water for a prolonged period, Jesus had to rely on his mind alone to function when confronted by the evil one. His strength and his source came from the Scriptures themselves. Even though his enemy could quote scripture,it was Jesus’ one and only weapon to defeat the enemy. He used it with clarity and purpose when he said, “It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone” and, “It is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only,” and, Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ( Luke 4:4-12)

All of Jesus’ other faculties must have been depleted when his mind responded to Satan’s taunts. Jesus’ knowledge of Scripture was his one resource, and it didn’t fail him.

When St. Paul wrote, “We have the mind of Christ,” he was not making a riddle or a puzzle of any kind. He was writing literally the truth that Christ’s mind was full of Scripture, to the extent that he could defeat evil itself. When he had no other strength than his knowledge of he word of God that is available to each of us. He did have the advantage of full and complete belief in the scripture, and especially in his Father God. All this is available to us as well. The Holy Spirit, in which the Scripture is washed, can work in us fresh life, as he worked conversion in St. Augustine when he read from the book of John. As ST. Paul affirmed, we,too, when we open the “ library of the heart,” can have the mind of Christ.

Love in Him,

Prue