St. Dominic, our founder, carried around with him a copy of the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistles of St. Paul. According to tradition, Dominic poured over them so much that he knew them by heart. The Gospel of Matthew was central to his prayer and inspired his preaching. The Dominican artist Fra Angelico depicted St. Dominic seated at the foot of the Cross, meditating on the Word of God, and most other paintings of Dominic portray him holding a gospel book, presumably Matthew, close to his heart.
Our newest addition to the RENEW Scripture Series is Matthew: Come Follow Me by believer and scholar Martin Lang. I find this series unique and inspiring. The first section of each session, "Enter into the Biblical Story," invites us to take on the mantle of a disciple in the time of Jesus, to follow him, listen attentively to his Word, and allow the Word to transform our hearts and minds.
The second interpretive lens Dr. Lang uses is entitled "Old Testament Witness." This section examines the Hebrew Scriptures that were central to the belief of the early disciples and the Gospel writer. We reflect on the parts of the Old Testament that recapture the theological perspective of the corresponding section of the Gospel we are studying and praying.
The third interpretative lens Dr. Lang invites us into is called "Responding to Human Experience." It is an effort to use modern culture to reflect on the Gospel—to connect the Word of God with our contemporary lives.
The final interpretive lens Dr. Lang presents to us is "Respond To God’s Word," which invites us to act on the Word of God as it speaks to our lives in this moment.
Matthew: Come Follow Me is enriching my prayer and inspiring my preaching as I give presentations and retreats on various spiritual topics. As I grieve the recent loss of my brother Paul, I also find solace in Dr. Lang’s reflection on Matthew’s account of the resurrection.
As a sister of St. Dominic and a follower of Jesus the Christ, I hope to immerse myself more deeply in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew reveals to us the continuity of Jesus’ teaching with that of the Torah and the Prophets. As Lang reminds us, Matthew beautifully weaves into his account the full thrust of Jesus’ universal message for all people—a new dawn for humankind is breaking. Jesus has come to establish the kingdom of God’s peace, love, and justice. I, like Matthew and Dominic, long to be a witness to that kingdom.
Sr. Terry Rickard is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.