The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a biblical index that allows one to see how a particular bible passage is understood within the catechism in particular and within the analogia fidei in general. Dei Verbum no. 12 states:
But since holy Scripture must be read and interpreted in the same Spirit in which it was written, no less serious attention must be given to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture if the meaning of the sacred texts is to be correctly worked out. The living Tradition of the whole Church must be taken into account along with the harmony that exists between the elements of the faith.
There are three references here that are pointed out by the Magisterium for the proper understanding of a biblical text:
- the whole context of the bible passage, that is, from Genesis to Revelation;
- the living Tradition of the Church, that is, the way the Church has understood these texts in her bimillenial existence;
- and finally, according to the "harmony that exists between the elements of the faith", the analogia fidei.
The biblical index of the Catechism of the Church helps the student of the bible in showing how particular passages are understood within the light of the Church's tradition as it is linked to one or the other element of the faith. The index, in fact, contains references to the Bible arranged according to book, chapter and verse. Alongside each of these biblical references, one finds the places in the Catechism where the passage is used. This latter is indicated by the number of a particular paragraph in the Catechism. Below is a snapshot of a page of the biblical index showing references made to Matthew 28:16-20
Notice that in this index, not only each verse but also groups of verses are referenced in several paragraphs of the Catechism. Those paragraph numbers marked by an asterisk indicates that in that paragraph the passage is referred to as a main reference.
So how does one make use of the CCC's biblical index in understanding a passage of the Scriptures?
Let us for example, take Mt. 28:16-20 since it is the reading for Trinity Sunday. Below is the passage as it appears in the New American Bible.
A sample passage from Matthew
The passage is the last image that Matthew gives his readers: the Resurrected Christ is rejoined by his remaining disciples in Galilee as he had ordered them through Mary Magdalene. The mountain recalls the mountain from which Jesus proclaimed the Constitutions of the Church (cf. Mt. 5-7) or the mount of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17) where he was revealed momentarily in glory to his disciples, but also that of Mt. Nebo from which Moses viewed the place that the people of Israel was about to inherit (cf. Deut. 34). The scene therefore evokes great solemnity and expectation. The fact that this mountain too will be the mountain of the commissioning and at the same time, that of the Ascension, highlights the setting as an important stage in salvation history.
The disciples worshipped the Lord, although like the people of Israel, some continue to doubt. The NAB explains in the footnote: "The verb ("they doubted") occurs only in Mt. 14:31 where it is associated with Peter having 'little faith'." A reference to a note in Mt. 6:30 explains: "The word 'of little faith' is found in the New Testament only in Matthew. It is used by him of those who are disciples of Jesus but whose faith in him is not as deep as it should be." These notes from the NAB should be enough to tell the reader that the disciples were still imperfect in their faith. The coming of the Holy Spirit, later on, will galvanize them into men of faith who will go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Lordship of the Risen Christ.
The commissioning can be divided into three parts: (v.18) is the announcement of the Lordship of Jesus; (v. 19-20a) is the commissioning proper with a command that echoes the commands in Genesis to "go forth and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it". The command can be broken down into smaller parts. The command "Go" is followed by a second command -- "make disciples of all nations". The manner by which this second command is to be carried is spelled out in "baptizing them..." and "teaching them...". Thus, the discipling of nations -- the "catholic" intent of the commission -- will be done through baptism and the formation of peoples according to the mind of the Lord. Finally, in (v.20b) the Lord gives his solemn promise, couched in a language that should remind the disciples of the revelations of Yahweh in Exodus: "I Am with you". The guarantee that the mission of the apostles will succeed is the presence of the Lord who, like Yahweh in the Old Testament, will accompany his people "until the end of the age".
Matthew 28:16-20 In The Index: The Trinity
What I have presented above is hopefully an example of an intelligent reading of Mt. 28:16-20. This is still just a superficial reading of the text. If one would like to get deeper into the material so as to understand how the passage is understood by the Church, one can go to the CCC's biblical index. Below is an illustration of how a section of the passage can be more closely studied. (Click on the image for a bigger view.)
For the purpose of this tutorial and in line with the feast of the Trinity, let us focus on just one verse, Mt. 28:19, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,..." One of the paragraph references is to paragraph number 232. 1
Paragraph 232 begins with a direct quote to our text; it ends with the assertion that the "faith of all Christians rests on the Trinity", which is a direct quote from one of the Fathers2, Caesarius of Arles. This note immediately puts the discussion in the mainstream of the Church's living Tradition.
In the paragraph that follows (233), the difference between "name" and "names" is pointed out. Jews even today call God "The Name." This is significant because the first disciples and Jesus himself, were Jews. The catechism points out this detail so as to prepare the reader for the assertion that in the Christian faith, there is only one God (hence, singular, "name") "the almighty Father, his only Son and the Holy Spirit: the Most Holy Trinity."
These two opening paragraphs is a watershed. They not only underline what is central to the Christian faith (cf. par. 235) but also prepares the way for the discussion on the Mystery of the Trinity (from paragraph 236 until 267). Thus, from the baptismal formula of Mt. 28:19, the student is led to a deeper consideration of the hidden mystery of God Himself.
Some precautions...
Before concluding this short tutorial on how to make use of the CCC's biblical index in the study of the Scriptures, I'd like to add a few warnings.
1. This method of reading the Bible should not be mistaken as a way of practising "lectio divina." Lectio divina is prayer, not study; it is not analysis, but encounter. However, this way of studying Scriptures when done properly can aid one in developing a robust knowledge of the Scriptures that one can make use of in the rumination of the Scriptures.
2. It would be best if the following steps are followed strictly when studying the Scriptures in the way demonstrated above:
- read the text of the Scriptures intelligently first;
- try to get as much out of the text of Scriptures by referring to the footnotes and marginal notes of the translation being used, especially for those notes that would help in locating the passage being studied within the whole of salvation history
- when you consult the CCC's biblical index, it is not necessary to study all the paragraph numbers referred to. The best way is to pick out a biblical passage that is at that moment interesting, and work through the references given.
- so as not to forget anything, make notes.
1. In the Catholic Catechism and in any other Church document, paraphraph numbers are used as references, not pages. This is a convenient way of referencing since it avoids the difficulties presented by different editions of the same document.
2. The Fathers of the Church are not normative for the faith but they are important witnesses to the faith of the Church at every time and place of her existence.
3. There is no question here of an influence -- direct or indirect -- coming from polytheistic paganism.
