Catechesis Notes for the Week — Holding Forth the Word of Life — “Give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). “I am often aware of temptation, and even today I cannot guard and cross myself against it too carefully. I confess this freely as an example to anyone; for here am I, an old Doctor of Theology and a preacher, and certainly as competent in Scripture as such smart alecks. At least I ought to be. Yet even I must become a child; and early each day I recite aloud to myself the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and whatever lovely psalms and verses I may choose, just as we teach and train children to do. Besides, I must deal with Scripture and fight with the devil every day. I dare not say in my heart, ‘The Lord’s Prayer is worn out; you know the Ten Commandments; you can recite the Creed.’ I study them daily and remain a pupil of the Catechism. I feel, too, that this helps me a lot, and I am convinced by experience that God’s Word can never be entirely mastered, but that Psalm 147 speaks truly, ‘His understanding is beyond measure.’” —Martin LutherCP231001