The Bible in the liturgy and the homily

The relationship between the Bible and the liturgy consists of something more than just the use the liturgy makes of selected texts to be proclaimed. As Pope Benedict XVI said in his exhortation Verbum Domini, "every liturgical action is by its very nature steeped in sacred Scripture...", and the liturgy is "the privileged setting in which God speaks to us in the midst of our lives". It could even be said that the liturgy is the Bible itself transformed into words proclaimed, prayed and updated, and surrounded by signs and ritual actions. Furthermore, sacred Scripture, along with the liturgy itself, is the main source of preaching. This article, based on these statements, succinctly exposes the various ways in which Bible and liturgy are related, especially in the Mass, but not only in the readings of the liturgy of the word, but also in the homily, in the rites, songs and prayers.