Word of God Sunday

Salvation, faith, unity and mercy all depend on knowing Christ and Sacred Scripture. On this fourth Word of God Sunday let us re-commit and deepen our engagement with Sacred Scripture. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter, Motu proprio "Aperuit illis", published 30 September 2019, established the third Sunday in Ordinary Time to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God. We are invited to never take God’s Word for granted, but instead to let ourselves be nourished by it, in order to acknowledge and live fully our relationship with Him and with our brothers and sisters.

How do we receive the Word of God? The response is clear: As one receives Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scripture, in His Word. Always carry a small Gospel with you in your purse, in your pocket, and read a passage from the Gospel during the day. Not so much to learn something, but mostly to find Jesus, because Jesus actually is in His Word, in His Gospel. Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus. - Pope Francis 01.09.14

Motu proprio. The complete text of "Aperuit Illis" by Pope Francis HERE

Three suggestions for Word of God Sunday with reference to the complete text of Pope Francis’ Motu Proprio

Focus attention in the liturgy. “It is important that in the Eucharistic celebration the sacred text be enthroned, in order to focus the attention of the assembly on the normative value of God’s word.” Make the sacred text a solemn focus.

Pray for Proclaimers of the Word. Take the opportunity on Word of God Sunday to pray for those who are entrusted with reading the Scriptures at Mass.

Commit time to reflect on the Word. Read the scriptures of the following Sunday as a companion for daily reflection and ministry. Share with others your own reflections for the following Sunday’s readings. Listen to the Homily Studio for 20-30 minute conversations about the following Sunday readings. HERE

The Word of God is the lamp with which we look to the future: its light allows us to read the signs of the times.

Pope Francis on Twitter

More Resources

•  Ideas to consider marking Word of God Sunday in a special way. Ten suggestions for your parish or school. HERE
•  Lectio Divina. A method of prayer for listening to scripture with our hearts. The method explained HERE . If you want to participate online in this way of praying with the scripture of the day you might like to listen to a podcast HERE
• The Bible Online – for those who want to quickly locate a passage or to read an entire book. HERE