Word of God Sunday

On September 30, 2019, Father Pope Francis instituted the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time as Sunday of the Word of God. By making it an annual observance, he wants Catholics to understand that the Word of God matters. The Holy Father wants us to appreciate the importance of Sacred Scripture in the life of the Church.

As Catholics we know that the Bible isn't just an ordinary book. We believe that the words and events set out in Sacred Scripture are divinely inspired. They are a living record of God's spirit-filled relationship with the human family. And in particular, the books of the New Testament are God's ultimate revelation of himself in Jesus Christ. As we read in the Gospel of St. John .... Jesus is the Word made flesh. Or, as the great St. Jerome once said ... Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ.

All I've written sounds good in the abstract, but keep in mind, the Bible isn't a book to be shelved and forgotten. As St. Paul said in his Letter to the Hebrews (4:12) ... Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. When we open the covers of our Bibles we enter into a living and permanent dialogue with God. And of course, a dialogue is a two-sided conversation. God's Word demands a personal response from us.

It's a no brainer that every baptized Catholic should own a personal copy of the Bible. Not one of those gigantic coffee table Bibles, with the family history section and the coloured illustrations. Bibles like that are rarely picked up and read. Too big! We need something comfortable to hold and easy on the eyes. There's no bigger turn-off than tiny, illegible print. Our personal Bible should be a book we can carry around with us, an indispensible part of our everyday life.

When choosing a Bible, make sure it's a Catholic edition. Protestant editions follow the lead of Martin Luther, who broke with the ancient Churches of both the East and the West, and rejected seven books of the Old Testament. You might also want an edition with study notes. They can be very helpful in understanding difficult texts.

Another concern is the choice of translation. There are many good English versions, and most are acceptable to the Church. Here in Canada we use the New Revised Standard Version in our liturgical celebrations. In the United States they use the New American Bible. Some of the older translations, like the celebrated King James Bible, can be a bit difficult for modern readers. The language is almost Shakespearian. It almost calls for a translation of the translation.

Once you've found a Bible you like, use it! During my morning prayer I meditate on the Gospel from the Mass of the day. And just before I go to bed, I read a chapter from one of the New Testament books. Many people use Bible Reading Guides found on the internet. In the end, it doesn't really matter which plan you follow. Just pick up your Bible and read! Open your mind and heart to God's living Word.

The English word Bible comes from the Greek word biblia. It refers to a collection of books, what we would call a library (think of the French biblioteque). Thus, the Bible isn't really a single book. It's a library of sacred writings from different times and eras. They were authored by different individuals and communities under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

On this Sunday of the Word of God we are encouraged to visit this Library on a daily basis. In fact we are given unlimited library privileges. God extends to us the same invitation he once gave to the great St. Augustine of Hippo. Tolle Lege. Take up and read. And when we respond to that divine invitation, and open our Bibles, we will find ourselves drawn into the story of salvation in a deeply personal way. Speak Lord. You servant is listening!