Did you know that Pope Francis instituted the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time to be the “Sunday of the Word of God”? Well, he did! On the Memorial of Saint Jerome, September 30th, 2019, Pope Francis issued an official letter titled, Aperuit Illis, to establish this new focus for the Church.
Since this Sunday is the Sunday of the Word of God, I thought I’d offer a few tips to aid us in taking up Pope Francis’ call to help “the entire Church celebrate, in unity of purpose, a Sunday of the Word of God.”
Tip 1: Go to Mass!
This might seem like a funny first tip, but the Holy Mass is extremely biblical. Of course, we have the moments during the Mass when sacred Scripture is proclaimed; but, the gestures, linens, vessels, incense, candles, and all the rest are rooted in some biblical text. If we read sacred Scripture, over time, we will come to realize the profound connection between the entire Sacrifice of the Mass and words of sacred Scripture. The two are mutually enriching for our spiritual life. Check out this book from Fr. Timothy Gallagher, A Biblical Way of Praying the Mass, and also this book from Thomas Nash, Biblical Roots of the Mass.
Tip 2: Read the Bible!
I know, this is the obvious tip you were expecting. Many people are kind of intimidated by sacred Scripture since parts of it are difficult to understand. So, let me offer a few resources to help you:
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible (leatherbound, paperback) — this Bible uses a narrative, or story, approach to follow salvation history from Genesis to Jesus.
Bible in a Year — this Bible provides you with a daily reading plan and wonderful commentaries from Catholic Scripture experts.
I encourage you to read the Mass readings before Mass. This will help you to focus while the readings are being proclaimed. It will also help you to get more out of the homily since you’re already clued into the Scripture upon which the homily is based. A great way to get access to these readings is by purchasing your own personal Daily Roman Missal. You can also access the Mass readings at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. Lastly, you can get a subscription to Magnificat, which is a fantastic little missal that gets mailed to you each month and includes daily reflections and prayers.
I hope these three tips help you in your journey of mining the riches contained in sacred Scripture. It’s a lifelong project, but eternally rewarding!