We are all familiar with our Liturgical Year which begins on the First Sunday of Advent and is divided into three unequal seasons. The Seasons of Christmas and Easter, with their times of preparation and follow-up reflection, focus on one of the two central mysteries of our Christian faith: the Incarnation and the Resurrection. The third season is named Ordinary, not because it is routine or monotonous, but because the Sundays are numbered (from the word ordinal). Jesus’ life, ministry and the call and formation of his disciples are the focus of this season. We know that contemplating Jesus is very important for support and guidance in our spiritual journey. Punctuating Ordinary Time are four Sundays which celebrate four cornerstones of our faith: Word of God Sunday (Third Sunday in Ordinary Time), Trinity Sunday (Sunday after Pentecost), Body of Christ Sunday (Sunday after Trinity Sunday), and The Feast of Christ the King (the last Sunday of the Church Year).
Next week we will celebrate Word of God Sunday. You may recall that in 2019, Pope Francis established this commemoration to encourage the celebration, study and spreading of the word of God. In his declaration, he pointed out that this is a fitting time of the year to do this--when we are encouraged to strengthen our bonds with the Jewish people and to pray for Christian unity. (The Sunday always occurs during the Week of Prayer for Church Unity [January 18-January 25].)
In some ways this feast parallels the Body of Christ Sunday. Just as we recall and celebrate Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament, this feast calls us to remember and celebrate Christ’s presence in the Sacred Word, in the Scripture.
In the fifty-plus years since the Second Vatican Council, Catholics have become more familiar with Sacred Scripture, thanks in large part to its inclusion in the celebration of all the sacraments and our three-year cycle of readings from the Old and New Testaments.
This Sunday is asking us to reflect on and interiorize our Catholic belief that Sacred Scripture is one of the privileged places for us to be met by Jesus Christ. Attentive, open listening to God’s word, whether in Church, at home in our private devotions or in a group studying the Bible are ways we do this.
Why not take some time to think about how you might make listening to God’s word more a part of your daily life? Do you have and use your Bible for prayer and reflection? Do you have and use a Family Bible? A simple way to begin is to incorporate the day’s scripture (https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading) into your daily prayer.