“GOD’S WORD: THE BEATING HEART OF THE CHURCH”
In his Apostolic Letter “APERUIT ILLIS”, Pope Francis has established every 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as the “Sunday of the Word of God.” The Apostolic Letter was published on September 30, 2019, the feast day of St. Jerome, the man who translated most of the Bible into Latin and who famously said: “Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” In its inaugural year, the Sunday of the Word of God is celebrated today, January 26, 2020.
The title of the document “APERUIT ILLIS” are taken from St. Luke’s Gospel, where the evangelist describes how the risen Lord appeared to His disciples and how He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. The Word of God plays a vital role in the life and mission of the Church. Hence, Pope Francis said that “the Sunday of the Word of God is therefore devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God.”
The Word of God is for all. It is not meant only for a privileged few. It belongs to those called to hear God’s message and to recognize themselves in His words. It cannot be monopolized nor restricted to select groups because it is the book of the people of God, who in listening to it, be inspired to live a meaningful life. The Word of God should therefore be made more accessible to the people and its central role in the faith be highlighted.
Pope Francis also emphasized that “the Word of God should increasingly become the heart of every Church activity, the beating heart that gives life to the members of the body”. Whenever, therefore, the Church gathers in liturgical celebrations, the Word of God is proclaimed, and the people are made aware of their covenant relationship with the Lord. The whole Church is built up and continues to grow in the Word of God. The Church flourishes even in the midst of persecutions when the Word of God remains to be her solid foundation.
We should never take for granted the Word of God. Let us commit ourselves to listen to the Sacred Scriptures and be inspired to practice mercy. God’s Word has the power to open our hearts and to enable us to renounce our selfishness. It impels us to embark on a new path towards sharing and solidarity. Reading the Bible, studying and praying with it, is the best antidote against individualism. When nourished by God’s Word, we become the bread to someone’s hunger, the balm to someone’s pain, the smile to someone’s grief and the answer to someone’s prayer. e can still make time to help others even when struggling with our own problems.
The Bible is not just a beautiful collection of sacred books to be studied. It is the Word of Life that the Lord asks us to welcome, to be sown and be shared to others so that there would be full life in His name. Everyone is entrusted with the Word of God. This Sunday, therefore, we commit ourselves not just to place the Bible on the shelf as one of the many books, but as an instrument that awakens the faith. Let us strive to be the bearers and messengers of God’s Word in the Church and in the world by the witnesses of our lives. This is our noble calling. Amen.
Fr. Jong Atinaja
