I remember visiting a family for lunch, during which the husband told me he wanted to show me his family Bible, which was in his family for more than 50 years, I was very happy, he brought it; it was placed in a beautiful case, it looked magnificent. The border of the pages had gold on it and it had a beautiful leather cover. And when I opened it, the pages were brand new. I asked him when was the last time, he read it, he said never cause he did not want to spoil it, so he kept it in his showcase. I then began to explain to him that it was of no use if he hadn’t read it with his family. He needs to make that Bible an integral part of his life.
In 2019, Pope Francis dedicated the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, soon after the Christmas season, as the Word of God Sunday and this year it falls on 23 January. On this note, I take this opportunity to ask all of you to make the Word of God an integral part of your life because God speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures, revealing to us his love for us.
For our faith to grow, we all need to be fed the correct food, therefore, the Catholic Church has been given a Christ-given responsibility to spiritually feed all of us a nutritious diet: the Word of God and the Eucharist. Consuming the Word of God is the best way to receive the precious Body and Blood of God. God speaks to us through His word and then becomes food for us to receive. Over a period of three years, every Sunday, in a cycle of three readings (Old Testament, New Testament and the Gospel), the Church feeds us almost the entire Bible. Therefore, it is so crucial to pay attention to the Sunday readings.
Apart from the Holy Mass, we all have the freedom to indulge in God’s Word, read it and contemplate on it so that we can draw close to the heart of God. And it is our important duty as Catholics to listen to what God is saying in His Word. Reading the Bible every day is a journey with God through the scriptures. Simply reading the Bible is not enough but it is critically important to listen and understand what those scriptures are trying to tell you.
The scriptures are the foundation of the Church; besides the Holy Eucharist, it is the spiritual food that nourishes and gives shape to our prayer life. The entire Holy Mass is taken directly and indirectly from Holy Scripture.
Many people wonder, from where the Bible came into existence; the answer is the Catholic Church. the Canon of Scripture was formulated in 382 AD under the Authority of Pope Damasus the first, it was reaffirmed at the council of Carthage in 397 AD which issued the Bible and it was finally confirmed between 1545 and 1563 at the Council of Trent for the entire Church.
My sisters and brothers, God speaks to us through the Word of God; it is the roadmap to our salvation because it has the power to transform our lives.
I encourage you and your family to become a friend of the Bible. Do not keep your Bible as a showpiece, but once you finish your family or personal rosary, do take time to read the Gospel reading of the day and reflect upon it in silence; listen and see if it is conveying to you a particular message, discuss it with your family members and use that message to bring positive changes in your life and in the lives of all your family members.
Most importantly use the Word of God to enhance your relationship with God Himself.
I wish all of you a Happy Word of God Sunday.
In Christ,
+Bishop Alwyn Barreto