INSTITUTING THE SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD

“The relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and sacred Scripture is essential to our identity as Christians. Without the Lord who opens our minds to them, it is impossible to understand the Scriptures in depth. Yet the contrary is equally true: without the Scriptures, the events of the mission of Jesus and of his Church in this world would remain incomprehensible.”

-Aperuit Illis, Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis, instituting the Sunday of the Word of God

Roman Catholics revere scripture, but we do not read it much. Every Sunday we hear the Word of God, but how much of it sinks into our heart and changes our lives? Yet the Bible is a foundation for our faith in God and Jesus Christ.

By declaring the third Sunday of January every year as the Sunday of the Word of God, Pope Francis is calling on us to make scripture an intentional part of our lives. He wants us to read more, obviously, but also to pray scripture and let it reshape our very existence in the world.

To aid you in your own spiritual journey, Living with Christ is offering these aids (see below). We hope you will find them a valuable resource as you explore the richness of the Bible.

Full text of Aperuit Illis, the apostolic letter of Pope Francis

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Lection Divina (Praying with Scripture) with Cardinal Thomas Collins