FR
EN
The Sunday of the Word of God, willed by Pope Francis for the third Sunday of Ordinary Time each year, reminds everyone, pastors and faithful, of the importance and value of Sacred Scripture for the Christian life, as well as the relationship between the Word of God and the liturgy: « As Christians, we are one people, marching through history, strengthened by the Lord’s presence in our midst, who speaks to us and nourishes us. This day devoted to the Bible is meant to be not “once a year”, but an event for the whole year, because we have an urgent need to grow familiar and intimate with Sacred Scripture and with the Risen One, who never ceases to break the Word and the Bread in the community of believers. For this reason, we need to enter constantly into trust with Sacred Scripture, otherwise the heart will remain cold and the eyes will remain closed, struck as if by countless forms of blindness ».
This Sunday is therefore a good occasion to reread certain ecclesial documents and above all the Prænotanda of the Ordo Lectionum Missæ, which presents a synthesis of the theological, celebratory and pastoral principles concerning the Word of God proclaimed in the Mass, but valid also in every liturgical celebration (sacraments, sacramentals, liturgy of the hours).
1. By means of the biblical readings proclaimed in the liturgy, God speaks to his people and Christ himself announces his Gospel; Christ is the centre and the fullness of all Scripture, the Old and the New Testament. The listening to the Gospel, the high point of the liturgy of the Word, is characterized by a particular veneration, expressed not only by gestures and acclamations, but by the Book of the Gospels itself. One of the appropriate ritual possibilities for this Sunday could be the entrance procession with the Book of the Gospels or, failing the procession, its placement upon the altar.
2. The arrangement of the biblical readings established by the Church in the Lectionary opens to the knowledge of the whole Word of God. It is therefore necessary to respect the indicated readings, without replacing them or suppressing them, and by using versions of the Bible approved for liturgical use. The proclamation of the texts of the Lectionary constitutes a bond of unity among all the faithful who listen to them. Understanding the structure and the purpose of the liturgy of the Word helps the assembly of the faithful to receive from God the word that saves.
3. The singing of the responsorial psalm, which is the response of the Church at prayer, is recommended; this is why the service of the psalmist in each community must be increased.
4. In the homily, the mysteries of the faith and the norms of Christian life are set forth throughout the liturgical year and from the biblical readings. « Pastors have first of all the great responsibility of explaining Sacred Scripture and enabling everyone to understand it. Since it is the book of the people, those who have the vocation to be ministers of the Word must feel strongly the requirement of making it accessible to their community ». Bishops, priests and deacons must feel the commitment to fulfil this ministry with particular dedication, taking advantage of the means proposed by the Church.
5. Silence is of particular importance : by fostering meditation, it allows the Word of God to be received interiorly by those who listen to it.
6. The Church has always paid particular attention to those who proclaim the Word of God in the assembly: priests, deacons and readers. This ministry requires a specific interior and exterior preparation, familiarity with the text to be proclaimed and the practice necessary to proclaim it, avoiding all improvisation. It is possible to introduce brief and appropriate introductions to the readings.
7. For the value that the Word of God has, the Church invites us to take care of the ambo from which it is proclaimed; it is not a functional piece of furniture, but rather the place befitting the dignity of the Word of God, corresponding to the altar: in fact, we speak of the table of the Word of God and of the Body of Christ, in reference both to the ambo and above all to the altar. The ambo is reserved for the readings, the singing of the responsorial psalm and of the Easter proclamation; the homily and the intentions of the universal prayer may be spoken there, whereas it is less appropriate to approach it for commentaries, announcements, or the direction of the singing.
8. The books containing the passages of Sacred Scripture arouse in those who listen to them veneration for the mystery of God who speaks to his people. This is why it is asked that they be produced with the greatest care and that good use be made of them. It is inadequate to use leaflets, photocopies, or handouts for the use of the faithful to replace the liturgical books.
9. In the days that precede or follow the Sunday of the Word of God, it is fitting to promote formation gatherings to underline the value of Sacred Scripture in liturgical celebrations; this can be the occasion to learn more about the way in which the Church at prayer reads the Sacred Scriptures, with a continuous, semi-continuous and typological reading; what are the criteria of the liturgical distribution of the various biblical books throughout the year and in the different seasons, as well as the structure of the Sunday and weekday cycles for the readings of the Mass.
10. The Sunday of the Word of God is also a favourable occasion to deepen the bond between Sacred Scripture and the liturgy of the hours, the prayer of the Psalms and Canticles of the Office, the biblical readings, encouraging the community celebration of Lauds and Vespers.
Among the many saints, all witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Saint Jerome may be proposed as an example of the great love he had for the Word of God. As Pope Francis recently recalled, he was an « indefatigable scholar, exegete, profound connoisseur and passionate populariser of Sacred Scripture. [...] It is in Sacred Scripture that, by setting himself to listen, Jerome finds himself, finds the face of God and that of his brothers, and refines his predilection for community life ».
This Note intends to contribute to reawakening, in the light of the Sunday of the Word of God, the awareness of the importance of Sacred Scripture for our life as believers, beginning from its resonance in the liturgy, which places us in a living and permanent dialogue with God. « The Word of God, listened to and celebrated, above all in the Eucharist, nourishes and interiorly strengthens Christians and makes them capable of an authentic evangelical witness in daily life ».
From the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 17 December 2020.
Robert Card. Sarah
Prefect
